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Caught between degrees and reality: South Florida’s young adults struggle to launch careers
- The article follows Alexandra Lacayo, a 24-year-old with a 2025 architecture master’s, facing silence after about 50 job applications.
- Experts identify an 'experience trap' where entry jobs require experience, but applicants can’t gain it without a job.
- FIU and local experts say hiring now emphasizes hands-on involvement and the ability to link experiences to roles.
- Applicant tracking systems and policy uncertainty influence who moves forward in applications.
- Locally, Miami-Dade’s unemployment was 2.5% in December 2025, yet many lack entry to professional fields.
- FIU’s Ruth Pacheco says internships, volunteering, and undergraduate research help candidates stand out.
- Lacayo and her father frame higher education as a cost with expected career translation that hasn’t occurred yet.
- The story notes the shift to use AI tools to refine resumes while keeping personal voice intact.
- The piece explains the broader labor market dynamics shaping hiring, including policy uncertainty and housing costs.
- The report is part of an editorial content partnership with Caplin News, produced by FIU Caplin News.
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