This month, the era of coveted technology jobs ends with the Class of 2024. These software engineer roles are a dream come true for millennials, representing a more relaxed and enjoyable work style and a path to financial security and comfort. . But now his one shoe, the businessman’s casual sneaker, has fallen in Silicon Valley, and Gen Z is picking up the pieces.
Graduates are focusing less on landing shiny tech jobs and instead turning to the old reliable field of government jobs. This shows the results of a recent survey of more than 2,600 of his students by Handshake, an undergraduate recruitment agency. As tech jobs decline, so does Gen Z’s interest in less disruptive career prospects. Government jobs are also known to be one of the most stable and recession-proof sectors.
Young people are slowly but surely starting to pay attention. Only 21% of applications from the Class of 2024 were submitted to technology companies this year, compared to 23% in 2023. Interest in location also indicates a change in trends. New York City and Washington, D.C. are reportedly becoming more popular destinations, but interest in jobs in the famous tech hubs of California and Texas has declined significantly.
It’s no coincidence that the Capitol Hill trend is on the rise. Rather than looking west, Gen Z is seeking more government jobs. According to Handshake’s research, the number of job applications submitted in this field increased from 5.5% in 2023 to 7.4% in 2024. His Handshake report in February found that with a growing number of tech giants, it’s actually up-and-coming technologists who are turning to the field. Applications to government employers more than doubled between 2021 and 2023.
The first generation to lack memories of a world without the internet, Gen Z came of age with a burgeoning technology community. “The Class of 2024 has truly grown up with the technology industry, watching companies rapidly scale, innovate, and introduce products that change everyday life,” she said, Chief Education Strategy Officer at Handshake. says Christine Cruzvergara. luck. Naturally, she added, it influenced their career goals and gave the world of technology respectability and a “special fascination.”
New graduates are simply taking cues from recent headlines. Layoffs, hiring freezes, and the shift from the supposedly laid-back, collaborative Silicon Valley culture of the 2010s are all pushing Gen Z into other fields. The turmoil of the past few years “means that its appeal has really started to wane for a lot of students,” Cruzvergara explained, and as a result, many have opted for more stable positions in government, manufacturing, and health care. He added that he had his eyes set on a job that he did.
In the wake of economic instability, the pandemic, and a recent round of layoffs in the tech industry, the Class of 2024 is prioritizing consistency. Among 76% of Handshake respondents, job security is the most important thing for Gen Z when applying for a job. Reports show that more than a third of students are worried about repaying their student loans, and half of students are worried about being able to afford basic necessities after graduation and are looking for a steady paycheck. Their aspirations are further fueled by economic vulnerability. Debt was an indicator of this class, and it was shocking to Cruzvergara how deeply this class was affected by loans. That means the tide is turning from the Pacific, and students can’t afford to navigate California’s precarious high-tech jobs.
While many are confident in their ability to find work, a growing number of graduates are feeling pessimistic about the economic landscape they are entering. “The Class of 2024 has proven to be an incredibly resilient group,” Cruzvergara said, noting that they still try to hold fast to their values. She describes these young people as “cautiously optimistic.”
It’s a little surprising that a generation known for distrusting this man is seeking to get involved in politics. A 2023 Gallup poll found that of all the institutions surveyed, young people have the lowest trust in the president, Congress, and news and technology companies.
The Class of 2024, which Axios calls the “regret generation,” experienced a cycle of instability in just four years. Of course, their experience was capped by campus protests calling for a withdrawal from Israel during the eight-month long Palestinian war that left 35,000 Palestinians and 1,500 Israelis dead. Columbia University has garnered attention after its student body asked the New York City Police Department to remove peaceful protesters from an on-campus encampment in violation of the school’s own shared governance agreement with students and faculty. , tensions rose.
As a voting bloc, they are more disenchanted than previous generations. Wall Street Journal. Research shows that Gen Z is a more liberal-leaning group and has begun to distance itself from Democratic candidate President Biden over his stance on Israel and Palestine.
Perhaps Gen Z is entering local politics, or perhaps this disillusionment is motivating them to push the system from within. People who work in government jobs may not be the most depressed about current events. Either way, for Gen Z, tech jobs and the Google ball pit are long gone, replaced by the Oval Office.
