While graduation always signifies an exciting foray
into the unknown for young college students, this May will mark the
third year of COVID commencements. Having spent half of their secondary
education logging into video classes and dealing with pandemic disruptions,
the newly minted alums will embark on their careers.
Unlike previous generations,
Gen Z’s new offices might look very familiar to them.
With plenty of jobs still offering remote or hybrid workweeks, many new
grads may find themselves sitting down to work at the very same desks where
they did their school assignments. While many employees expressed a preference
for working from home even after the pandemic subsides, the younger generation
may feel isolated and fatigued, having spent their youth in front of a screen.
From Virtual Students to Virtual Employees
Defined as the generation born between 1997
and 2012, Gen Z is known for their digital prowess, social wokeness,
and – now – for having a significant part of their young lives uprooted by COVID-19.
With the oldest Gen Zers now overseas data turning 25, the past two years represent
a significant part of their adulthood, and their experiences are shaping their career expectations.
While they might be the first “digital native” adults,
Gen Z is ready to come out from behind their computers.
In fact, only 36 percent growing your email list using telegram marketing of Gen Z prefer remote work over
going into the office, compared to 62 percent of boomers and about half of Gen X and millennials.
There may be a common misconception that Gen Z
doesn’t want to work, but that’s not true. Instead, having lived
through two formative years of a pandemic, they seek a meaningful balance
between their careers and personal lives. Forty-two percent of Gen Zers
would rather work for a company that gives them a sense canada data of purpose over a company with higher pay.
Pro:
They know how to navigate remote environments. Without a doubt, Gen Z is well equipped to handle virtual work. Graduating into a labor market with more remote jobs than ever before, they have a disproportionate level of experience conducting themselves in digital spaces. In school and internships, they have proven they have the self-motivation and time management skills to be trusted to complete their tasks at high levels with minimal supervision.
Con:
They miss out on crucial real-world experiences. No amount of education can substitute for practical, on-the-job learning. Many roles have aspects that cannot be performed 100 percent remotely, and even those that do could benefit from in-person supervision. It’s easy for a live supervisor to catch a small mistake as it happens, but it can be very difficult to correct in-the-moment errors from a distance.
Pro:
Location doesn’t matter. The proliferation of remote work means graduates aren’t limited to applying to jobs in their area, and they don’t have to worry about relocating somewhere new. This allows them to apply to a wider range of positions matching their skills and can build careers with companies that might otherwise have been out of reach.