The Digital Darling (Gen Z) Guide to Surviving the Automated Job Market

It is no secret that the job market is becoming increasingly automated and digitized. The fear of robot overlords may have seemed like a distant fantasy not too long ago, but with advances in A.I. and machine learning, that future is looking more and more probable (although I don’t think we need to worry about Terminator-esque robots just yet). For the longest time, human beings have been the dominant partner in the ever-evolving relationship between technology and people. Technology has been a means for us to innovate, solve problems, educate ourselves, and share our experiences. However, with this paradigm shift, humans are left pondering the once unthinkable question: 

Are human beings becoming obsolete in an increasingly digitized world?

The inconvenient truth: robots ARE coming and every industry will be impacted in some way. However, it is important to note that understanding the work activities rather than the jobs themselves is the most accurate way to understand the impact of automation as listed in this figure from McKinsey Quarterly.

The traditional narrative is that as robots take over, traditional jobs in transportation, retail sales, logistics, and manufacturing will be phased out. A couple months ago, Amazon launched a store with no cashiers and countless companies like Google are experimenting with self-driving cars. There is significant debate about the exact direction that automation will take the job market; however, there is no doubt that it has brought on a new era of uncertainty and disruption to people’s expectations and career outlooks. With this in mind, I want to turn to Gen Z, the generation born in the year 1994-2000s that are quickly overtaking millennials as one of the most studied generations, and focus on some of the key qualities.

Gen Z has many names (post-millennials, iGeneration, Plurals, etc.) However, several other campus editors and thought leaders and I have dubbed this generation as the “Digital Darlings.” This generation stands at an interesting place in this paradigm shift. Whereas the millennial generation was defined as one of the first generations to grow up in the digitized world, the digital darlings may be the first to grow up in a period where internet and connectivity were essential parts of their beings. Most probably do not even know a time where connectivity was not a component of everyday life.

The Idea of the Self-Motivated Economy

In my view, one of the most significant ideological shifts between generations is the shift toward the self in defining one’s career. In the past, conventional wisdom stated that you find a job, stay for the majority of your career, and aspire to reach higher management. Following the Financial Crash of 2008, that idea has become obsolete. No job is permanent, job security is always a concern, and the idea of advancing the corporate ladder is giving way to the goal of starting a business and becoming your own boss. Darlings are arguably the most entrepreneurial generation yet. According to a survey conducted by Monster, over 76% of respondents see themselves as the owners of their careers with nearly half (49%) expressing interest in starting a business, compared to 32% across all working generations. This type of mindset may be essential in surviving in the age of digitization. More so than any other time, people need to be willing to invest in their own worth as an employee to survive. To do so people need to either learn new skills or stay up to date with changing trends through continuous education and training. Many massive open online courses (MOOCs), such as Coursera and Udacity, are granting “nanodegrees” to prospective students. Even CEOs like Mark Zuckerberg (the quintessential millennial) sets personal learning goals every year. Darlings are always looking to expand their worldview and transforms their passions into careers. The key takeaway is that in order to expand oneself, one needs to be up to date on current trends and skills to actively contribute and innovate.

Branding is Key

The idea of a professional brand is not new nor radical. However, the role that personal branding plays differs across generations. In the contemporary world, branding is an essential component to launching a career or finding a job. Therefore, it is important to identify what one’s expectations, desires, and passions are when navigating the tumultuous world of the job search. Gen Z values practicality and realism in branding over inspirational and ideal, the former two being prominent qualities that millennials value. In essence, the brand takes on a more supportive role while allowing for individuality and innovation to take a more central role. Gen Z values innovation and originality, both of which are qualities that are essential to thriving in any type of career. In a similar way, automation could take a supportive role in workforce dynamics. Repetitive and mundane tasks can be streamlined through automation, allowing for more emphasis on qualities such as strategy, innovation, design thinking, and more. In more to survive the automated era, one needs to be able to adjust his or her personal brands to adjust for the new dynamics of the workforce.

Closing Thoughts

Millennials have gone down as the most studied, discussed, and debated generation so far. However, the role that Darlings play in the coming years has the potential to yield significant changes in how we understand work and view the dynamic between humans and technology. Automation is not a concern for the future. It is a concern of the present. Invariably, we will all be a part of an automated workforce in some capacity. Therefore, it is important to understand what our relationship with technology will be. Will humans become obsolete to the point where almost every task can be automated? Will we reach that equilibrium bridging human ingenuity with technical efficiency to drive change and productivity? Time will tell what the future will hold. Until then, I will continue to research the Digital Darling generation. After all, they did grow up in a time where internet connectivity was always present.

Check out this article by Kunal Kerai and this article by Andrew Glassman to learn more about Digital Darlings.

What is the future of work hold? What can Gen Z teach us? Please comment and share below.

#studentvoices #Tech #DigitalDarlings #automation #futureofwork

Ajay is a Digital Darling editor, student consultant, and aspiring thought leader. Loved what you heard? Follow Ajay on LinkedIn. Updates every Tuesday. Please share, like, and comment. All opinions expressed are my own, and they do not reflect the views of any of my current organizations.