When you’re 24, you’re not really supposed to have your life together. We’re constantly told that your 20s are for experimenting, not rushing, and figuring out who you are. I agree with that. Your age alone shouldn’t decide whether you have your life mapped out but I’ve found that many people in my generation (Gen Z) just haven’t started preparing for their lives at all.
Among my friendship group, I’m the only one who has a career I love. I’ve spent the last five years as a journalist, having skipped university and started an apprenticeship aged 19. However, I know that I am unbelievably lucky – apprenticeships are hard to find, young people can’t afford to move away from home to follow opportunities and AI is taking entry-level jobs.
There are now almost one million young Neets in the UK. Alan Milburn, the author of a government-led review into why so many 18- to 24-year-olds are not in education, employment or training, said it was a “youth detachment” problem, given the fact that 60 per cent of the UK Neets have never had a job. He suggested that ministers should cut welfare spending to fund more employment support.
With all that in mind, it’s not surprising that over the past few years there’s been a lot of discussion about whether Gen Z have a bad attitude to work. A Department for Work and Pensions survey published this year found that 62 per cent of employers felt young people were less ready to excel at work than other generations. On the other hand, more young people are questioning why they should give so much to employers who might not reward their loyalty, particularly when the traditional rewards of work – such as being able to buy a house – are still so far out of reach.
While I understand both sides, I think there are ways to make work more enjoyable and give yourself a better chance of progressing. These are the five things I’ve learnt and what I would say to anyone my age who wants to build a career.
Find something you enjoy – and give it a proper chance
You don’t have to know your dream job from the moment you leave school. I did my A-Levels in subjects that would give me options – English, Maths, History and Art – as I wasn’t sure what direction I’d choose to go in. What you do need to do, however, is find out what you enjoy and give whatever route you follow a proper chance.
The rise of social media has led us down a rabbit hole of dream roles and lucrative businesses, and it’s put pressure on young people to find the perfect career straight away. That can make the first few months and years of a new job feel underwhelming. As an apprentice, most of my wage went on my commute and my first article was never published.
I wasn’t expecting to be writing in-depth reports and long-form features straight away, though. I was aware that most careers are built through repetition, doing the same things over and over and getting better at them, making mistakes and learning from people who have more experience.
Giving a role a proper chance doesn’t mean staying in a job that makes you feel miserable or stuck, but you need to stick with it long enough to develop skills, build relationships and understand where you could be in five years’ time.
Making a considered decision to change careers isn’t the same as giving up on something simply because you’re not immediately good at it, nor reaping the same rewards as someone that’s been in the role for decades. I’ve seen many people my own age job-hop (something Gen Z are notorious for) because they weren’t satisfied within the first six months, or weren’t excited by their entry-level role. Long-term, I don’t think it’s enough time to make that decision.
Be someone your colleagues can rely on
This may sound extremely obvious but I’ve found that being reliable as a colleague has helped me build a good reputation at work. Meeting your deadlines, arriving on time and communicating with other workers and managers builds trust.
Much of the talk around my generation and work is about boundaries – or more specifically, Gen Z doing exactly what they’re paid to do in their job description and no more. While I don’t believe people should give away hours of their time for free, I’ve definitely had days where I skipped a break or covered jobs at short notice so that I could show initiative and my desire to progress. I know people who don’t enjoy their jobs and work the bare minimum, clockwatching until their contracted hours are up. Unsurprisingly, they’ve been let go or left their roles.
Don’t take sick days if you can help it
A Merlin study for the Centre for Social Justice found that around 82 per cent of workers under 25 took a sick day when they were not genuinely ill, compared to almost half of that in workers aged 55 to 64. Among the younger workers, reasons included hangovers, tiredness, and attending other job interviews.
Of course people get ill, and nobody should feel obliged to work when they’re genuinely unwell – plus, no one in the office wants you there – but taking days off without a clear reason can make you seem unreliable. A friend of mine who is a Gen Z manager of other Gen Z staff has let people go from their roles after they continually pulled a sickie after posting themselves at events the night before.
Make an effort to get to know people
I now mostly work remotely, which has given me a lot of benefits: I’ve been able to reduce commute times and buy a house further out from the workplace, allowing me to swerve London house prices – but for my first year of work, I was in the office every day getting to know the people I worked with. And it was worth it.
Being around more experienced journalists meant I could ask questions, listen to how they approached a story, or spoke to people on the phone, and get more feedback. It changes work from somewhere you log into, complete tasks and leave behind for the day into a collaborative environment. I couldn’t have got those vital experiences if I’d stayed at home in my kitchen.
Have a side hustle if you want one – but don’t try to do everything
Online, there are thousands of videos of people selling digital products, freelancing and launching businesses outside of their nine-to-five to make more money, and one survey by Finder found that over 50 per cent of Gen Z workers maintain a side hustle.
It’s not hard to see why: living costs are high, salaries aren’t keeping up and having financial security feels more important than ever. I earn a bit of money from social media alongside my job – not enough to live on, but enough for the burden of everyday costs to feel a little lighter – but my energy goes towards my career. I’ve seen online tales of young workers being sacked for their side hustles, and while there’s nothing wrong with having ambitions beyond your main job, sometimes the best financial decision is to build your earning potential by developing your career.
The takeaways
I’m grateful to have a job I love at 24, but it doesn’t mean I’ve got everything right. There are plenty of people my age who are earning more, running businesses or doing things I haven’t even considered yet. There are also others who aren’t yet sure of their direction or timeline.
A job title doesn’t mean everything, but I do think taking your working life seriously – even in your 20s when you’re “figuring it out” – is important. You don’t have to love every task or stay in the same industry forever, but you just have to give yourself a chance to build the skills, relationships and experience that will give you more choices in the future.