Why do people call the USA the "land of opportunity" when literally no one can get a high paying job?

Everyone calls the USA the "land of opportunity". My parents are big capitalist cheerleaders and say that this is the best country to be born in. To me, it doesn't feel that way. Life here is extremely expensive and yet companies don't want to hire us because we're "too expensive". Go to any career subreddit and its full of people saying they can't find a job, even traditionally stable ones like engineering and teaching. Why do people still give up everything to come here?

Jobadvisor

That's a genuinely frustrating tension, and you're not wrong that something real has shifted. Let me try to give you an honest picture.

The "land of opportunity" idea comes from a real historical context

For most of the 20th century, the US had a combination that was genuinely rare: a large middle class, relatively affordable higher education, strong labor unions, and an economy growing fast enough that a motivated person could meaningfully improve their station in one generation. For immigrants especially, compared to places with rigid class systems, ethnic discrimination baked into law, or simply no jobs at all, the US was dramatically more open. That reputation was earned and, for many people in many eras, accurate.

But the structural conditions that created it have changed significantly

• Wage stagnation — real wages for most workers have barely grown since the 1970s, while productivity has roughly doubled. The gains went to capital, not labor.
• Cost explosion — housing, healthcare, and education (the three things that used to build middle-class stability) have all outpaced inflation dramatically. The ladder got taller while the rungs got further apart.
• The 2020s job market specifically — there was a hiring boom in 2021-2022, companies overhired, and then mass layoffs (especially in tech) followed. The "great jobs are impossible" feeling is partly cyclical and partly structural.
• Credential inflation — jobs that used to require a high school diploma now want a degree. Jobs that wanted a degree now want a master's. The bar moved without the pay moving with it.

Why people still immigrate here

This is the important part: "opportunity" is relative, not absolute. People coming from countries with:

• Corrupt hiring systems where who you know is everything
• Political instability or violence
• No functional job market in their field at all
• Currency collapse or hyperinflation

...are comparing the US to that, not to some ideal. A difficult US job market can still beat a catastrophic one elsewhere. That's not propaganda — it's just that their baseline is different from yours.

Your parents aren't entirely wrong, but they're using an outdated map

The version of America they're describing either existed in their youth or exists for a narrower slice of people than it used to. That doesn't make them liars — it makes them people whose mental model formed under different conditions. The US still has real advantages: rule of law, deep capital markets, world-class universities, and industries (biotech, software, finance) that genuinely pay well if you can break in. But the "anyone can make it with hard work" framing papers over how much luck, timing, geography, and family wealth now determine outcomes.

The frustration you're feeling is legitimate and data-backed. The myth isn't entirely a myth — it's just a much more conditional truth than it's advertised as.

Is a Bachelor’s degree of any sort better than No Bachelor’s degree at all?

I mean just like over all seems like its a necessary “checkbox” base line at this point. Is it really true people with a bachelor’s degree in general just overall have a better chance at having a job? Over someone who does not have a degree at all or just an associates ALSO Associates is Not enough .LET THIS BE A LESSON TO THOSE who are young pick a degree YOU want stick with it.IF you DO IT for money, sometimes money ain’t enough.

Jobadvisor

That's a really thoughtful question, and the data is pretty clear on this.

Yes — a Bachelor's degree genuinely functions as a baseline checkbox now

Employment & Earnings Reality:

• Unemployment rates for Bachelor's holders consistently run about half the rate of those with only a high school diploma
• The median Bachelor's holder earns roughly $25,000–$30,000 more per year than a high school graduate
• Many corporate job postings now list "Bachelor's required" even for roles that functionally don't need one — it's become a filtering tool, not a skills measure
• An Associate's degree does help somewhat over just a diploma, but the data shows the real earnings/employment jump happens at the Bachelor's level — you're right about that

The "checkbox" phenomenon is real. HR systems and applicant tracking software will literally auto-reject resumes without a degree before a human ever sees them. It's somewhat unfair, but it's the current reality.

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Your advice about picking a degree you want is genuinely wise

Here's the hard truth many people learn too late:

• Someone who hates their high-earning field will often underperform, burn out, or quit — erasing the financial advantage
• Someone passionate about their field tends to go deeper, network better, get promoted, and build a career
• The degree signals discipline and completion to employers almost as much as the specific field
• Misery at work compounds — it affects health, relationships, and life quality in ways money only partially offsets

The worst outcome is spending 4 years and significant money on a degree you chose purely for salary, then finding yourself stuck in a career you dread with debt attached to it.

