The college-to-office route is dead: CEO of the globe’s largest recruiter says Gen Z graduates should consider non-degree trade jobs
Millions of Gen Z individuals are encountering challenges as entry-level office positions are being taken over by AI, and many are regretting taking on thousands of dollars in student loans for careers that now have notably reduced prospects. Now, the CEO of the world’s largest talent firm, Randstad, has confirmed what numerous young graduates already dread: the traditional college-to-office pathway is no longer viable.
“People should think carefully about whether taking out a student loan, attending college, and being trained or educated for a rapidly evolving profession is still the correct choice,” Sander van ’t Noordende, Randstad’s global CEO, told .
“We all grew up hearing our parents say, ‘Go to college or university and then get an office job’—that path, which worked for so long, is now beginning to fail,” he added.
“You can already see this with graduates struggling to find employment. It’s evident in fields like marketing, communications, and design… just look at how proficient AI already is in certain aspects of those roles.”
Under his leadership, the staffing firm places roughly 500,000 workers in jobs each week—and he has disappointing news for those who’ve already spent thousands on their degree hoping to land a comfortable office position: You might have better luck securing bartending, barista, or construction jobs.
The white-collar job market is frozen—now bartenders, baristas and builders are the future of work
Tech leaders have repeatedly warned that AI is already and could cut in half by 2030. A Stanford University study, labeled “”, has even noted that the new technology is already having a “significant and disproportionate effect” on Gen Z. are currently receiving larger pay increases than office workers, right now.
“Jobs will change—and they’re already changing—but new jobs will also emerge,” van ’t Noordende emphasized. “There’s a huge demand for skilled tradespeople, mechanical engineers, machine operators, maintenance engineers, forklift drivers, truck drivers—you name it.”
With the white-collar job market appearing stagnant, van ’t Noordende stated that telling young people to follow their passions is no longer “good advice.”
“Instead, learning a craft, trade, skill, or profession that allows you to earn a good living and support yourself and your family is far better advice than chasing your passion.”
Further backing his case: The U.K. government has just announced it’ll be investing funds to help place tens of thousands of unemployed young people into the jobs it considers future-focused—and they’re all in hospitality, retail, and AI.
But for those hell-bent on going to college, van ’t Noordende stressed that STEM subjects—which are studied at twice the rate in China as in the U.S. and parts of Europe—will likely remain high in demand.
And his advice to those who’ve already spent time and money on a degree that’s dwindling in relevance? “Retrain. Learning new skills is always good.”
“Look around you, find opportunities that match your skills and background, and go there,” van ’t Noordende added. But he warned that at some point, you may just “have to bite the bullet and say, ‘Okay, this is not working.’”
The CEO stressed that you’re not alone; many people are currently doing exactly that. And ultimately, transitioning from a desk job to roles like plumber, teacher, or nurse requires a mindset shift, van ’t Noordende says. It’s not a failure if you end up working outside your field of study—it’s just adjusting to what actually works. “You have to come off your chair and build skills,” he added.