Episode: 227

Episode Title: Resetting Gen-Z Career Expectations

The job market isn’t helping recent college grads—but neither are the expectations they may hold for their first career. Stay tuned for more, coming up next on The Perna Syndicate.

Ep 227 show:

Hello and welcome to The Perna Syndicate! I’m your host, Mark Perna, and this week we’re covering a major problem for college grads looking for their first real job. With more and more companies requiring three years of experience for their entry-level jobs, Generation Z is facing a catch-22 job market. 

Fresh out of college, how can they get the work experience these jobs demand—without working these jobs that they can’t land? 

Of course, it’s not all the companies’ fault. Gen-Z has their own set of expectations for life after graduation—and they want more than just a job. They’re looking to launch their career. 

According to Tallo’s research, 69% of Gen-Z said finding work that’s personally fulfilling is very important to them. This seems to indicate that they have higher expectations for their first career move than previous generations have held. 

These young people should embrace adaptability, innovation and new opportunities. With how fast things are moving, the specific roles that Gen-Zers imagined for themselves may not even be around by the time they enter the job market. 

I appreciate and respect the high expectations that young people hold for their future. But I’d tell them that the first step is getting your foot in the door. Maybe not the door you first imagined, but an opportunity nonetheless. Reset your expectations, put in the time and do it with your whole heart—and the career you dreamed about will come. 

Tomorrow, it’s a word for employers on the impossibly narrow recruitment funnel that many have created. We’ll see you back here then on The Perna Syndicate.