Gen Z Workers Have Second Thoughts About Career Pathways
By Marq Burnett – Associate Editor, The Playbook, The Business Journals
Between an evolving labor market, concerns over artificial intelligence and persistent generational friction, the youngest members of the workforce have no shortage of uncertainty.
It’s enough to make some young workers question their early career path — a dynamic that could pose a challenge for employers looking to recruit and retain members of Gen Z.
The data reflects how today’s young workers don’t view careers the same way the generations before them did. Career ascent means something different for Gen Z workers.
For employers, experts have said that means a focus on career development and upskilling could give businesses an edge when it comes to recruitment and retention of young workers.
But some members of Gen Z are also questioning their education track.
According to a survey of 1,000 Gen Z employees by Resume Genius, 22% of respondents said they would choose a degree with opportunities in a higher-paying field — such as tech, finance, engineering or health care.
Others said they would pursue a skilled trade or a career that doesn’t require a degree (13%); would get a creative or passion-driven degree (12%); would choose the same or a similar degree but from a cheaper or less prestigious institution (11%); or would focus on entrepreneurship or self-employment (10%).
Only about one in four of those young workers (23%) say they regret having gone to college, and just one in five (19%) say their degree hasn’t contributed to their career.
The percentage of men respondents who said they regret going to college was higher than the percentage of women respondents — 28 percent compared to 19 percent.
“Many Gen Z professionals are disappointed that the time and money they spent earning a degree simply aren’t providing the returns they expected,” said Eva Chan, a career expert at Resume Genius, in a statement with the survey results.
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