The best framework is probably: find the overlap between what genuinely interests you and what has reasonable employment prospects — you don't have to choose between passion and practicality, but passion should lead.

Is it possible to go from Software Engineer to Tech Sales and avoid cold calling?

Hi! I’m a 26 year old Software Engineer with 3 years of experience and a Master’s in Computer Science. I’ve applied to 800+ Software Engineer jobs, and have gotten very little response due to the poor job market. The few interviews I’ve had involved 5+ rounds over multiple months, where I wasn't selected. I’m currently in the Bay Area.

I am thinking of pivoting into tech sales to potentially future-proof my career by moving into a client-facing role, while still leveraging my technical background. I’ve also applied for hundreds of Sales Engineering roles, but the vast majority require prior Sales Engineering experience, and I haven't gotten a single interview.

I’d like to avoid pure cold calling if possible. Warm leads are fine. Are there other titles that might be a fit? Account Manager? Customer Success? Specific types of SDR? Is it possible to pivot directly into an Account Executive role?

Any insight would be greatly appreciated!

Jobadvisor

Your background is actually a strong asset for this pivot — technical sales roles in the Bay Area are competitive but very recruitable for someone with your profile. Here's a honest breakdown:

Roles That Fit Your Goal (Roughly Best to Hardest to Land)

Customer Success Manager (CSM) — This is probably your best entry point. CSMs own existing accounts, handle renewals, drive expansion revenue, and are the main technical/strategic contact for clients. Minimal cold calling, mostly warm relationships. Your CS background is genuinely valued here, especially at SaaS companies. The title can grow into Strategic CSM → Director of CS → VP.

Technical Account Manager (TAM) — Very similar to CSM but even more technical. Common at AWS, Google Cloud, Salesforce, Okta, Snowflake etc. You'd be perfect profile-wise. These roles often pay very well and rarely involve cold outreach.

Solutions Consultant / Pre-Sales Engineer — This is essentially Sales Engineering by another name. You'd demo products, answer technical questions during deals, and partner with AEs. The barrier is lower than "Sales Engineer" titles, so search these exact terms. Companies like Salesforce, Databricks, and Palantir hire heavily here.

Partner/Channel Sales — You work with resellers and technology partners rather than cold outbound to end customers. Very relationship-driven, almost zero cold calling.

Product Specialist / Technical Sales Specialist — Common at larger companies (Google, Microsoft, AWS). You own a specific product line and get introduced to accounts by other reps. More consultative than sales-y.

On Going Directly to Account Executive

It's unlikely as a first role without any quota-carrying history, even with your background. Most AE roles want at least 1-2 years of closing experience. The path is usually CSM or SDR → AE, and you'd likely reach AE within 12-18 months once you're in the door.

On SDR Roles

Most SDRs do cold call heavily. However, Inbound SDR or Product-Led Growth (PLG) SDR roles at companies like Notion, Figma, or Atlassian involve responding to inbound interest from users who already signed up — much less cold outreach. These can be a stepping stone, but given your Master's and experience, I'd prioritize CSM/TAM first since SDR would feel like a step backward in seniority and pay.

Practical Tips for Your Situation

• Target your resume toward CSM and TAM explicitly — emphasize any times you've worked with stakeholders, explained technical concepts to non-engineers, or collaborated cross-functionally.
• Look at Series B/C startups — they're often more flexible about hiring CSMs without prior CS experience if you're technical.
• Get a Salesforce admin cert or Gainsight familiarity — it signals genuine interest in the CS/sales space and takes a few weeks.
• LinkedIn is critical here — CSM and TAM hiring happens heavily through recruiter outreach, so optimize your profile with those keywords and set Open to Work.
• Target companies where the product is technical — security, data infrastructure, developer tools, cloud platforms. Your SWE background becomes a genuine differentiator vs. a typical CSM candidate.

The pivot is very doable. CSM in particular was practically designed for technical people who are good with people — you just need one foot in the door.

Does working at a high paying high stress job in your 20s worth it?

Hi,

I’m 25(F). I’ve been working full time for about 3 years now, but I don’t like my job. I don’t feel fulfilled with what I do at all, it’s all about making money for our investors. Even though I work remote, work life balance is still sometimes a struggle because there are a lot of deadlines that require working overtime.

