Gen X Forsakes 6-Figure Jobs for $15/hr Pastry and Sad Internships
In the cruel irony Olympics of 2025, Dionne Foster, 52, plunged from business analyst contractor glory to a glorified summer intern making $20/hr, clocking alongside high schoolers while reminiscing about her college paydays. Meanwhile, William Simon, 49, sold his boat (yes, the leisure kind) and swapped medical equipment sales for hockey whistle blowing and fake golf shifts – hobbies turned financial lifelines in Florida's economic circus. Cathy Valentine, 60, ditched her six-figure coaching gig for $15/hr pastry chef status at a botanical garden cafe, juggling unemployment, insomnia, and rent stress while missing grandkid hugs. Not to be outdone, Julie Jordan-Wade sticks to part-time museum gigs, sniffing out meaning while dodging long-term career gigs like the plague. Welcome to Gen X’s new normal: booming resumes, ghosting algorithms, and financial downsizing so aggressive it demands a pastry chef to survive.
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Congratulations Gen X: From six-figure gigs to pastry chefs and ice hockey refs. The economy called—said it’s younger, cheaper, and definitely doesn't care about your decades of experience.
Gen X job market in 2025: sell your boat, blow whistles, and juggle pastry trays. It’s the adult version of musical chairs, except the music’s long gone.
Apparently, the job market now requires a side hustle as a prep cook or museum docent just to pay the rent. Who knew your resume’s nemesis was a high school intern?
Source: Businessinsider | Published: 10/5/2025 | Author: Ana Altchek
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