A joint study by St. James’s Place Financial Adviser Academy and hiring platform Indeed reveals that nearly 68 percent of Gen Z workers in the UK are turning to social media to plan their careers.
This makes Gen Z workers are nearly twice as likely as Gen X (26 percent) to use platforms such as LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok for career guidance.
This reliance on social media is part of a broader trend among younger workers, who are adopting more intentional approaches to career planning compared to previous generations. Only 18 percent of Gen Z respondents said they fell into their career by chance, compared with a national average of 32 percent.
Younger Workers Invest More in Career Planning
Gen Z and Millennial workers are also committing more time, money, and effort to formal career training than their older counterparts. Around 26 percent of Gen Z and 28 percent of Millennials have trained for their careers through university, college, or apprenticeships. In contrast, only 17 percent of Gen X and 15 percent of Boomers followed similar formal education routes.
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Financial pressures are impacting how younger workers approach career planning. Nearly three in five Gen Z workers (59%) and 57 percent of Millennials say they prioritise earning money over long-term career planning. This compares with 51 percent of Gen X and 48 percent of Boomers, who report similar sentiments.
Gee Foottit, Partnerships Manager at the St. James’s Place Financial Adviser Academy, said, “It’s fair to say, our parents could find jobs easier and often were able to approach their career intuitively and work things out without a formal career plan. In today’s climate, young workers often feel they don’t have the same luxury, and in turn, we’re seeing more intentional career planning. Utilising both formal career advice and informal avenues for career guidance through social media, it’s interesting to see how determined many young workers are in their career aspirations.”
Social Media: A Career Planning Tool
Social media is playing a large role in shaping how Gen Z approaches their careers. The survey found that 68 percent of Gen Z workers use social media platforms to research career opportunities and plan their professional trajectories. More than half Millennials are also embracing this trend, with 53 percent using social media for career planning.
It’s not all digital tools, however: Gen Z workers are also the most likely to seek formal career advice. While 43 percent of Gen Z have not received formal career guidance, this figure is higher among older generations, including Gen X (49 percent), Millennials (51 percent), and Boomers (52 percent).
The research noted a desire among younger workers for stability in their chosen fields. Forty-four percent of Gen Z and 47 percent of Millennials plan to remain in one career for their lifetime, compared to 39 percent of Gen X and 40 percent of Boomers, who are more open to changing career paths. This does not mean younger workers are not likely to explore multiple paths.
Gee Foottit added, “With one in four workers (24%) feeling dissatisfied with their careers, it’s important to remember that it’s never too late to make a career switch, and having the courage to do so can reap many rewards. We have people of all ages join the St. James’s Place Financial Adviser Academy, with the average age being early thirties. And the switch can be much simpler than they might at first think. By this age and stage, they’ve gained the experience to know what they really want from their working lives – and have loads of transferable skills to help them achieve this. “
