Canary in the coal mine: University of Chicago grad cannot get a decent, well-paying job. Are you kidding me?

Canary in the coal mine: University of Chicago grad cannot get a decent, well-paying job. Are you kidding me?

From Crotty Farm Report by @Crotty

October 19, 2025 · 9 min

About this episode

Norah Jovine, a University of Chicago graduate, discusses her struggles to find a well-paying job despite her prestigious education.

Norah Jovine is not your typical 20-something. She is a very smart graduate of the University of Chicago, easily one of the best schools in the country. Among the alumni are Susan Sontag, Milton Friedman, Carl Sagan, Thomas Sowell, Mike Nichols, Bernie Sanders, Phillip Roth, Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., Adam Silver, David Brooks, Larry Ellison, Nate Silver, and Satya Nadella. The list goes on and on. I worked for the University of Chicago back in 1982-83, as a fundraiser and editor of the school’s Grey City Journal, before hitchhiking to my first Rainbow Gathering on the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and the road less traveled by. I also took classes at the University of Chicago. I was super impressed. So, to hear Norah say she can’t get a job as a U of C graduate, my mind exploded. How can that be? U of C produces the best and brightest graduates that America has to offer. They may be radical sometimes, but they are thinking, original, out-of-the-box radicals. What gives? Watch my interview with Norah from the viewing deck at Chicago’s John Hancock Tower, where she took photographs of me after I descended from The Tilt, a frightening experience that causes one’s heart to leap out of one's…

People in this episode

Host: @Crotty

Guest: Norah Jovine

Topics covered

  • job market
  • higher education
  • University of Chicago
  • graduate experience
  • interview
  • career challenges

Keywords

  • University of Chicago
  • Norah Jovine
  • job market
  • graduate unemployment
  • career challenges
  • interview

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: University of Chicago

Places: Chicago, Upper Peninsula of Michigan, John Hancock Tower

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