"Figure It Out" Isn't a Plan, and Real Plans Don't Have to Stress You Out.
In your late teens and early 20s, you're reaching the point in your life that people older than you stop pretending they know what you should do. When the goal was education, the path looked relatively clear. When it's employment, you'll probably hear "figure it out" a lot more often.
Unfortunately, "figure it out" is more likely to be said with pessimism than it used to be. As one older person said in a recent survey, "the future is not as safe [for people starting out] in terms of the certainty of permanent positions."
Last August, a Stanford University study provided some explanation for this concern. During the initial years after generative AI's release, workers in the 22–25 age group who work in "AI-exposed occupations" suffered a 13% drop in employment. In contrast, young adults in occupations without as much exposure did not see a drop, and more-experienced workers are actually benefiting from the technology.
AI is removing the bottom rungs from career ladgers. The challenge for Americans just starting out in their careers is to find ways across this gap. The solution is to use the same technology that's threatening jobs to, instead, fill your résumé with the sort of preparation super-ambitious students put on their applications as they chased elite degrees. New tools are emerging to help you do this and to make it easy.
"Do More" Is Usually Bad Advice
Following mainstream news sources, readers can get the impression American students are all constantly stressed by the many résumé-building extracurriculars they're packing into their schedules. In February 2025, a Forbes magazine writer suggested "parents are pushing their children to excel in academics, sports, and extracurriculars at an unprecedented pace." "The pressure," he said, "is taking a devastating toll on young minds, contributing to a surge in anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues among teens."
This picture has two problems. The first is that the data do not suggest an "unprecedented pace" of extracurricular activity among American students. The second is that doing things to boost your résumé does not have to make you a mental wreck.
First Myth: American Teens Are Overscheduled
The number of American students doing both sports and non-sport activities did jump up in the 1980s and early 1990s, but the overall trend has been slightly downward ever since. The percentage of students participating only in non-sport activities (such as clubs and student councils) has shrunk by a lot.
Excessive extracurricular activities are only a problem for those with social and economic advantages competing to join the 1%. The problem for everybody else is more like the opposite. "If the story [at elite schools] is one of high-stress over achievement," a podcast from the University of Pennsylvania suggests, "the national story is one of low expectations and diminishing returns."
Doing things to broaden your experience and enhance your résumé is still very healthy and helpful, and many young Americans aren't doing enough. The challenge is to be smart about it and eliminate the guesswork.
Second Myth: Résumé Building Is Difficult, Stressful, and Uncertain
Even if your college application days are behind you, lessons from that time can be helpful as you apply for jobs.
Because elite students are competing with other students similar to them, and because their goal is a high-status acceptance rather than an opportunity to do work that interests them, they may be reluctant to focus. This is the source of their stress and overscheduling.
Admissions departments look at a wide variety of factors, and applicants can't know what their competition has been doing. So, students choose activities based on the question, "Will this increase my chances of getting in?" If they think it might, they may simply stack new activities on top of everything they're already doing so they don't miss the one thing some faceless admissions panel member wants to see.
In contrast with this approach, research shows that going beyond one sport and one non-sport activity brings no additional benefit for admissions. This may be so because success is more important than participation, and it's harder to succeed at many things. It may also be that colleges want students to succeed in the programs the colleges offer, and students who've focused and know what they want to do are more likely to turn out well.
The difficult work is setting a direction. Building a strong application (for college or for a job) doesn't have to be difficult, stressful, or unpredictable for somebody who:
- Chooses a direction,
- Participates consistently in activities that reinforce their choice, and
- Applies to programs and jobs aligned with that objective.
Just show consistent forward motion and find employers aligned with your goals. Not only will this increase your odds of success, but you'll find the preparation and the work more interesting, as well.
New Tools to Unlock Your Superpowers
This is how the technologies that threaten your early career can help you accelerate it. You need to focus your efforts and then choose activities that provide the maximum benefit as you prepare to apply for jobs. That's the process SkillDrift is designed to support.
Then, it identifies jobs available right now that can move your career forward. Live interview practice using voice AI takes your preparation the last mile, right up to when you walk in the door to speak with potential employers. Throughout the entire process, an innovative tool that leverages the latest disruptive technology can become your greatest ally — developing interests and talents you already have — rather than a threat.
You have plenty of time to try new things, to learn, and to adjust. The reality is that nobody knows exactly what you should do (they never did!), but starting off with a GPS for your career will keep you moving forward even as you run into obstacles or change direction.