and allow him to have financial stability/freedom? I'm not a Millennial or Gen Xer but I could have written this same post 30 years ago (I'm almost 75).

The world has changed dramatically since I was in my 20s or even in my 40s. But one thing that has not changed is that fundamentally, every job is really the same job and its title is "Profit Maker". I know that probably sounds cynical but it has been my life experience. That applies to small business as well as corporations, even NGOs have to meet grant obligations.

Unless we are born wealthy we have to work to sustain ourselves and if you can do something that you enjoy it makes life much more pleasant. Everyone is looking for a similar situation, and it is not easy to find.

I told him that at one time, civil service jobs and working in federal government gave a person that special feeling of self-worth. But these are now embattled positions.

It does comes down to generating money to support what you really want from life. Sadly, it's a catch 22. Because he has to live on a tight budget, it means he lives a very economical life. No travel, no high priced hobbies. So, it's hard to venture out in the world to find the kind of experiences that will help you grow.

I know things will work out eventually

Best thing to do IMO, is start a small business like home repair/remodeling/small construction, if you have the $ to invest in tools etc. , or get some training in cybersecurity and do individual/small business consulting. Home health care is growing. Baby sit older people with dementia in their homes - often families will pay off the books. House painting. Courier. The corporate world has long been a mind numbing and soul sucking place.

when I hear that younger generations are not as "loyal" on the job I can hardly fucking blame them.....no INDEED

I will point out, however, that any workplace where the management uses the term "family" to describe it is immediately suspect in my eyes.

If I read that word in a job posting, I skip to the next. If I hear it in an interview, it's a huge red flag.

It's usually total bullshit that's used by the management to justify why the workers should put in extra time and effort for the good of the business... unpaid, of course. Because that's what families do.

Somewhat off the topic, but seeing the "one big h family" bit in your post set my teeth on edge. Heard it way too many times at work and seen it play out the same way every time.

What you are saying is helpful to the conversation because it's true.

Things have never been great, but it's gotten so much worse over the last 25 or so years. Employers expect more, demand more, and anyone who doesn't deliver is given the side-eye. The culture of terror they create to keep people giving 110% is cruel, particularly since if it benefits their bottom line by even a tiny fraction, the pink slips go out in a storm and even those who give 110% aren't safe. The shareholders and C-Suite jackwagons don't give a damn.

Ordinarily the old (and I'm not even really old, I'm not 50 yet) envy the young. I pity them. I'm at least established enough in my career and have enough useful experience from previous positions that I'm fairly valuable, and I can do a fair few things well... but I never make the mistake of assuming I'm indispensable.

A friend of mine said something once that threw late-stage capitalism into sharp relief for me. He says it's a system that's designed to juice humans, extracting every last drop of usefulness and then casting them aside to begin the cycle anew. And he's right.

We could have made anything, and this is what we made. It's a damn shame.

They’re fun (and I say this as a curmudgeonly Middle Aged childless woman).
I was a university professor and just walked away when it was clear I could not do what I needed to have a mentally fulfilling life’s my savings have dwindled to nothing, but I’m happier in the UK making far less money. I am, however, trying to find the job that gets me going each day.
Good luck to your friend, from an elder Xennial

Example - thinking of a local non-profit designed to get kids interested in engineering and technology, but hands-on. So, for example, they got a donation of a 1969 Chevelle and the students/staff rebuilt it as an EV. That's one small suggestion in a big field, but after corporate soul-sucking, it could be something of an antidote.

These largely overlap with David Graeber's definition of "bullshit jobs" - sales, marketing, HR, real estate, creating pointless tat destined for the landfill, pushing money around, generating noise, hype or spin, lying to protect bad people or to promote bad or useless products.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bullshit_Jobs

Then I thought about my values and what I was passionate about - environmental issues, waste minimization, social justice. Then I looked for jobs in those fields that overlapped with my skills and were morally ambitious. Here's a great recent article that sums it up:

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/apr/19/no-youre-not-fine-just-the-way-you-are-time-to-quit-your-pointless-job-become-morally-ambitious-and-change-the-world

I don't know your friend or what they are passionate about but I'd suggest there is a lot of work going on now in climate change adaptation and mitigation, urban planning, civil engineering, biodiversity protection, environmental monitoring, storm modelling, green energy generation, sustainable agriculture. Unlike software engineering (which I'd argue is probably more of a useful skillset than a life's calling) those kinds of jobs are relatively AI proof because they require people who can exercise judgement and moral authority and can engage with communities to solve complex problems, not just apply the same rule set over and over again. And a lot of them need people who can apply technology.

But more than anything, find a problem that needs fixing and that you care about and then find work (or create work) that solves that problem. Tune out all the noise. Apart from the occasional hiccup, our society is actually quietly mostly getting on with the changes it needs to make to adapt to the future and your friend can be a part of it. Trump will be gone in a few years but the need to address those issues will remain.

Maybe they care about election integrity or prison reform or healthcare costs or the loneliness epidemic or obesity or combating misinformation and then think about how to get into a career that does something about it.

If you don't mind, I'll cut and paste in an email and send it to him.

Thank you!