Gen Z forms the most digitally fluent generation entering the workforce. You're ambitious, future-focused, and ready to make an impact. Yet despite this, you’re also stepping into a job market that is being rapidly redefined by Artificial Intelligence (AI), coupled with a decline in entry level roles. This can raise some concern about your role and by extension, the trajectory of your career. In fact, the data shows that 46% of Gen Z globally are worried about AI's impact on their careers and 2 in 5 Gen Z globally stating that they don’t feel they can achieve their dream role.
Yet here’s your secret weapon in a difficult job market: your fluency with technology, particularly your ability to understand and learn how to leverage AI, is a huge competitive advantage against other generations if you play your cards right!
For Gen Z as you enter the workforce, we encourage you to replace the concern around AI, with the chance to instead upskill with AI and use it as a tool in your job search.
1. upskill yourself with AI:
We know that it is a challenging job market for Gen Z, with 41% of Gen Z globally reporting that they lack the confidence to find another job—the largest share among all generations surveyed.
However, when surveyed, 79% of Gen Z globally stated that they can learn new skills quickly, with 55% of Gen Z surveyed globally noting that they already use AI to problem solve at work. Leverage AI’s power to gain new skills and turbocharge your self-belief through:
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making AI your personal career advisor:
Only half of Gen Z (50%) are currently using AI to support their job search, such as using AI to help them in writing applications and preparing for interviews. By using AI like a “careers coach” you can gain a significant competitive (and often cost-effective) edge as you refine your resume and practice your interviewing skills.
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build your skills to make you hireable:
Gen Z are the generation most likely to be rejected for a job due to a lack of skills. Due to the accessibility to AI tools however, you have a wealth of resources at your fingertips as you use AI to specialise in employable skillsets such as innovation, problem-solving and agile learning. These areas of expertise still require human insight and adaptability, and won’t necessarily be ‘replaced by AI’ or technology, but rather can be leveraged and refined by AI learning pathways.
2. proactively articulate how to use and inject AI into your workplace
Often organisations see the benefit of AI and innovation in their workplace, yet can feel unsure of how to integrate it effectively, or in some cases at all. As the emerging generation with familiarity and ability to untap AI, be sure to stand out as a pioneer of AI productivity in your workplace or prospective workplace by:
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pioneering AI-driven productivity:
Don't wait for formal training from your boss; use the AI tools you're already familiar with to increase your output and quality, particularly since you already have a higher rate of AI usage at work than other generations. By using AI for tasks like data analysis or process optimisation, you immediately demonstrate your unique, non-automatable value in critical thinking and creativity. This fast-tracks your development into more strategic roles that are less susceptible to automation.
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tech-enabled training:
As the world of technology evolves and businesses want to keep up, take the initiative to voice your preferred, digital-first learning styles to managers and encourage them to embed it into the organisation. Push for practical, tech-enabled skilling opportunities that leverage your preferred learning methods, such as AI tools and short-form video platforms or platforms such as Google Gemini.
Gen Z is clearly navigating a period of immense change, stepping into a job market characterised by declining entry-level roles and the rapid ascent of AI. Yet your blueprint for success is clear and actionable: upskill with AI to build confidence and get ahead in your job search, whilst also standing out in your workplace as a team member fluent in technology, especially AI, as you pioneer its uses in the workplace.
Whilst AI can often be misunderstood as a tool that eliminates creativity or innovation, we argue that it is one of the greatest assets that Gen Z have as they begin to emerge into a changing workforce. Hone in on your AI skills and shine as you convert your concern into action, using it as a tool for performance and workplace efficiency.
