I’m not saying that everyone who doesn’t get an office job should immediately become a tradie. When you have nothing else to offer, just having some industry certificates is an advantage. Even if the certificate is unrelated to the job. My first job was assembly machine operator in a factory. My boss straight up told me that he hired me because of my Cisco and ECDL certs that I got in high school (for free because Europe).

If you don’t get the office job you wanted, you’ve still opened up some options. Tradie life isn’t glamorous, but it pays better than complaining on an internet forum.

And if you do get a job and it doesn’t work out, you’ll still have something to fall back on.