by Kate Lewis for fluxo
Obviously rom-coms are still being made today. But I think we can all agree they don’t make ‘em like they used to—there’s something missing, that irreverent whimsy that the early 2000s captured through fairly unachievable yet extremely likable storylines and characters.
After spending an unnecessary amount of time thinking about Andy Anderson’s career goals in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, I began to wonder: If Hollywood was still churning out rom-coms like they used to in the 2000s—and in the same style/formula—what jobs would these leading ladies have in 2025? Movies used to tell us that all twenty-something women in New York City had to juggle their love lives with their blossoming careers as journalists or editors at the most popular magazines. But now that magazines have been, quite sadly, on the decline for years now, what would our hypothetical heroines be devoting their time to, aside from trying to figure out what the hell is going on inside their love interest’s head??
Here are my somewhat realistic guesses at our modern-day rom-com heroines’ jobs.
Influencer Coordinator
I mean, obviously. Ask almost any twenty-two year old who majored in communications and just moved to NYC what she does for work. She’ll tell you “Influencer Coordinator” for a beauty brand, or something extremely close, like “Community Partnerships" or “Brand Ambassador Assistant.” But hey, that’s because it has become an increasingly vital part of marketing for brands. And coordinating influencers is no easy task—these women will be running the world someday. Right behind the influencers, of course.
The Finance Gal (aka The Corporate Gal)
I love the Finance Gal. She works for a big bank or corporation, makes a ton of money, and is super helpful when her friends have questions about excel formulas. She also wakes up at 5:30am to go to SoulCycle, goes straight to the office from there, and then to drinks with her coworkers after work. AND she does it all wearing business casual (not the SoulCycle, but the rest of it). This could, quite literally, never be me, but I have the utmost respect for it. Maybe someday.
Fashion Marketing Associate
Similar to the Influencer Coordinator but maybe a little harder to attain fresh out of college. Perhaps this is what the Influencer Coordinator becomes after she puts in a few years of hard work with the influencers. Anyway, Fashion Marketing (or any kind of marketing, actually) is one of those jobs where most of your friends don’t understand exactly what it is you do while simultaneously grossly underestimating how difficult and demanding it can be. And you probably don’t paid much for it! But it’s fun. Sometimes. Living the dream.
Art History Grad Student
Doesn’t everyone know someone who’s in their mid-twenties and in grad school for something like Art History? She’s still existing—and thriving—on the student’s schedule of summers off, three-week winter breaks, and spring break. And she loves learning, loves the academic life. Probably spends a ton of time in tiny, ridiculously expensive coffee shops. I mean, super cool, super impressive. But also, how can you afford to not have income? And live in a New York City apartment? (Family money, I am aware).
