$20K Pay Cuts, Lower Titles, Odd Jobs: The New Trade-Off for Meaningful Work

The Struggle for Meaningful Work in a Challenging Job Market

Seri Thompson has been actively searching for a job for eight months. During this time, she's applied to over 180 positions. Some of these are related to her new communications degree, such as roles in social media or marketing. However, she’s also started applying for jobs that don’t align with her field, like assistant or retail positions.

To make ends meet, Thompson works part-time at a local San Diego bakery and takes on various odd jobs, including babysitting, pet-sitting, and house-sitting. At 22, she graduated from college in December 2024 and is realistic about her job search, though she finds it frustratingly slow.

“The perfect job doesn’t exist,” she says. Her parents taught her that “once you get that first job, it's just a stepping stone for the rest of your career.” But she admits it's hard to be invested in something you're not super interested in, or to settle for a job just to pay the bills. She feels that her generation wants to be deeply involved in their work and enjoy what they do.

Thompson would love a meaningful job—defined by her as one with a supportive company that values employee well-being and growth—but she knows she may not get that right now.

Workers Are Shifting Priorities in an Uncertain Economy

In today’s challenging job market, finding meaningful work is becoming a luxury that many can't afford. According to a July survey of over 1,200 American adults by UserTesting, most workers say it's important to them to have meaningful work in their jobs. They define it on a personal level, such as allowing for balance and flexibility, followed by external factors like making a social or environmental impact and helping others.

However, financial and economic concerns are becoming more significant in what people prioritize in their jobs. A majority, 85%, of Americans say economic uncertainty has changed what they value most in a job, with many now prioritizing stability, salary, and flexibility.

The current market is leading people to stay in unfulfilling jobs and avoid switching industries. Roughly one in three people said they would give up their dream job in exchange for one with more career stability.

Finding Meaning Outside of Full-Time Work

While 62% of respondents from the UserTesting survey say they’re somewhat or very optimistic about their job search, 23% are pessimistic. About 1 in 4 job-seekers report experiencing burnout or mental health issues during their search, and 16% say ageism is an obstacle.

Bruce Bennett, 62, an HR professional in San Francisco, has applied to “well over 100” jobs and says the process has taken a mental toll. He often sees online listings with over 100 applicants, at one point seeing a company post that they'd received over 1,000 submissions to one opening. “It's a crap shoot,” he says. “I know 99% of the time I'm going to get rejected.”

Bennett was laid off in October 2024 following a company selloff and believes the current job market is similar to, if not worse, than the 2000s-era dot com bubble burst. He’s found an outlet that brings him both joy and income: volunteering as a walking tour guide around San Francisco and launching his own paid tour offerings. His husband’s job supports their main living expenses, but Bennett’s new venture helps bring in some money and provides a sense of purpose.

Letting Go of High Salaries and Titles

Some workers are realizing that to hold onto what they value most in their jobs, they'll have to make concessions. Jill Di Benedetto, 42, an art director in Miami, has been on the job market for five months after her last contract ended. She’s applied to at least 70 jobs but stopped keeping track, describing her search experience as “volatile.”

Di Benedetto says she’s had to come to terms that she’ll likely earn a much lower salary in her next role. Many of the openings she’s seen offer a salary at least $20,000 lower than her last one. “I don't care what my title is,” she says. “That has gone out the window. I just want to work with great people and be paid my worth.”

Waiting for the Right Job

Even in a tough market, some workers are taking their careers into their own hands and making big changes, knowing the process could take time. Kaleah Mcilwain, 28, is a digital editor in Philadelphia who quit her last job in media eight months ago in search of something more aligned with the kind of impact she wants to make.

She’s applied to three or four dozen roles and has been supplementing her income with freelance work. “I am committed to it just taking however long it takes at the moment,” she says. Mcilwain remains steadfast in her goals, saying she won’t change her career path. “I've had to ask myself the question, 'Will I change my career paths?' And the answer is, 'No, I won't.' I'm going to just wait until I find the job that I want.”