When skills become obsolete

If you entered creative fields in the 1990s you probably expected to do something fulfilling for your vocation, perhaps at the cost of a top earning income or extreme wealth. These creatives worked with print media and with studios that had budgets for large teams to shoot or create with hand-on tools and tangible platforms – like cameras, print newspapers and magazines – that the generation before also used building their expertise.

However, the technological transformations that have unfolded since the turn of the millennium driven by new digital formats such as social media, user generated content and streaming services has left experienced professionals in creative industries at a loss. When they should be at their career peak, demand for their skills is plummeting.

“Aside from lost income, there is the emotional toll — feelings of grief and loss — experienced by those whose careers are short-circuited. Some may say that the Gen X-ers in publishing, music, advertising and entertainment were lucky to have such jobs at all, that they stayed too long at the party. But it’s hard to leave a vocation that provided fulfillment and a sense of identity. And it isn’t easy to reinvent yourself in your 50s, especially in industries that put a premium on youth culture.

“I know people who said, ‘Screw this, I’m going to become a postal worker,’” said Ms. McKinley, the ad industry veteran. “There are still a lot of people who are freelancing, but it’s dried up quite a bit in recent years. It’s painful.”

Source: Kurutz, S. 2025. The Gen X Career Meltdown. New York Times 28.03.2025