frustrated

For most of my life, I believed in a very specific formula: work hard in school, build a strong résumé, study abroad, learn languages, get a master’s degree, and be globally aware. Loading audio narration… I studied journalism and media, and I leaned into storytelling early on. I spent time…

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Chris Fong, 25, who lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. In March 2025, he was laid off from a tech startup. After about nine months of searching for a job, he started a content-creation business. The following has been edited…