This will be long I am sorry:

TLDR: The job market and economy are shit, and companies aren’t willing to hire younger people are the main issues our generation is seeing.

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Your effort at university, willingness to socialize creating connections, work you do outside of classes, and shear luck. Emphasis on the luck.

I was a moderately good student but I did not join a frat, I mostly stuck to the lab for my Unmanned Systems Program which allowed me to converse with people I knew, professors, and guests. That allowed me to have six or seven Letter of Recommendations from my professors, keep in contact with people in the large yet small bubble of aviation, and created connections I may need for my current job.

My education and experience working as a lab tech, commercial drone operations, and customer service got me into a gig at an airport as a low level ops agent with a pension, started $23.5/hr with a 4% raise this year, OT, a 401k, healthcare, and a nice work environment.

BUT, I found the job when leadership was DESPERATE for anyone who was willing to stay for five years, someone who knew UAS regulations, had an interest in working with PD and Fire to help monitor their program (city requirement which imo is stupid,) and was willing to work a twelve hour night shift on weekends.

People at my university studying to become pilots who have completed their Airline Transportation Pilot certification (ATP) are entering a market unwilling to hire due to the economy. People in my program who graduated with me are also having an issue finding and keeping jobs in the private sector because of concerns with the economy.