By Kirstie McDermott

If internet discourse is anything to go by, there’s an on-going skirmish happening between Gen Z and older generations, and its main battleground is the world of work.

Gen Z, born between 1997 and 2012, range in age from 12 to 27. At the top end, many are now in the workforce, with statistics showing that in 2022, there were 4.3 million Gen Z working in the UK. 

That compares to 11.4 million Gen X in employment and 12.2 million Millennials. Gen Z now outpaces the Baby Boomer cohort, of which 3.71 million people remain in the workforce.

3 jobs to apply for this week

• Graduate Applications Engineer, Arrow Electronics, Inc., United Kingdom
• Apprentice Mechanical Design Engineer – Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship, Johnson Controls International, Swansea
• Technology Sales Executive (Grad/Entry-Level), Softcat, Fareham

This generational squabble is mostly focused between Gen Z and Baby Boomers, and has been fueled by comments from those in the public eye such as actress Jodie Foster. She recently said of Gen Z workers that “They’re really annoying, especially in the workplace”.

She added, “They’re like, ‘Nah, I’m not feeling it today, I’m gonna come in at 10:30 a.m.’”

On the flip side, younger employees can often think that older workers are phoning it in, with frequent references to lack of ability to create PDFs, or develop new skills, for example.

And what younger employees lack in experience and people management skills, which often take many years to hone, they make up for with the fact that they are true digital natives.

This is the first generation which had access to the Internet and mobile phones from early childhood. Deloitte research says that “Gen Zers are tech-dependent; they want to experience new adventures, not just buy things; and they’re less loyal to brands. 

“As the first digitally native generation, it’s touted they prefer digital communication to avoid face-to-face interaction.”

At work, Gen Z does things differently as well. Work is a vehicle for the rest of their lives, and many value experiences over material things. Their attitudes to their jobs may well be fuelled by wider economic factors: this generation carries more debt and feels uncertain about whether they’ll ever be able to buy a home, for example.

As a result, many in this cohort think that taking the same approach to work and getting a job should be different for them too.

Some business leaders think Gen Z could be doing more. For example Squarespace’s chief marketing officer, Kinjil Mathur, recently spoke about the issue and emphasised that “you’ve got to be willing to do whatever it takes” early in your career.

For Mathur, who started her job search in the early 2000s, that involved a lot of sacrifice. “I was willing to work for free, I was willing to work any hours they needed—even on evenings and weekends. I was not focused on travelling,” she has said.

Using the phone book (something Gen Z has probably never seen, let alone heard of), she explained that “I went to the business listings and I just started calling up companies and asking them if they had internships available and that I would be willing to work for free.” 

How to get hired in 2024

Mathur’s experiences were almost 20 years ago, and as recent university graduates will know, things have changed. It is far harder now to secure that first post-graduation job (and you’d be hard-pressed to find a phone directory these days).

That’s because data shows that entry level jobs are being eroded. An analysis of around four million job postings since late 2017 has found that 35% of postings for “entry-level” positions now ask for years of prior relevant work experience. 

Compounding this is the fact that certain industries are making this even more prevalent. Over 60% of listings for entry-level software and IT services jobs asked for three or more years’ of experience, for example.

For Gen Z workers looking at diminishing prospects in the job market, it’s less about being willing to do anything it takes––and more about worrying about having any sort of employment prospects at all. 

So what can you do to improve your chances of getting hired? 

Alan Seals, an associate professor of economics at Auburn University, says that internships have become an increasingly important part of the graduate work experience package. 

“Internships are now the entry level,” Seals confirms. 

“Most of the students in college are doing or trying to do internships, and now it’s increasingly common to do more than one.”

Your CV is one of the most important pieces of collateral you have at this stage and optimising it as well as you can will be a really key contributor to your success.

If you’ve only worked uni jobs in food service, retail or in a pub, it can be a challenge to get this information across in a professional way. So instead of saying, “I worked as a shop assistant during the summer of 2024”, explain your experience.

Try the following: “During my time as a retail assistant, I prioritised finding solutions for customer problems, showcased my time management skills and worked with my team to solve issues and deliver excellent customer service.”

This clearly demonstrates that you understand what work requires, and that as an employee, regardless of industry, you can show that you possess valuable skills.

You can also talk up your educational achievements because at this stage, it’s appropriate to give more space on your CV to your education and achievements. Sporting accomplishments, academic awards, societies and clubs you participated in, or fundraising activities can all be used to show you in a positive light.

And while you may not have too many technical skills right now, you can emphasise your other abilities. Increasingly, companies value and seek out workers who possess soft skills. So if you can showcase great communication, organisation and attention to detail, leadership or relationship building for example, this will give you an advantage.

Ready for a new challenge? Visit the SkillReactor Job Board and see which companies are hiring today