For the first time, NACE has conducted a survey of early career professionals who graduated with an undergraduate degree in the last 10 years. The survey asked them about a range of career development topics, including their experiential learning opportunities, career development trajectories, and job preferences (e.g., preferred work modalities). This survey covered many of the same topics as NACE’s annual student survey to facilitate comparison between graduating seniors about to enter the workforce with recent graduates who have recently entered the workforce.

This article focuses on the most recent Gen Z graduates who earned their bachelor’s degree within the last one to three years (N = 1,298). When relevant, it includes comparisons to graduating seniors from the Class of 2024 and early career professionals who are four to seven years out to identify potential changes that occur as graduates enter the workforce and move through their next several years. 

Gen Z professionals are the newest workforce entrants and are shaping the future of the workforce. Their experience has been influenced by the growth of technology and AI, along with the impacts of the pandemic. 

Understanding the experiences, preferences, and goals of the early career Gen Z professional will help employers craft meaningful experiences that will ultimately enhance productivity and retention and enable career centers to better guide their students, understanding that graduate expectations may shift in some areas as they gain experience in the workplace.

What Recent Gen Z Graduates Want From Their Workplace

Early career professionals’ preferences begin to shift as they enter the workforce. As Figure 1 shows, while the rankings of each item don’t change much, fewer people endorsed each of them as very or extremely important. For example, 74% of Class of 2024 graduating seniors said having friendly co-workers was very or extremely important, but that drops to 65% of Gen Z professionals one to three years out. 

Note also that the importance of developing job-specific skills drops off, but the importance of developing applied—transferable—skills remains consistent among Gen Zers in the workforce. This finding may indicate the enduring importance of transferable skills; whereas, job-specific skills are important as one enters the field and becomes less important as one gains proficiency in them.

Additionally, it appears that some social items—having friendly coworkers, promoting social connections—drop in importance, while the items related to material compensation—high starting salary, good insurance/benefits—increase. 

Figure 1: Preferred attributes of the organization (rank)

Regarding benefits, although the rank order shifts slightly, all three Gen Z groups prioritize annual salary increases, 401(k) plans, and employer-paid medical insurance. (See Figure 2.)

Differences do emerge when you consider work modality and paid time off: These are less important for graduating seniors but increase sharply in importance as the Gen Z professional moves through their early career. 

Overall, Figure 2 illustrates that more seasoned Gen Z professionals place increased importance on many benefits, but especially their top five. 

Figure 2: Preferred benefits of early career individuals (rank)

Many Employees’ Work Modality Preferences Are Not Being Met 

Figure 3 shows that early career professionals’ preference for a hybrid work modality is not being met. More than 60% of Gen Z professionals prefer hybrid work, but only 38% currently have that option. Indeed, it appears that as Gen Z professionals enter the workplace, their initial preferences as graduating seniors for in-person work quickly change to hybrid. Furthermore, as Gen Z professionals advance in their careers, their preference for in-person work continues to decline, while their preference for hybrid and remote work drastically increases. 

Figure 3: The Modality Reality – Many employees’ preferences are not being met

Gen Z’s Perceptions of Their Career Progression—and What They Are Doing About It 

It appears that too many of the Gen Z respondents feel their career is progressing slower than they had expected. 

Nearly one-third of respondents felt this way, and this percentage did not budge when looking at slightly older and more seasoned Gen Z professionals. (See Figure 4.) This dissatisfaction will be important for employers to monitor as it could impact retention. In general, providing support and professional development to existing employees is less costly and put less stress on productivity than seeking replacements. 

Among those who responded that their career was progressing faster than expected, Gen Z professionals identified professional development and guidance from their network and mentors as the most consequential factors. However, after a few years in the workforce, taking on leadership roles was credited as the most important factor; the importance of professional development fell, but the reliance on networks and mentors remained constant. (See Figure 5.) 

When preparing for promotions, most Gen Z professionals focus on actively developing their skills, expanding their knowledge, and taking on new responsibilities in their current role. Following that, they also value further education or training, along with regularly updating their resume. These priorities remain unchanged after a few years in the workforce. For Gen Z professionals with four to seven years of experience, the fifth priority shifts to participating in cross-functional teams, while those with one to three years of experience place greater importance on activating their networks. (See Figure 6.)

Gen Z professionals one to three years in frequently turned to their networks for guidance on career planning, professional development, emotional support, and help with navigating workplace dynamics. After a few years in the workforce, while the ways in which professionals rely on their networks stay consistent, the priorities and rankings shift. Professional development moves to the top, while emotional support and navigating workplace dynamics follow it. (See Figure 7.)

Figure 4: Gen Z perception of their career progression

Figure 5 : Factors contributing to the perceived accelerated pace of Gen Z career progression?

Figure 6: Gen Z’s primary ways of preparing for a promotion?

Figure 7: How early and more seasoned Gen Z professionals use their career network to support their career success

The Snapshot of Early Career Gen Z Professionals

This article provides a snapshot of early career Gen Z professionals’ experiences in the workforce, with a focus on their preferences and perceptions of their career development trajectory. 

In this investigation, we saw the early career Gen Z professional’s job preferences shift—with monetary factors becoming more important than social ones. We learned that Gen Z’s modality preferences are not being met, and we saw a snapshot of their views of their career progression and how they approach it. These insights into early career Gen Z professionals can help employers create impactful work environments, which should ultimately improve productivity and retention. 

About the Survey

Data were collected from August to December 2024. NACE sent the survey out to its member organizations (N = 2,671), including both colleges and employers, which sent it to their alumni and early career professionals. Participants were offered a cash incentive and were encouraged to send the survey to their early career colleagues, resulting in an analytical sample size of 5,031. Nearly all questions were optional, so response rates vary for each question. 

Sample demographics, which appear in Figure 8, are similar to those we collect in NACE’s annual student survey and are a reasonable approximation of the demographics within the American professional workforce, according to statistics provided by Pew Research.  With this sample of Gen Z professionals, we can begin to answer some important questions regarding their workplace preferences and how they are approaching their career development. 

Sample demographics