New National Youth Career Interest Survey Reveals GenZ Career Choices, Workplace Preferences and More

There’s never been a more tumultuous time for young people to plan for and embark on their careers, and employers can benefit greatly from career insights from this data set. A new 2024 Career Interest Survey of 10,072 Gen Z students (born after 1997), conducted by National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS), gives insights into what motivates an adventurous, civic-minded, concerned, vocal, tech-savvy, emerging workforce.  

More than 10,000 College and High School Survey Respondents from All 50 States Reveal These Highlights:  

·      More youth (59%) believe that AI will have a more negative than positive effect on society in the next ten years. More than half (55%) are extremely or very much concerned about AI’s impact on personal privacy and 62% are worried about job displacement.  

·      Student debt isn’t going away – but they don’t expect Mom and Dad to pay. One quarter of students expect to incur anywhere from $10,000 to $50,000 in student debt, but just 14% said they expected family assistance as a component of how they’ll pay for college.  

·      Google, Amazon, and Apple made the list of top 10 preferred employers but healthcare/STEM remain biggest job targets. 

·      Nearly half (48%) of next-generation workers say the most important quality in an employer is clear communications skills. 

·      Young people want experience. More than nine out of 10 expect to participate in an internship and almost three quarters (70%) were interested in certification courses to prepare for what lies ahead. 

·      Two-thirds (66%) expect to live at home when they start their first job and three quarters (73%) plan to stay at home for one to two years.  

Other Key Findings  

Career Aspirations and Jobs 

·      The majority (63%) have concerns about pursuing passions as careers due to not making sufficient income.  

·      The top career fields of interest include medicine/health-related (24%), healthcare (22%), and engineering (18%).  

·      Gen Z has a strong interest in working in healthcare settings, with their top three preferred employers being St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Mayo Clinic, and Healthcare Service Corps.  

·      Google, Amazon, and Apple also made the top ten list of desired employers, coming in at 7, 8, and 9, respectively.  

Benefits & Compensation: 

·      Health benefits trump time-off and flexible work schedule as their most valued compensation benefits, with 72% saying health benefits, 25% work-life balance, and 61% saying flexible work schedule. 

Workplace and Employer Preferences 

·      Fair treatment of all employees continues to rank #1 of all workplace preferences (28% rank it first), followed by work life balance (25%), and corporate social responsibility (14%). 

·      67% say they expect employers to offer in-person training. 

·      Clear health and safety guidelines rank #1 regarding importance of working conditions, followed by easy commute and modern amenities of office spaces. 

Impact of Student Debt and Living  

·      Almost half (41%) believe that student loan debt has or will prevent them from pursuing their passions. 

·      Scholarships play a big role in financing college – students picked them as their #1 contributor to financing higher education.  

·      66% say they’ll live at home after college graduation to further be able to pay for student loans. 

World Issues 

·      Healthcare and health-related issues are the most important issue to Gen Z students, coinciding with their desire to work in healthcare settings. This is largely due to their own personal experiences with health-related issues.  

·      The economy, social justice and civil rights, and government corruption are the most important issues in deciding who young voters will choose for the 2024 Presidential Election.