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Forbes
3 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
5 Reasons Why 'New-Collar Careers' Are On The Rise In 2025
new-collar careers are on the rise The term "new-collar careers" was first coined by IBM's former CEO Ginni Rometty to describe positions that prioritize skills and certifications over traditional four-year degrees. Unlike white-collar jobs that require a college education or blue-collar work involving physical labor, these roles focus on practical capabilities and technical competencies. Today, new-collar positions offer median salaries exceeding $159,000, according to research by Resume Genius, representing a fundamental shift in how the American workforce values human capital. Five documented forces are reshaping career advancement, creating opportunities that favor skills-based workers over traditionally credentialed candidates. Average student debt reaches $37,000 per graduate, according to federal data. Meanwhile, 41% of recent college graduates work in positions that never required a degree to begin with, creating a compelling economic case for alternative pathways. Information security analysts earn a median salary of $124,910, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Workers entering this field early can accumulate substantial earnings while college-bound peers accumulate debt. According to Junior Achievement, 66% of teens aged 13-17 are likely to consider starting a business or becoming entrepreneurs, suggesting entrepreneurial thinking may prepare young people for skills-based career paths. Early exposure to real-world work experience and entrepreneurship programs provides significant advantages. Teenagers who participate in business mentorship programs, internships, or entrepreneurial education develop practical skills that directly translate to new-collar careers—such as problem-solving, communication, project management, and financial literacy. What this means for you: The traditional college track may no longer offer the best return on investment, especially in fields where practical skills are more valued than academic credentials. Starting skill development in high school through entrepreneurship programs, real-world jobs, or internship experience can provide a crucial head start. Labor market data reveals dramatic shifts in hiring practices. Information security analyst roles show 33% projected growth through 2033—nearly triple the average rate, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics projections. Computer network architects are projected to experience 13% growth. Health services managers are seeing a 29% expansion. Marketing manager roles look to grow 8% annually. Major employers, including IBM, Google, and Apple, have removed degree requirements for numerous positions, prioritizing demonstrated competencies over educational backgrounds. According to Resume Genius data, 65% of employers will prioritize skills and practical experience over formal education by 2025. Why this matters: The job market is actively rewarding practical capabilities over academic achievements. Workers who focus on building demonstrable skills in high-demand areas can access opportunities that were previously limited to college graduates. Online learning platforms, bootcamps, and industry certifications have made advanced skills accessible without traditional institutional barriers. Workers can acquire specialized knowledge in a matter of months rather than years. Professional certifications carry increasing weight with employers. Industry-specific credentials often signal more relevant expertise than broad academic degrees, particularly in rapidly changing technological fields. The speed advantage is significant: cybersecurity professionals can earn a CompTIA Security+ certification in three months, compared to the four years typically required for a traditional computer science education. What this means for career changers: You can pivot to high-paying fields in months, not years. A focused certification program can provide faster entry to lucrative careers than returning to school for another degree. For young people still in high school, combining entrepreneurship programs or business competitions with technical certifications creates an even stronger foundation for new-collar success. The remote work revolution fundamentally altered career accessibility. Every high-paying new-collar role identified in Resume Genius research offers remote or hybrid options. This geographic freedom reduces cost pressures that traditionally favored college graduates. Workers can maintain competitive salaries while living in affordable areas, maximizing purchasing power compared to peers tied to expensive metropolitan markets. Remote work capabilities particularly benefit younger workers who may lack the resources to relocate to expensive business centers for traditional career opportunities. Why this matters to you: Location no longer limits your earning potential. You can access six-figure salaries while living in affordable areas, dramatically improving your quality of life and financial position compared to traditional career paths that require expensive urban living. Artificial intelligence is on the rise, but it is increasing the demand for roles that require human judgment, creativity, and relationship management. Resume Genius excluded positions with automation risk above 50% from their analysis. The remaining roles require strategic thinking, empathy, and complex problem-solving that machines cannot easily replicate. These roles are rooted in judgment, empathy, and real-time decision-making—qualities that AI can't replicate. What this means for your future: Focusing on skills that complement rather than compete with AI provides job security. Roles requiring emotional intelligence, strategic thinking, and complex problem-solving will become increasingly valuable as automation handles routine tasks. All these forces feed off each other. Student debt pushes people away from college. Employers can't find the skills they need. Technology makes learning faster and cheaper. Remote work opens up geography. AI makes human skills more valuable. The result? A completely different job market. Resume Genius research shows this isn't temporary—it's how the economy will work going forward. Companies win, too. They can hire from a bigger pool of candidates, spend less on recruiting, and get workers who can start contributing immediately—no need to train someone for months when they already know what they're doing. Workers can now choose strategies that align with their learning styles, financial situations, and career goals. Success can be more readily attained in new-collar careers if workers focus on developing practical skills, engaging in continuous learning, and achieving demonstrable results. If you can prove your value through portfolios, certifications, and real-world achievements, you will thrive regardless of your educational background. The economic and technological forces driving new-collar careers show no signs of slowing. The question isn't whether these opportunities will continue growing—the data suggests they will. The question is how quickly traditional institutions will adapt to this documented reality.
