Tech, business services, and finance dominate Gen Z students’ list of dream jobs, according to a new study by Glassdoor.
To conduct the study, Glassdoor analyzed their database of job application data and company reviews to determine the occupations, employers, and metros Gen Zers are seeking.
According to the study, here are the 10 jobs Gen Z applicants are most interested in:
1. Software engineer
2. Software developer
3. Sales associate
4. Mechanical engineer
5. Data analyst
6. Business analyst
7. Engineer
8. Receptionist
9. Investment banking analyst
10. Financial analyst
Most Gen Zers are seeking jobs in the tech industry, with 19% seeking jobs as software engineers measured over a three-and-a-half-month period. Software developers, sales associates, and mechanical engineers each accounted for 2% of all Gen Z job applications.
Gen Zers sent the most applications to large tech companies, such as IBM, Microsoft, Google, and Amazon, according to the study. Therefore, it’s no surprise that many Gen Zers are applying to positions in tech hubs. New York, with 9% of applications, is the most attractive city to Gen Zers followed by Los Angeles (6%), San Francisco (5%), and Boston (4%).
Still, despite Gen Z’s ambitious career plans, just 57% feel prepared to enter the workforce, according to a recent survey from Dell Technologies. While 73% of the 12,000 respondents in the survey ranked their tech literacy as good or excellent, just 57% believe their education prepared them well for future careers.
More specifically, 52% of Gen Zers feel more confident they have the tech skills employers want than the soft skills. Gen Z students also think employers prioritize soft skills over tech skills. More than a third of respondents believe creativity, logic, communication, and collaboration are among the most sought-after skills by employers. Less than 15% think employers are prioritizing applicants with coding or cybersecurity skills (Schlosser, GeekWire, 2/20; Stransell, Glassdoor, 2/20).
