A reality check & roadmap for disillusioned Gen Z marketers

It’s 2025 and the vibes are off.

The job descriptions are chaotic and everyone’s wondering whether that $60k degree was just a gateway to unpaid internships and Canva burnout. If you're Gen Z, fresh out of uni with a marketing diploma and a LinkedIn full of “open to work” badges, this one's for you.

If you think the industry kind of feels like a joke right now, you’re not wrong. But it’s also like, not that funny. Surely the job titles are made up. Is everyone lying about KPIs? And somehow, there are 17 layers of approval to post a single Instagram Story.

Add in mass layoffs, corporate greenwashing, and entry-level roles that demand 5 years of experience and mastery of Adobe, Hubspot, Google Ads, TikTok, Excel and astrology? Yeah. No wonder you’re disillusioned.

This is the absurdity of marketing’s current state: where saying the right things matters more than doing the right things.

Where fluff wins over function. Where “brand voice” is sometimes just…vibe with a font. But… you got the degree. So, now what? Well, your degree isn’t useless. But it is incomplete. The real skills that get you hired today? Most of them, unfortunately, are not taught in your overpriced textbook. Here’s how to close the gap:

1. Pick a speciality and go deep. Brands don’t hire “marketers.” They hire email nerds. Growth hackers. Social strategists. SEO goblins. Pick a lane and learn everything about it. If you can prove you drive revenue (not just reach), you’ll never be unemployed for long.

2. Make stuff. Publish it. Share it. Want a job? Start marketing yourself. Build a portfolio. Write mock briefs. Start a newsletter. Post breakdowns of campaigns you love (or hate). Show, don’t tell. Your personal brand will probably get you hired before your resume does.

3. Learn the business of marketing. Understanding CAC, LTV, conversion funnels, margins, and product-market fit makes you so much more valuable than someone who can pick a pretty font. Be the marketer who can talk to finance and creatives. That’s rare—and powerful.

Okay, but then, how do you actually get HIRED in this economy?

You’ve got the skills, now what?

1. Go where the growth is. Not every company is cutting budgets. Look at healthcare, SaaS, AI, fintech, niche DTCs with cult followings. "Boring" industries often have money.

2. Slide into DMs (strategically). Cold emails work, but only when they’re good. Research the person. Compliment their work. Offer value. Don’t ask for a job—ask for 10 minutes to pick their brain (then blow them away.)

3. Say yes to the weird stuff. Small projects. Freelance gigs. Helping a friend’s mom launch her Etsy shop. All of it counts. Every “small” project is a case study waiting to happen. Build proof. Then build leverage.

Your degree was the start – not the whole strategy.

You’re not crazy for feeling disillusioned. This industry is messy. But it’s also fun, fast-moving, creative, and full of potential for people who are scrappy, curious, and committed to doing work that actually matters. You don’t need a perfect job. You need a foot in the door, a brain that never stops learning, and a little bit of internet delusion. Good luck, mwah x

-Sophie, Writer