I've Done 1,500 Interviews — Here's Why Gen Z Can't Get Hired
Tom Bilyeu reacts to Gen Z job-hunting videos and debates his team. He agrees the market is harder, citing ghost jobs, AI resume filters and fewer entry-level roles, but argues effort and real skill still win.
The gist
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Bilyeu cites surveys saying 18% to 27% of online job listings are ghost jobs, and says 40% of companies admitted posting them.
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Drawing on over 1,500 interviews, Bilyeu says most candidates can't explain tactically how they do the job, which is what gets him to hire.
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Instead of 100 copy-pasted applications, he suggests picking five companies, researching them deeply, and sending a short, punchy cover letter of about 100 words.
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To bridge gaps, Bilyeu recommends commission sales or carefully chosen unpaid internships, while Ryan pushes back that unpaid work strains young people's finances.
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To handle senior colleagues with fragile egos, Bilyeu suggests reading 48 Laws of Power and asking 'what would it take' instead of dwelling on unfairness.
Tom Bilyeu recommends it
"If you've got somebody that has more seniority than you and a fragile ego, you need to be careful. Read The 48 Laws of Power. I think that book gets at a human truth of corporations, even though it's not really written technically about corporations, but I think that it really..."
▶ Play at 54:142 creators recommend it, including Ryan Holiday.
See all on the 48 Laws of Power pageWhat they recommend · 1 pick
"If you've got somebody that has more seniority than you and a fragile ego, you need to be careful. Read The 48 Laws of Power. I think that book gets at a human truth of corporat..."
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