When you’re a writer who talks about big trends and ideas, it really does help to live outside of the DC/NYC bubble. Back when I was an education reporter, I regularly went to parent-teacher meetings and local school board meetings just so I could spot the early trends. It gave me an edge over my competition, who had never sat through a five-hour budget meeting or attended a school fundraiser. 

I spotted the shitty job market for young college graduates long before the mainstream press, because my son and my friends’ kids were all faced with similar problems. I’ve talked about the poor options for young college grads for a couple of years in this newsletter, and the mainstream press is just getting caught up on it. 

When that happens, I revert to the oldest sister mode. In my head, I’m shouting, I TOLD YOU SO! 

I also started tying the bad job market together with AI back in May. I wrote:

My kids are the vanguard of the new job market—working multiple jobs, making themselves irrelevant by contributing to the growth of AI systems, and working jobs that typically don’t attract college graduates. I like to think that their situation is temporary. Perhaps they’ll find permanent positions at these AI companies. Perhaps they’ll find a solid place within the waves of the new economy. 

Now everybody is talking about the crappy job market and AI.

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