Finding a first job was never easy, however in recent years, it has become particularly difficult.
Inflation is high, the economy feels uncertain and the rise of automation and Artificial Intelligence changes the way companies hire.
And that's not enough for Gen Z, she's got to deal with the previous generations that shake her finger, Criticizing her often densely as... lazy.
The funny thing, of course, in this case, is that when the millennials, Gen X and the baby boomers graduated, only a quarter could expect him to be unemployed in those years. Today, nearly 60% of the new Gen Z graduates cannot find a job.
The Today's young people seeking employment They come to the point of making tricks on the foot jobs they work to try to boost their careers in unusual ways.
Gen Z is right about looking for work
About 58% of students who graduated between 2024 and 2025 were still looking for their first job, according to a Kickresume report (a popular online platform and application that helps users create professional biographical notes) last May, as Fortune reports.
Meanwhile, only 25% of graduates in previous years —Like their predecessors of the generation of millennials and the X generation— They had trouble getting a job after graduation.
It may be tempting to think that Generation Z is not so hungry for work. However, the study suggests that previous generations could really find a job far easier than young people today.
In fact, almost 40% of previous graduates managed to secure full-time work in time for their graduation ceremony – but only 12% of the graduates of Generation Z of 2021/2025 could say the same, making these young people seeking work three times less likely to have something ready after school.
«Traveling from class to career was never simple»The researchers wrote. «But it is clear that today's graduates enter a labour market that is more uncertain, more digital and undoubtedly more demanding than ever.».
40% of the unemployed did not have a single job interview in 2025.
It is no secret that finding work in today's labour market requires more than a well-written CV and an accompanying letter. Employers submit newly hired people to strange tests during lunch and personality quizzes, even to examine them for a position.
It is undoubtedly a difficult labour market for many office workers — About 20% of those seeking employment for at least 10 to 12 months and about 40% of the unemployed said they had not had a single job interview in 2025.
The situation has become so bad that the search for a job has become a nine-to-five job for many, as the strategy has become a number game — with young professionals sending up to thousands of resumes without result. And with the advent of Artificial Intelligence, the recruitment process has turned into a total technological battle between directors and candidates.
Part of this issue may come from technology that reduces the number of entrance level roles for Generation G graduates. As chatbots and Artificial Intelligence agents undertake the daily tasks of younger executives, companies need less staff to achieve their goals.
About 4 million Gen Z people in NEET status
Launched tuition and the grim labour market for office employees have made the situation of Gen Z so bad that 4.3 million young people are NEETs (except education, employment or training).
And while things seem difficult in America, they have become an international issue, with the number of NEETs in the United Kingdom rising by only 100,000 compared to 2025. The old promise that a university degree will channel new graduates to full-time jobs has been violated.
«Universities do not deliberately prepare students to fail, but the system does not keep its indirect promise», told Fortune Lewis Maleh, CEO of the staff agency and recruitment agency Bentley Lewis.
Kickresume researchers advised young people to climb their professional ladder as soon as possible, instead of waiting for the work of their dreams in their field of study: «We often tell graduates not to get too nervous about their first job. It's just a starting point, not a life sentence.».
Young people are desperately after jobs as a diliver and jobs as waiters.
While baby boomers may have been chasing a job by entering an office and delivering their resumes directly to a recruitment manager, Generation Z must become skillful to gain employers' attention.
Gen Z's tricks to get a job corresponding to her degree
A young marketing candidate from Silicon Valley, Lucas Ela, knew he would not go far delivering his accompanying letter in person, so he made a plan.
When he was 25 years old, the job seekers pretended to be the diliver, delivering doughnut boxes with a secret note attached inside. The note said: «Most resumes end up in the trash. Mine – in your belly», along with his resume and profile at LinkedIn. He gained the trust of some employers, securing at least 10 interviews from this stunt.
Another woman of Generation Z seeking work began working as a waitress at a marketing conference, after failing to find work with traditional methods for six months. Basant Shenouda was unable to find a job after graduating from a leading university in Germany, so she volunteered to clean glasses at one of the best known marketing and sales events in the country.
During her breaks, she showed her resume to at least 30 to 40 people, asking for comments, but hoping for an opportunity. Shortly afterwards, he found a job at LinkedIn.
«When you're a graduate, you think everyone will tell you yes and that things will work out. But it's about building resilience.»Shenouda told Fortune. «You must constantly re-evaluate your process, so that every not will bring you closer to the next... yes».
