If you’re a part of the Class of 2024––or are expecting to graduate in the next couple of years––you are also a member of Generation Z. As a result, your experience of work is likely to be different from that of your parents.
You’re part of the job hopping generation.
And you’re not alone. Gone are the years of lifelong service to a single employer. You don’t expect a pension from most companies anymore, and they don’t expect you to stick around for decades either. Here’s what that means for recent grads.
The Job Hopping Generation
Speaking of previous generations, your expectations are likely to be widely different than what your parents hoped for.
This goes beyond a preference for the best laptops for data science or a preference for absurdist, dark humor.
Gen Z is set to account for 30% of the workforce by 2030, and according to Pew Research Center, this cohort is more racially and ethnically diverse than any previous generation.
It looks set to become the most well-educated generation too.
Social issues matter to Gen Zers.
This age group is the least likely generation to report fair or excellent mental health, according to a study from the American Psychological Association, and economic security through education is matters too.
With tuition and fees rising by 28% from 2008 to 2014, according to Young Invincibles, students are choosing their majors to suit. Some changes shouldn’t be surprising. We’re seeing more and more students embrace tech careers.
Other stats seem pleasantly reassuring. For example, the World Economic Forum has found that 88% of Gen Z students said that job availability has informed their choice of major.
We know this.
That’s why we listed the highest paying Masters Degrees this year.
But that’s not the only way Gen Z distinguishes themselves from previous generations. Check out the stats.
With the average job tenure around 4.1 years, according to labor statistics, those aged between 18 and 24 have an average of 5.7 career changes, whereas those aged between 45 and 52 only switch jobs about 1.9 times.
That’s why it’s the job hopping generation.
Benefits of Job Hopping
Nowadays, it’s far more common for younger workers to forgo long-term commitments to companies, and job-hop to their advantage. In fact, a 2021 IBM report found that 33% of job-hoppers were Gen Z, showing the shift in the approach towards work.
This is no bad thing.
For starters, job hopping can net you between 10% to 20% more in your paycheck because of the leverage you have as an on-boarding employee.
But when you stay put, your average annual raises may only be about 3%. So those who switch jobs often have the potential to earn significantly more over the course of their careers.
And where previously, job-hopping might have been seen as a negative, there are many benefits to making strategic moves between companies and roles and setting that in stone from your very first graduate role.
Our coverage of the highest paying PhD Degrees speaks to this directly.
In addition to more money, switching jobs every two to three years also helps to keep your skills sharp. Plus it offers scope to develop and learn new skills, and build the foundation for a long-lasting career.
Finding Your Next Job as a Job Hopper
If you are ready to jump into applying for your first post-college role, then the Grad Cafe Job Board is the perfect place to start your search. It features thousands of internship and entry-level opportunities for recent grads, in companies including the three below.
Account Manager – Early Career Program, Ericsson, Lewisville
Ericsson’s Excellerate Global Leadership Program gives you an outstanding opportunity to engage with commercial projects at a strategic and global level, rising up to challenges and becoming, and developing, as a leader.
Your journey will start as an Account Manager at MANA AT&T. This is an 18-month program with six months in Sweden, and you will help to secure short and long-term profitable business through proactive business development based on fundamental understanding of the customers’ business, operations and objectives.
Plus, you will actively manage and mobilize internal resources to deliver efficient and effective end-to-end solutions, allowing seamless transition from sales to operations. Discover the requirements here.
Accounting Internship, Rea & Associates, Cleveland
Rea & Associates’ Accounting Internship will give you real-world experience that will serve as the foundation for your accounting career. You’ll gain experience in bookkeeping, business returns, 1040 tax returns, assurance, as well as meeting with clients.
Plus, you’ll receive mentoring and advanced training, form a network of valuable professional contacts, and create a competitive advantage over other candidates to land a full-time position with flexibility to pursue your graduate degree or CPA. Want in? Get all the details here.
For more internship and entry-level roles, visit the Grad Cafe Job Board.
Kirstie works for our job board partner, Jobbio. Based in Dublin, she has been a writer and editor
across print and digital platforms for over 15 years.