Forbes
12-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Side Hustles: Gen Z Using AI To Raise The Bar To Career Startups
Gen Z is using AI to start side hustles as they grow fearful technology will replace their jobs, and ... More the outcome is raising side hustle standards to career status. Summer is heating up and so are summer side hustles for full-time workers or solo grinders. If you're like much of the American workforce, you need a gig job in 2025 to make extra money in the tanking economy. A notable 71% of the workforce is searching for side hustles or second jobs with another employer. If you're looking for high-earning summer side hustles, the search has gotten easier to find them, but Gen Z is raising the standards for successful side hustles, treating them like serious startups, using AI--the very technology replacing them--to meet customer expectations. I spoke with Alex Avramenko, head of commerce growth at Godaddy, who told me that as Gen Zers raise the bar, it's a wake-up call for anyone selling through side hustles this summer. 'If your online store isn't optimized for how people actually shop, even your best product won't save you,' Avramenko cautions. "Your customers have already moved on.' He mentions that summer is when people finally have the time and headspace to act on business ideas they've been sitting on. But meeting modern customer expectations is the hurdle, not launching a side hustle. A new survey found that amid financial uncertainty 30% of Millennials and 29% of Gen Zers fear they will lose their jobs to AI within the next two years. And 38% of Millennials and 28% of Gen Zers are harnessing AI to start or grow side hustles or freelance income streams, and they're elevating the standards into serious businesses. I also spoke with Andy Kurtzig, CEO of who told me that Gen Z is using AI to become entrepreneurs. 'We're watching a generational pivot in real time. Gen Z is taking the same tools corporations use to eliminate jobs and flipping the script to create opportunities for themselves,' Kurtzig explains. 'They're using AI to re-imagine career paths, build brands and monetize skills that traditional workplaces often overlook. What used to take funding, mentorship and institutional access, they're now doing with a laptop and a chatbot.' Kurtzig refers to the Gen Z entrepreneurs as 'solopreneurs,' designing, planning and operating entire businesses themselves using AI tools. He cites his organization's data showing that AI is not a harbinger of perpetual unemployment for Gen Z but rather a catalyst to visualize and execute side hustles and even full-time businesses that previously seemed unattainable. Avramenko explains that today's consumers, especially younger ones, expect a mobile-first, fast and frictionless buying experience. 'Our survey found that 54% of Gen Z and 50% of Millennials prefer shopping methods that minimize human interaction, such as online shopping or self-checkout,' he explains. 'More than half of Gen Z respondents–and 41% of Millennials–say they've abandoned purchases because a business didn't accept mobile wallets like Apple Pay or Google Pay.' According to Avramenko, side gigs like pop-up, farmer's markets and summer fairs have morphed into serious businesses. He says entrepreneurs are using these formats to gather live customer feedback, iterate on offerings and build brand presence in real time. If you want to compete with the online giants, he argues that it's not enough to just show up with a product. 