Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Great Advice From 20 Years Ago That Doesn't Hold Up Today

Years ago, people insisted that the best way to get a job would be to just walk into an office and hand someone your resume.

And you know what? I suppose that—for a time—it worked.

The job market of today is nothing like the job market of the past, and, truth be told, I did follow that advice when I was younger (and yes, I managed to secure a job or two in the process).

But given the state of things, it's clear that advice like this doesn't hold up anymore, and it's far from the only advice that falls into this bracket.


People shared their thoughts with us after Redditor The Managah asked the online community:

"What was great advice 20 years ago, but definitely isn’t now?"

"In high school..."

"In high school as part of one of my classes they brought in a lady who worked HR for some recruiting firm for a few days to teach us how to do resumes and cover letters and such and she told us even if a place has an option to apply online always go in person and pick up an application because no one takes online applications seriously."

profJesusFish

I wonder where this recruiter is now. Surely she's eaten her words.

"My dad..."

"My dad told me once, "Son you shouldn't schedule a single vacation day the first year of your job. It shows you're committed.""

DayDreams9119

Yeah, good luck with that. If I have vacation days, I'm definitely taking them.

"Don't forget..."

"Don't forget to print out your directions from MapQuest before you leave."

stugaut35

Oh yes... GPS has totally changed the game, hasn't it?

"You need to memorize..."

"You need to memorize this because you won't have the info accessible later."

[deleted]

Ever heard of open book tests? The most important skill isn't knowing the right answer, it's knowing how to find out the right answer. And that's gotten much easier.

"People always wonder..."

"People always wonder how some people get to be soo creepy but they forgot that they've been brought up by a generation who thought the best way to get a woman was agressive flirting techniques, actual stalking and being overly possessive."

umbraldisappointment

An excellent point — and it's difficult to unlearn those habits!

"Getting a diploma..."

"Getting a diploma will secure your life."

[deleted]

But will it though? Will it?

"You're searching..."

"You're searching for a soulmate on the internet? Lord you must be insane."

yanks8190

Funny how times change. The script on this has flipped completely.

"To look after..."

"To look after your phone battery you should let it go all the way down to 0% and then charge fully to 100%."

PangolinMandolin

Who is the monster who told you that one and how did they get away with it for so long?

"Sure..."

"Buy that house!! Sure it seems weird that you qualified for such a high home loan but I'm sure they wouldn't offer it to you if you couldn't afford it."

JD_85

Oh, dear, the people who experienced the 2008 financial crisis would like a word.

"To this day..."

"To this day, my mom believes the way to apply for ANY job, is to walk in and hand your future boss your paper resume. Whether or not they're actively hiring."

IAmBabs

Oh wow, she really needs to get with the times on this one. If you do that these days, it's an easy way to get your resume discarded.

Times certainly do change — and fast.

It's no wonder some people can't keep up!

Have some other advice to share? Tell us more in the comments below!

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Nicki Minaj and Donald Trump
Win McNamee/Getty Images

Trump's 'Gold' Gift To Nicki Minaj Certainly Seems To Explain Her Sudden Pivot To MAGA

Rapper Nicki Minaj made headlines this week for declaring herself President Donald Trump's "number one fan" as he launched his savings accounts for newborns—and now she's gotten a telling gift for her trouble.

Minaj appeared Wednesday at the Trump Accounts Summit in Washington, D.C., where she praised Trump’s rollout of investment accounts for U.S.-born babies.

Keep ReadingShow less
A man in a  suit with a red tie and a pocket square
selective focus photography of person holding black smartphone
Photo by Dane Deaner on Unsplash

People Break Down The Most Overrated 'Adult Goals' People Chase

As children, we begin to grow an image of how our life will turn out.

Usually involving a financially lucrative career, a good-looking spouse who adores us, and a magazine cover worthy house.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @kellymengg's TikTok video
@kellymengg/TikTok

Woman's Story About Plane Passenger Refusing To Lower Window Shade Sparks Heated Flight Etiquette Debate

Though arriving at a destination can be fun and exciting, traveling itself is often exhausting and annoying, especially when we're made to feel uncomfortable along the way.

TikToker Kelly Meng launched a heated debate on TikTok after she shared a story about taking a 15-hour flight next to a woman who refused to do anything but what she wanted with the window shade next to her.

Keep ReadingShow less
Zohran Mamdani
Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images

'New York Post' Dragged After Bizarrely Criticizing Zohran Mamdani's 'Poor Snow Shoveling Form'

The first major winter storm of 2026, which at one point spanned over 2,000 miles, dumped record levels of snow on New York City.

Central Park reported a record 11.4 inches for the day and the most snow since 2022. In Manhattan, Washington Heights almost hit 15 inches, while Brooklyn saw widespread totals of 10 to 12 inches.

Keep ReadingShow less
Ben Affleck Confesses Why He And Matt Damon Added Random Gay Sex Scenes To 'Good Will Hunting' Script
Arturo Holmes/WireImage via Getty Images

Ben Affleck Confesses Why He And Matt Damon Added Random Gay Sex Scenes To 'Good Will Hunting' Script

Who knew the iconic line “How do you like them apples?” might be spiritually adjacent to a stack of random gay sex scenes that never made it into Good Will Hunting? At least, that’s how its writers—Boston buddies Ben Affleck and Matt Damon—have described one of their more chaotic attempts to figure out who was actually reading their script.

For anyone somehow unfamiliar with the Oscar-winning Affleck-Damon bromance: the two met as kids in Cambridge, Massachusetts—Affleck was 8, Damon was 10—and grew up a block and a half apart. They bonded over acting, moved in together after high school, and started grinding through auditions.

Keep ReadingShow less