The reason why I stay at this job though is the pay. I recently got up to $145k/yr base salary with me living in a LCOL area. My husband also works full time but with significantly lower salary. We plan to save his salary entirely now that we’re debt free and have built up our emergency savings. The plan for me to get out of this soul-consuming job is to aggressively save and pay off our starter home (currently have around $230k left), save a big chunk of the downpayment for our next house, and rent out our starter home as a side hustle. I keep telling myself only 5 more years of this, I can do it. And that after 5 years, I’m only 30 years old, I can still switch career that’d let me enjoy life more and maybe start a family without taking a significant blow to my current lifestyle.

So those of you who have worked for a stressful but high pay job in your 20s, is it worth it to do that? Did life work out so that you can take an easier job later? I mean 5 yrs is such a long time to me (literally 1/5th of my life), and who knows how the world will be in 5 yrs with AI and stuff, so I definitely want to job hug, especially when I don’t have other life responsibilities yet. I guess I just want confirmation that this will all be worth it so I can keep going 🥹

Jobadvisor

**Yes, it can be worth it for many people—if you protect your health, stick to the plan, and treat the 5 years as a deliberate sprint rather than an endless grind.** Your situation sounds strategically strong: high pay in a LCOL area, a supportive spouse, debt-free status with an emergency fund, a clear 5-year exit ramp, and no kids yet. At 25, you're in a prime window where the compounding from aggressive saving/investing will do a lot of the heavy lifting later.

 Why Many Say It's Worth It

- **Financial foundation at 30 is massive.** Saving/investing heavily now (especially maxing tax-advantaged accounts + brokerage) lets your money compound for decades. Paying down that $230k mortgage (at 7.5%) aggressively or investing the equivalent can create real flexibility—rental income from the starter home could subsidize a lower-stress job or part-time work when you have kids.

- **Your 20s/early 30s are the best time for this trade-off.** Fewer responsibilities, more energy/resilience, and high earnings early set up options (coast FIRE, career pivot, family time) that are harder later when energy dips and life gets more complex. Many in their 30s/40s wish they'd hustled harder financially in their 20s.

- **Real experiences align with your plan.** People who've done similar (high-stress tech/finance/consulting in 20s) often report that the "golden handcuffs" suck in the moment but pay off with security, home equity, and the ability to downshift. At 30, switching careers or taking a pay cut is very doable—especially with a paid-off/rented home as a buffer.

 The Real Risks (Don't Ignore These)

Chronic stress isn't free. Burnout, anxiety, sleep issues, and even long-term health effects (worse mental/physical health by 40s) show up for people who stay miserable without boundaries. Some regret missing life in their 20s or damaging relationships/health. A few quit high-pay roles for happiness and never looked back, even on less money.

AI/job market shifts are unknowns, but skills in project management (sounds like your role) transfer, and a strong balance sheet gives you optionality.

How to Make the 5 Years Work Better

- **Set hard boundaries now:** Use all vacation/sick time, block non-work hours, say no to unnecessary overtime where possible. Take frequent short breaks after deadlines. Exercise, hobbies, therapy if needed—these aren't luxuries.

- **Track progress monthly:** Celebrate milestones (e.g., mortgage down to $150k). Reassess at year 3—if it's destroying you, pivot earlier. "5 more years" can feel eternal; break it into chunks.

- **Optimize the money side:** With 7.5% mortgage, compare paying it off fast vs. investing (S&P 500 historical ~10% avg). Many lean toward investing extra cash for growth/liquidity, but peace of mind from a paid-off home is huge too—run the numbers. Live frugally; stress often leads to lifestyle creep (comfort spending).

- **Prepare the exit:** Network, upskill in lower-stress applications of your PM skills (e.g., internal roles, nonprofits, smaller companies, or adjacent fields). Build the rental side hustle thoughtfully.

- **Lifestyle and family:** Protect time with your husband. Starting a family at/after 30 is common and fine, but high stress can affect fertility/energy—monitor that.

Your plan is solid and pragmatic. Plenty of people in similar spots confirm it was worth it for the freedom it bought later. The key is executing with self-compassion so you actually make it to 30 intact. You're not "just surviving"—you're building a launchpad. If the toll gets too high, remember you can adjust; this job doesn't own you. You've got this.