'Your point-of-sale system needs to work as seamlessly as your website,' he says. "Providing mobile checkout and accepting digital payments aren't 'nice-to-haves'–they're expected. In fact, 10% of Gen Z exclusively use their phones to pay for items in person, and five percent no longer carry physical wallets. If your booth doesn't take digital wallets, you're not just leaving money on the table–you're handing it to someone else.' He points out that the Gen Z playbook is building side hustles with intention and urgency, treating them like startups, 'purpose-driven, tech-enabled and built to run lean. They're not interested in wrestling with five platforms or spending weeks getting set up. They want tools that just work, so they can focus on doing what they love." "At the same time, they're shaping how we shop," he notes, citing Godaddy's survey which found that 86% of Gen Z and 76% of Millennials buy items online for in-store or curbside pickup at least once per month. And 54% of Gen Z shop online while at work. "In other words, the window to make a sale is always open, but only if your platform supports that level of ease and immediacy. For anyone looking to reach this audience, the takeaway is simple: reduce friction or risk being forgotten.' Kurtzig warns that while AI helps you launch a business, it can also lead you astray. He shared with me four pros and cons to keep in mind when using AI to start side hustles: 1. Pro: Career clarity on demand. 'Gen AI acts like a career GPS, helping Gen Zers uncover paths they might not see on their own. Especially for those early in their careers or lacking strong networks, it can surface adjacent roles, conceptualize bold pivots and re-frame personal experience into new opportunities. It's a powerful tool for navigating change and building confidence in uncertain markets.' 2. Con: Accuracy is an afterthought. 'Let's be blunt: AI still hallucinates. Worse, some newer models are hallucinating more, not less. AI companies are prioritizing speed and scale when it comes to improving the models, leaving accuracy as an afterthought. It's purely reckless. When it comes to planning a high-stakes business venture, Gen Zers should use AI as an ideation and experimentation partner, not a decision maker.' 3. Pro: Instant acceleration. 'AI does in hours what used to take weeks. It's a one-person startup engine, on-demand, 24/7. Though they may not be as good as human experts at teasing out the nuances of certain business topics, LLMs can nonetheless help GenZers extend their knowledge base in pursuit of new career and business opportunities. Chatbots are always available to offer the perspective of multiple specialists and aggregate and summarize data from varied sources to provide a snapshot of what's trending. For execution, AI tools can help with rapid prototyping and mockups, plus first drafts of pitch decks, websites and logos to help any side hustle quickly get off the ground.' 4. Con: The illusion of genius. 'Gen AI sounds confident, even when it's wrong. It blends ideas from across the internet, often without nuance, originality or an ethical filter. Novel business ideas or strategies might also trip up LLMs, which could encourage GenZers to launch a concept before it is ready, inadvertently infringe on copyrighted material or even wade into ethically gray areas to accomplish business goals.' According to Kurtzig, Gen Z's entrepreneurial instinct is right, but long-term success won't come from AI alone. He adds that AI lowers the barrier to entry-level startups, but not the bar for success. He insists that side hustles still require hustle. AI can't replace intuition, ethics or real-world experience. He concludes that the future isn't AI or human – it's AI plus human.
