Gen Z reveal the degrees they studied vs. their jobs now: “tragic”

A group of Generation Zers have gone viral after revealing the degrees they studied, compared to the jobs they are now having to do despite their qualifications.

Katie Boggs, 24, took to Instagram (@katietheguiri) to share a video highlighting the various college degrees that she and her Gen Z (born between 1997 and 2012) colleagues did, before pursuing careers in very different avenues. One coworker with an IT degree is putting it to good use as a dish dryer, while the bartender has a degree in architecture.

Boggs has a degree in biochemistry and molecular biology, with a minor in musical theater from Otterbein University in Ohio. In 2023, she made the decision to relocate to Italy where she worked as a dishwasher and now she teaches English in Spain. She told Newsweek that people would “probably think we’re failures, but we chose this life.”

While Boggs, originally from Louisville, Kentucky, may not be using her degree directly, she couldn’t be happier with how her life is transpiring since moving to Europe.

“I’ve had a lot of odd jobs living overseas, as this summer I worked in a bar in Italy, which I really enjoyed because I worked with awesome people, and it was on the beach,” Boggs said. “Now, I’m an English teacher in Spain and I love that, too.

“I was aiming toward medical school during my studies, but I don’t think I really allowed myself to think that decision through. Now, I’m traveling the world. I do content creation, and marketing on the side, and I really enjoy it. I love my life, and I found my passion.”

Indeed, a study published in early 2024 by the Burning Glass Institute and the Strada Education Foundation found that 52 percent of graduates worked jobs that didn’t require a degree a year after graduating. Additionally, 45 percent were in the same boat a decade after finishing college, too.

The results highlighted the importance of the first job out of college, as 79 percent of graduates who start out with a college level job remain in this level of occupation for five years. Meanwhile, 73 percent of graduates who start out underemployed (taking a job that doesn’t require a degree) remain so 10 years later.

How Did Social Media React?

When she was studying, it would have seemed unthinkable to Boggs that she wouldn’t use her degree for her career. Yet now, she loves the freedom of doing whatever makes her happy, rather than feeling confined to one specific field.

Boggs said she plans on staying in Europe for a while longer, and then in the future she is considering moving toward a role in marketing.

After posting the Instagram Reel about the “degrees vs the jobs” the Gen Zers do now, it went viral with over 31.4 million views and more than 1.2 million likes. With so much pressure to pursue noble and competitive careers, Boggs said she hopes that her viral clip will encourage others to prioritize their happiness instead.

“People have this perception of who is smart and dumb based on their career and schooling, but they can be wrong,” Boggs told Newsweek. “At work, I’m surrounded by brilliant people, but we’re all doing a job that most people would think is for dumb people or people who never went to school. However, we all enjoy this way more than our actual career paths.

“Americans push a steady career from such a young age, and we have a really skewed perception of success. Everyone thinks they need to do something innovative, but neglect what they enjoy doing in life. We put so much weight on the job someone has, and we associate their career with who they are as a person, when in reality, they are mutually exclusive.”

For anyone unsure about what to do, Boggs said it doesn’t matter what or where they studied, as all they should think about is what makes them happy instead. After all, life’s too short to be unhappy with what you spend all your time doing.

“Your career doesn’t define you. I know a lot of people who are doing something completely different from what they studied. Fake it ’til you make it,” Boggs added.

Since the video went viral, many people praised Boggs for being to transparent about the reality that many graduates face when they leave college, leading to more than 8,000 comments so far.

One comment reads: “This is tragic. We told 100% of kids to go to college, when only 25% of jobs require a degree. So then, those that do require a degree are smothered in resumes.”

Another Instagram user wrote: “This is reality if I’ve ever seen it.”

A third person added: “This is another level of sad.”

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