TikTok stars have offered up brutally honest career truths
A young Aussie who went viral for claiming influencer work is “hard” has weighed in, along with others, on whether TikTok is a “real job”.
This week has been huge for young people in Australia.
Not only are thousands causing the usual Schoolies chaos on the Gold Coast, but the 2025 TikTok Awards took over Sydney last night, celebrating the biggest and boldest creators on the app.
But once the buzz of newfound freedom wears off, many of these teens will be hit with the ultimate jump scare: their future.
With the debate heating up over whether content creation counts as a “real job,” turning the TikTok Awards red carpet into a careers-advice session felt like doing these young Aussies a genuine solid.
It’s taken Veronica B a long time to find her feet, proving not everyone gets the overnight-algorithm blessing.
“Get on TikTok, pick a niche and go hard at it. Don’t care what anyone says. It took me 10 years to get noticed,” she told news.com.au.
And when things get tough, she admits her reaction is only human.
“I don’t give up. I just panic. I’m like, ‘Oh my god, do I have to get a real job now?’ No, No. I’m joking. This is a real job,” the 28-year-old explained.
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She’s also figured out how to reset when burnout hits.
“I buy a plane ticket and I go overseas. I come back and I’m like, I’m ready to go. I’m pumped. Let’s go,” she said.
Last year, she exploded online after telling a reporter on the 2024 TikTok Awards carpet that content creation is genuinely tough to do.
“I know it looks fun, but it’s hard work,” she said at the time.
“You have to think of content, you have to edit it, you have to film it, you have to be constantly relevant, and that is not easy,” she remarked in the interview.
Her take split the internet, and, one year on, still not everyone agrees.
RecipeTin Eats founder, Nagi Maehashi, dished up career advice with an extra kick of spice.
“Go to university. Go to TAFE. Start an apprenticeship. Social media, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram. It is not a career,” the 46-year-old told news.com.au on Wednesday.
It’s advice grounded in her own hustle.
“I put up my life up and it looks glamorous… and everyone’s like, ‘Oh my god, that’s so awesome.’ You know what? That’s 2% of my life. 98 per cent is the grunt work. The foundation of that was built from 15 years in corporate,” Ms Maehashi explained.
She’s not suggesting young people abandon social media entirely, just that they don’t rely on it as their only path.
“I think having some other kind of career and skill that you’re building on as well is really important. So social media is a side hustle. and then if it blows up then you move into it. I just don’t think you can build a career in it straight out of high school,” she explained.
She even laughed at the irony of her timing: “Don’t you love that I’m like at the TikTok awards going, ‘Don’t go on TikTok as a career’.”
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Meanwhile, king of the career swap Cody Simpson also cautioned young people against diving in headfirst.
Having entered the public eye so young, he’s seen the harshest side of it, and admits it took a toll.
“It’s not something I’d necessarily wish upon another 14-year-old,” Simpson told news.com.au
“Be careful because, you know, if you are opening yourself up to the world, you are then subject to positive opinion and negative opinion. And if you’re not in the place where you’re ready to receive both, then you may not be ready to do it.”
Not everyone saw the job as a grind. In fact, several creators told news.com.au that content creation is one of the easiest gigs going.
Blake Pavey, TikTok comedian, echoes this sentiment: “Dude. It’s not that hard, mate.”
“It’s super easy. Everyone goes, ‘it’s hard’ It’s not. Just speak to a camera, post it, have lunch,” AFL player – turned – creator Daniel Gorringe agreed.
“It’s pretty toxic. Maybe don’t go down this path...” Comedian Luke Kidgell teased.
“I do think keep a real job at the same time. I’m not saying this isn’t a real job, but some on the boots ground work,” fashion creator, Aicha Robertson said.
But perhaps the best career advice of the night for the graduating class of 2025 came courtesy of The Wiggles’ Tsehay Hawkins.
“Eat lots of fruit salad and hot potato and do whatever you want,” she laughed.
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Originally published as TikTok stars have offered up brutally honest career truths