CNN
10-06-2025
- Business
- CNN
Most US workers say they have unpredictable, inflexible schedules, new survey finds
FacebookTweetLink Follow After seven years as a retail associate at a big-box store in Virginia, Alicia Costello still did not have a consistent schedule week to week, and requesting paid time off was a hassle. For a while, Costello got by — until she became pregnant with her first child. Doctors' appointments had to be noted at least a month in advance, and approval wasn't guaranteed, she said. 'It's frustrating to be limited on the time that you've accrued and worked so hard for, not knowing when you can and cannot use that time,' Costello said. 'There's only so much that we can take on physically and mentally.' Needing a job that would allow her to spend more time with her family, Costello quit in April, and her experience is shared by a majority of the US workforce. Almost two-thirds of US workers struggle with volatile, inflexible work schedules, according to a new national Gallup survey, called the State of American Jobs Study, published Tuesday. Meanwhile, workers with predictable schedules enjoy more financial security, better work-life balance and more overall satisfaction with their jobs, according to the survey of 18,000 employees. 'I think one of the biggest questions on people's minds right now is, even though unemployment is fairly low, why are millions of workers still feeling so disillusioned and disengaged and struggling to get by?' said Rachel Korberg, executive director and cofounder of the Family and Workers Fund, which partnered to create the survey. 'We need to shift from a conversation that's just about job quantity to a conversation also about job quality.' Most notably, about 41% of those surveyed said they had little to no control over how many hours they work, what days they work or when they can take time off. Additionally, more than one quarter of workers said they don't know their schedule two weeks or more in advance. 'I think the important thing to underscore here is not just that everyone wants a 9-to-5 with the exact same hours all the time Monday through Friday,' Korberg said. 'It's actually about the worker having a say in their schedule.' Unpredictable schedules often involve frequent schedule changes and shift cancellations, making it difficult to plan for life events or maintain a second form of employment, according to the survey. For this reason, about 38% of those with low-quality schedules reported facing financial hardship. Many employers may cut hours in the week to be just below 40 hours so that overtime pay won't be necessary — a small adjustment that can have a big impact for low-wage workers, Korberg said. In Costello's case, she had to work 39-hour weeks. 'There was never any approval for overtime,' Costello recalled. 'That was difficult because, especially in preparation for the holidays, it would be nice to save up money and get overtime here and there.' Schedule volatility was found to be especially common among part-time workers and those without a college degree, even when controlled for age, gender, education and industry, according to the survey. 'There's an (attitude) that these employees are potentially more replaceable and may have less say in their workplace,' said Guy David, the Alan B. Miller Professor and Chair of Health Care Management at the Wharton School and professor of medical ethics and health policy at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. He was not involved in the survey. From his own research into the working conditions of health care employees, David found those with unreliable schedules were more likely to quit. However, many employers may be unaware of just how important work-life balance has become for workers, he added. 'I think this (survey) confirms our findings and is a wake-up call for companies wishing to increase or improve retention without potentially increasing payroll,' David said. 'Newer generations especially want to have very clear boundaries.' The Covid-19 pandemic was likely a big driver in this attitude change as well, suggested Maria Flynn, CEO and president of Jobs for the Future, which also partnered to create the survey. As more companies shifted to at-home work, the labor force became more accustomed to greater flexibility. Though automated scheduling systems are widely used across industries already, in the future more companies may adopt artificial intelligence-driven systems capable of studying the needs of workers and balancing them with the demands of the company, David said. While Flynn and Korberg suggested workers communicate openly about schedule preferences with their managers, they also acknowledged the change will largely have to take place among employers. 'A good schedule helps businesses engage and retain workers, and that contributes to the bottom line,' Korberg said. 'I'm hoping companies will take note of the study and look at (whether) there (are) changes, they could make to their scheduling practices.'
