Gen Z is stepping into the workforce with bold expectations—flexibility, balance and meaningful work—but they’re encountering a job market that’s more demanding than they had imagined.

“Right now, we’re wrestling with a couple different issues,” says Briana Randall, executive director of the University of Washington’s Career and Internship Center. “It’s actually quite difficult to get a job, and we’re seeing more headlines about employers not loving Gen Z workers.”

Born between 1997 and 2012, Gen Z is entering the workforce with different goals than previous generations. According to Deloitte’s 2024 Global Gen Z and Millennial Survey, few Gen Z professionals want to climb the corporate ladder. Instead, most are prioritizing personal well-being and meaningful work. Financial stability remains a top concern as well.

Randall, who has been with the UW Career and Internship Center since 2004, has noticed a shift in mindset among recent graduates. “They’re prioritizing security more than they have in the past and are looking for balance and flexibility,” she says. “I really admire our graduating students for being more mindful of their well-being. But sometimes that focus may interfere with being accountable to teammates and coworkers.”

Shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic and remote learning, this generation has experienced more flexibility and support from schools and institutions than earlier cohorts. “Higher education very much supports people’s identities and well-being,” Randall explains. “But now we have to prepare them for workplaces that might not care about that. Gen Z workers may not be able to delay a deadline or miss work because they’re stressed.” She tells them, “You have to understand that your team is relying on you.”

She adds that many Gen Z employees expect the freedom to work the way they’d like. “They want to call their own shots—to have significant say in their tasks, schedule and where they work,” she says. “But those things aren’t typical in first jobs.”

Despite the disconnect between expectations and reality, Randall points out clear paths to success. The most important credential? Internship experience. “Even if it’s in a different field, it shows that you can be on time and be accountable,” she says.

That helps counter perceptions highlighted in a recent Resume.org report, which found that about half of hiring managers believe new graduates lack key skills, struggle to work in teams and demonstrate poor business etiquette.

Still, the UW’s own data offers encouragement. According to surveys from last year, more than 62% of recent graduates secured full-time jobs within a few months of graduation, while nearly 20% continued their education. Many found local work at the University of Washington, UW Medical Center, Amazon, Seattle Children’s Hospital and Boeing.

This year, however, the job market has tightened. “It’s more challenging,” Randall says. Data from the New York Federal Reserve confirms that the labor market for recent graduates has deteriorated.

While most students who visit the Career and Internship Center hope to stay in Seattle and work for well-known companies, Randall and her team encourage broader thinking. “We remind them this is just their first job,” Randall says. “Something that really fits their skills and long-term goals might be at a smaller company—or in a different place entirely, like Idaho.”

Adding to the difficulty is a shift in employer preferences. “It’s an employer’s market right now,” Randall says. “Some employers are talking about the challenges of managing Gen Z workers. Rather than hire someone who resists adapting to company culture, they might prefer to rehire a retiree—or do the work themselves.”

Still, most graduating students just want a job—ideally one that connects to what they studied. For Gen Z to succeed in today’s workforce, Randall believes compromise is key. “Employers need to be more flexible,” she says, “and students need to be flexible as well.”