Young people starting out in their careers are feeling confident about the future despite the increasingly competitive job market and rising unemployment, according to new research.
Think Education College has released data illustrating young Australians’ attitudes to their current and future career prospects, and the results show that young people are largely confident about their ability to succeed in the workforce – but less clear on how they will actually do so.
70% of workers aged between 18 and 35 said they think they will be able to progress with their career without too much trouble, but almost half of the same age group reported feeling “stuck” in their current job. Despite being unsatisfied with their current position and being confident in their ability to move forward, however, only half of these employees had developed a clear plan on how they will succeed.
Interestingly, young women were more likely to feel stuck in their current position (47.4% compared with only 38.1% of young men) but were also less likely to have a plan to help them progress (49.1% of young women have a clear plan but 62.5% of young men do).
Given the roadblocks that women still face throughout their working lives – pay inequality, parental leave issues, leaky leadership pipelines, to name a few – it is perhaps more important than ever that young women have a clear plan for how they will get ahead early in their careers.
Think Education’s Executive Dean Coralie Morrissey said it is encouraging that young people are feeling confident about their prospects despite a declining job market, but also that it is concerning so few young employees have a game plan.
Morrissey said that precisely because unemployment is on the rise and the market is growing increasingly competitive, it is more important than ever for young people, particularly young women, to be clear on how to get where they want to go and make themselves stand out.
“It’s vital that young people find ways to differentiate themselves, and have a clear plan for how best they can get ahead. It’s a bit concerning that just one in two have a plan for taking their career to the next level,” she said.
So for those young people who feel stuck in their jobs and are unclear how to progress, what it holding them back?
According to the study, it could be related to a change in expectations and perceptions of the workforce in young people.
Almost half of the young people surveyed said their lack of forward progression is a result of their workplace, and specifically a “lack of opportunities or recognition from superiors”, which Morrissey said may point to a heightened level of expectation in younger workers when it comes to their employers.
Another finding that Morrissey said may point to changing expectations and perceptions of entitlement in young employees is that close to 80% of those surveyed said they deserve to earn more than they currently do, but only half said they wanted to take on more responsibility.
60% of young workers also said they deserve to be in a more senior position at work or that they are currently being undervalued.
“These findings seem to point to a degree of expectation from some young workers. That they don’t need to have a plan for their career, that they should be earning more without bringing more to the table or taking on more responsibility,” Morrissey said.
Think Education also studied what motivates young men and women at work, and found that earning more was the single biggest driver. A significant portion of young workers also pointed to passion and the desire for success (33%), but reasons like the desire to make a difference rated less highly, at only 9.6%.
Earning capacity is therefore the overall star of the study, with most young men and women wanting to earn more, feeling they deserve to earn more and being driven by the desire to earn more – but despite this being a strong driver, many young men and women are still feeling stuck and lacking in clear direction. Having a career game plan is more important than ever – so what is stopping young employees from forging them?
Are you a young woman just starting out in your career? Do you have a game plan? We’d love to hear your thoughts and stories.