Young millennials and Gen Z grads are having a hard time breaking into the world of work. Millions are unemployed as AI steals entry-level roles—and experts don’t see the dire situation improving, instead warning that the traditional college-to-office path is forever broken. Verizon’s chief talent officer, Christina Schelling, says now is the time to embrace diverse paths, such as retail or hospitality jobs.
“There’s a path that you have in your head that you’ve built up for however long, and anything different from that maybe doesn’t feel good enough,” Schelling told Fortune.
“But my advice would be to recognize that within yourself, put it aside and just start somewhere.”
Schelling would know: The Verizon chief has an impressive resume, having previously led people teams at Estee Lauder, Prudential, and American Express. But before breaking into the corporate world, she worked part-time with children with special needs.
“Even I’ve had experiences with jobs I never knew I would be in,” Schelling added, but ultimately each job she did added up and led her to where she is today; In charge of the hiring and career growth for over 100,000 staff at the Fortune 500 (#31) firm.