CNN
10-06-2025
- Business
- CNN
Most US workers say they have unpredictable, inflexible schedules, new survey finds
After seven years as a retail associate at a big-box store in Virginia, Alicia Costello still did not have a consistent schedule week to week, and requesting paid time off was a hassle. For a while, Costello got by — until she became pregnant with her first child. Doctors' appointments had to be noted at least a month in advance, and approval wasn't guaranteed, she said. 'It's frustrating to be limited on the time that you've accrued and worked so hard for, not knowing when you can and cannot use that time,' Costello said. 'There's only so much that we can take on physically and mentally.' Needing a job that would allow her to spend more time with her family, Costello quit in April, and her experience is shared by a majority of the US workforce. Almost two-thirds of US workers struggle with volatile, inflexible work schedules, according to a new national Gallup survey, called the State of American Jobs Study, published Tuesday. Meanwhile, workers with predictable schedules enjoy more financial security, better work-life balance and more overall satisfaction with their jobs, according to the survey of 18,000 employees. 'I think one of the biggest questions on people's minds right now is, even though unemployment is fairly low, why are millions of workers still feeling so disillusioned and disengaged and struggling to get by?' said Rachel Korberg, executive director and cofounder of the Family and Workers Fund, which partnered to create the survey. 'We need to shift from a conversation that's just about job quantity to a conversation also about job quality.' Most notably, about 41% of those surveyed said they had little to no control over how many hours they work, what days they work or when they can take time off. Additionally, more than one quarter of workers said they don't know their schedule two weeks or more in advance. 'I think the important thing to underscore here is not just that everyone wants a 9-to-5 with the exact same hours all the time Monday through Friday,' Korberg said. 'It's actually about the worker having a say in their schedule.' Unpredictable schedules often involve frequent schedule changes and shift cancellations, making it difficult to plan for life events or maintain a second form of employment, according to the survey. For this reason, about 38% of those with low-quality schedules reported facing financial hardship. Many employers may cut hours in the week to be just below 40 hours so that overtime pay won't be necessary — a small adjustment that can have a big impact for low-wage workers, Korberg said. In Costello's case, she had to work 39-hour weeks. 'There was never any approval for overtime,' Costello recalled. 'That was difficult because, especially in preparation for the holidays, it would be nice to save up money and get overtime here and there.' Schedule volatility was found to be especially common among part-time workers and those without a college degree, even when controlled for age, gender, education and industry, according to the survey. 'There's an (attitude) that these employees are potentially more replaceable and may have less say in their workplace,' said Guy David, the Alan B. Miller Professor and Chair of Health Care Management at the Wharton School and professor of medical ethics and health policy at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. He was not involved in the survey. From his own research into the working conditions of health care employees, David found those with unreliable schedules were more likely to quit. However, many employers may be unaware of just how important work-life balance has become for workers, he added. 'I think this (survey) confirms our findings and is a wake-up call for companies wishing to increase or improve retention without potentially increasing payroll,' David said. 'Newer generations especially want to have very clear boundaries.' The Covid-19 pandemic was likely a big driver in this attitude change as well, suggested Maria Flynn, CEO and president of Jobs for the Future, which also partnered to create the survey. As more companies shifted to at-home work, the labor force became more accustomed to greater flexibility. Though automated scheduling systems are widely used across industries already, in the future more companies may adopt artificial intelligence-driven systems capable of studying the needs of workers and balancing them with the demands of the company, David said. While Flynn and Korberg suggested workers communicate openly about schedule preferences with their managers, they also acknowledged the change will largely have to take place among employers. 'A good schedule helps businesses engage and retain workers, and that contributes to the bottom line,' Korberg said. 'I'm hoping companies will take note of the study and look at (whether) there (are) changes, they could make to their scheduling practices.'
