Here's how Millennials and Generation Z differ - Career coach Alice Stapleton collaborates with them

This essay is based on a conversation with Alice Stapleton, a 41-year-old British career coach and host of the podcast "The Career Change Diaries".

I am a career coach for professional changes and mainly work with people in their twenties, thirties, and early forties. I have been doing this for about 13 years. In the past six years, I have specifically focused on career changes and supporting people who have fallen into a job they no longer want to do.

I am a career changer myself. Originally, I trained to be a probation officer. But after six months, I thought, "I definitely don't want to do this for the rest of my life."

My clients come from a variety of professional fields

What they all have in common is that they made a career decision after completing their education that was influenced by some criteria. They chose something they thought was good on paper. But what their parents would approve of also plays a crucial role, or they just accepted the first offer.

Two, five, or seven years later, they come to me as a career coach. They say, "I'm not quite sure how I got on this path."

They are unsure what they want to do or how to get out of their current comfort zone. That can feel quite difficult. They often describe feeling quite lost, quite stuck, quite sad, and overwhelmed by the plethora of options.

In our work together, we follow a framework. It helps them understand what they want and need from life and work. Then we create an action plan to make this happen.

Millennials and Generation Z have some common desires for their workplace — but also major differences.

I think some of these differences reflect the life stage people are in, not their generation. However, in my work as a career coach, I have noticed that Generation Z is very entrepreneurial. This is especially interesting considering they are still at an early stage in life. They are independent in their work approach and seek an appropriate level of flexibility.

I think that's why they are attracted to an entrepreneurial lifestyle and way of working. When they work for an organization, they want to be quite autonomous and independent in terms of how, where, and when they work.

I think Millennials have the same desire. But they tend to be more collaborative and want to be surrounded by a team.

Millennials are more likely to seek stability, whether it's working for a more established company or securing financial stability because they have mortgages and children.

Another difference is that Generation Z has a high social consciousness

The Millennials are too, because they want to do meaningful work and contribute to the common good. But I believe Generation Z is just a bit more active in this endeavor. It is almost essential for them to feel like they are making a difference and making a real impact.

Another difference is that Gen Z seeks diverse workplaces. Meanwhile, I get the impression that Millennials prefer to be with like-minded people.

As a career coach, I know that Generation Z has the desire to break traditional boundaries in the workplace and really push for change. They constantly ask why we do the things we do and look for new ways. The generation does not simply accept the status quo without reason, which might be the reason for the stereotype that they have high expectations of their workplace.

They see no reason why things can't change for the better. They have high demands on people and companies and have expectations guided by strong values and a distinct morality.

Generation Z needs to feel that they can trust their employer, that the company culture summary on the website is not just for show, and that this also affects workplace communication and employee treatment.

Generation Z needs variety

This may be because they grew up with constant change and stimulation through social media and have a constant need for stimulation, variety, and change, and get bored quickly.

Millennials also have this need for variety, but perhaps less so. They are more willing to sacrifice variety for priorities like work-life balance, stability, growth, and development.

Millennials strive for a balanced relationship between professional and private life and want to prioritize their career and other life goals, such as family and friends, mental and physical health. They desire a very balanced lifestyle and seek stability and professional development.

The pandemic brought changes for all generations

The coronavirus pandemic has prompted many people to make a change. Suddenly, the world stood still, and they had to deal with their profession. People were less busy, less distracted, and faced with the question, "This is what I do professionally, without all the frills."

That was really shocking. People who had been putting it off for years suddenly had the time to think about it and actually do something. Since then, people have realized that work can be much more flexible.

As a career coach, I believe, especially Generation Z is into the nomadic lifestyle. This was reinforced by Covid-19, as we suddenly realized that all these jobs we thought we had to do in an office simply no longer existed. This has really changed the way many people think about their careers.

Read the original article on Business Insider