“It’s important to me that the aim of the business is to make the world a better place, not just make money.”
For years we’ve all been hustling hard to try and climb the mythical ‘corporate ladder’ and earn better money at work.
But Gen Z – those born between 1997 and 2012 (depending on who you ask) – are flipping the job narrative on its head.
According to a report by the BBC, today’s youngest workers want “work-life balance, fair pay and value alignment” and they’re “willing to walk away if they don’t get it”.
McCrindle’s “Future of Education” also found that students today are more “value-driven” and ambitious than ever.
Thinking about their future, McCrindle found 72 per cent considered having purpose and meaning in their work very important and 68 per cent said their work would need to align with their core values.
The report also found young people fear being stuck in a job they don’t enjoy or doesn’t fulfil them (61 per cent), not reaching their full potential (54 per cent) and not making a difference with their life (41 per cent).
With an office full of Gen Z’ers helping to shape Student Edge, we asked our Marketing Intern, Isiah, if he felt the same way.
Safe to say he did.
“Everyone is trying to work out where they want to go, what their passion is and just work towards that and they’re not in a crazy rush to get where they need to be.”
Isiah
When it comes to the long working career ahead of him, the 16-year-old is adamant he won’t be slaving away at a desk forever and will be carving out plenty of leisure time around his job.
“I would like to have a decent work-life balance that doesn’t mean I need to be working seven days a week or need to be in an office five days a week, like the normal office person works,” he said.
“I feel like the whole work force is getting better at flexibility… the industry is starting to work more around you rather than their own needs… especially with things like working from home or having a day off.”
But most important to Isiah is working for an organisation that aligns with his values, and he’s not the only one focused on that.
“I’d love to work for a place that works for a good cause… It’s important to me that the aim of the business is to make the world a better place, not just make money,” he said.
“I would hate to work in a place where we have two different mindsets about what we want to do and who we want to help. I value everyone being happy to work with each other and help each other.
“I think it’s common for most of my friends to feel this way. Everyone is trying to work out where they want to go, what their passion is and just work towards that and they’re not in a crazy rush to get where they need to be.”
As for his overall career goals and dreams, Isiah is set on working for himself so he can make his own rules.
“My main dream is to hopefully run my own business where I can work from wherever I am, so if I wanted to go travelling, I could just pull out my laptop and do some work and then go live my life for the rest of the day,” he said.
“I don’t want to just sit down when someone tells me to and have someone else tell me how to work. I’ve been thinking about what I want to do since I was 13 or 14… something that would bring me a nice income so I don’t have to worry about financial problems and can live a nice, relaxed life.”
To help students learn what it takes to start a business, we’re launching Mind Your Business—a series of bite-sized courses that inform and empower young people to turn their hobbies into side hustles and become successful entrepreneurs. Find out more about Student Edge Plus here.