Forbes
05-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
‘The Octo-Hire': 3 Ways To Avoid The Rising, Harmful Career Trend
The rise of "the octo-hire" is trending in the workplace when companies employ one person to be ... More responsible for eight or more tasks that they can't possibly perform. I recently wrote a story on karoshi for describing how chronic work overload can end your career and lead to your mental and physical health demise. Burnout is spiking, draining productivity within the American workforce. While all this is happening, Glassdoor has identified an unhealthy trend that it calls 'the octo-hire'--the overextended, over-stressed employee, juggling the workload of eight roles with limited time, energy and resources that inevitably lead to burnout. Sometimes recruiters paint a rosy, unrealistic picture of a position for job seekers. Many of these vulnerable candidates are new graduates eager to land a good job. And they are at risk of becoming an octo-hire--overstretched workers, juggling multiple roles, trying to balance more responsibilities than they can possibly wrap their heads around. Octo-hires often get inducted into a position when a company catfishes them, refusing to disclose the full responsibilities of the role. Unbeknownst to the unsuspecting new employee, they end up overloaded and overworked, wearing the hats of multiple people. When they bite the catfish hook, octo-hires often experience 'Shift shock'--the frustration of realizing that the new job role is far beyond the scope of what an employer outlined in the job description, usually the result of a misleading or poorly designed hiring process. A Muse Shift Shock Survey found that 72% of respondents say they've experienced 'shift shock.' Josh Millet, founder and CEO of Criteria believes one reason for the shock shift trend is that graduates struggle to obtain roles in the current job market that match their course of study. And they land jobs in which they're unlikely to use their college degrees. According to Millet, 'Candidates that can't find jobs they want, paired with employers struggling to find adequate talent, leads to a market heavy with dissatisfaction." To avoid this, he adds that if companies invest more into their hiring processes, they are more likely to find candidates with skills that match the roles they're looking to fill. Meanwhile, the recruitment of octo-hires is contributing to the rise in burnout. Glassdoor notes that mentions of burnout in Glassdoor employee reviews have spiked 32%, the highest levels in a decade, making it seem like octo-hires are the 'new normal.' Glassdoor offers three examples to help you spot an octo-hire wearing the hats of three or four employees: Job salary can make or break your job search. Not knowing a salary range limits your ability to fully understand the role. And if a company is vague or avoids disclosing the pay range, it could be a red flag. An analysis by found that of 20,477 job advertisements, only 39% (8,031) disclose their salary, which leaves employees wondering. The report concludes that HR professionals, economists, orthodontists and pilots also keep candidates guessing, with less than one in four ads disclosing pay. A notable 78% of job seekers say they're less likely to apply if salary isn't shown, meaning pay secrecy (which could lead to octo-hiring) could be shrinking talent pools and widening pay gaps. Simon Bocca, founder and CEO of PayCaptain, suggests that you ask directly and early in the process about salary. He cautions that it's a fair question, and if there's a refusal or hesitation, don't bite the hook. Bocca also points out that you can network with peers or informal groups that share salary information to help each other navigate what he calls 'these opaque systems.' But to mitigate the problem before you get inducted, think ahead. Do your own research about the roles and companies you're considering before making a commitment. Check out the company's website, Glassdoor or LinkedIn page as resources where you can obtain information on their values, goals and how long employees have chosen to stay with the company. Glassdoor suggests that you ask if the job description contains a list of unreasonable responsibilities, combination of job titles or terms like 'wearing multiple hats' or 'team player' and warning you to watch for sudden departures of numerous employees after you're hired. During the job interview be assertive. Hiring managers are impressed when candidates set a clear understanding from the start by voicing what they're looking for in a position. Be sure to ask specific questions regarding the role, salary and general job expectations throughout the hiring process. If you do all these things and still miss the subtle cues and have shift shock over discovering you're an octo-hire, your first impulse might be to immediately jump ship and end up job hopping. Although one study revealed 80% of the respondents believe it's acceptable to leave a new job before six months if it doesn't live up to expectations, don't be too quick to bail right away. Glassdoor suggests that you take several actions before throwing in the towel: 1. Try to negotiate a new title and/or a raise. But first, find out if your new responsibilities are permanent and what prompted them. 2. Set reasonable expectations up front for your redefined role to help you avoid burnout later. 3. Keep a paper trail of any expectations and new assignments you've discussed with your manager, plus any changes to your compensation, benefits or title to build your case. Burnout is described as the silent epidemic, and it's both a people killer and a career killer. Burnout out comes from unmanaged stress, overloading yourself with too many hours of working or assuming too many roles that pull you in too many directions. Once you have burnout, taking time off, slowing down or working fewer hours won't remedy the condition. If you're dealing with the octo-hire issue, your best recourse is to take preemptive action before you hit the wall. If you're a recent graduate or a new hire, put your self-care at the top of the list. Avoid falling into the trap of the octo-hire, and commit to a job that doesn't require you to sacrifice your mental and physical health. Overloading yourself with too many roles and overworking too many hours is not a badge of honor, and burnout isn't a prerequisite to career success.
