Mike Marriner, who has worked with nearly 2,000 high school students since 2018, begins every hiring conversation with a single question: "What's your number?" He uses this to gauge a prospective employee's understanding of their own living costs—not just survival, but thriving. The query often stumps young candidates, but one recent graduate had a stark answer ready.
Sophia Castellanos, a Claremont McKenna College graduate in international relations, told Marriner her number is $130,000. She carries $200,000 in college loans at a 6% interest rate, which translates to $3,000 monthly payments if she intends to clear the debt in under a decade. Marriner noted that a small company like his cannot meet that figure.
The exercise highlights a growing divide between employer expectations and Gen Z financial realities. While Marriner views the question as a tool for mutual understanding, Castellanos' situation underscores the intense pressure student debt places on early-career salary demands. Many young workers lack awareness of their own baseline costs, according to Marriner's observations.
This trend signals that job negotiations may increasingly hinge on literal cost-of-living calculations rather than market rates alone. For employers, it raises tough questions about compensation transparency and budget alignment. The conversation also reflects broader economic strains: student loan burdens continue to shape workforce entry, potentially narrowing opportunity for both sides.
Marriner’s approach, while unconventional, forces a raw conversation about money that many young professionals avoid. Castellanos, however, represents a generation that is learning to confront those numbers head-on—even if the answers leave employers struggling to match them.