The First Job Gap

“Getting my first job shouldn’t feel this hard.” A dominant theme from the first cohort of Torch Lighter Project conversations has been focused on the intricate planning when laying down the path from post-secondary education into employment. What’s the disconnect between our education system and employers hiring for junior roles? Have we done enough to set our future leaders up for success?

The women that will lead us into the future are in need of our support to get there. I want to be clear: they are entirely capable of creating the path for themselves.  The Gen Z women I have encountered are conscientious, focused and ready. They are creators on their own journey.

What is different is the number of hoops we have lined up for them in a bizarre obstacle course that feels harder than it did before. We are asking them to be completely well rounded and near perfect in high school and university. Then we wonder why they also aren’t ready with the right work experience that we now require of them in junior roles.

If I am a high school student today, I probably believe I need to get a 90%+ average, be class president, make the provincial swim team, play the oboe in the band and volunteer at the food bank to get into my chosen university.

And then when I start university, I now need to keep up my grades, be the VP in 2-3 clubs in my chosen field, take time to study for my next degree, participate in case competitions, and get a part time job to pay for it all.

The hardest part about this is that you are also now in a much bigger pond, which is filled with surprisingly amazing fish that make you wonder if you are as good as you thought you were in high school. (How are these fish so colourful anyway? Should I turn myself a new colour??)

During this time, these students are also supposed to figure out what to do when they grow up and start moving on the path to get there. They need to start taking steps (now!) to get towards that future (and they are already told that they are late).

The rub here is that women at this age are still learning who they are. They are grappling to articulate what their super-powers are as they are uncovering them. They are creating their ‘what’ before they know their ‘why’.

The other thing that is complicating this situation is something that I am trying to understand as an employer. Our expectations seem to be higher too. Are our junior roles junior enough? When did entry level end up with an asterisk next to it? (*those without experience need not apply…)

More and more seemingly entry level roles expect internship or relevant work experience. But where (and when!) are the students intended to get this experience? Many companies don’t offer programs for students, which makes the competition even more grueling for these coveted slots. When we have 600 (amazing, high potential) candidates apply for 1 internship spot, I feel concerned about the 599 people that felt they were no longer going to meet their future as they have missed out on an important step in their journey.

I think a path to a solution is a change for both students and employers.

I want to encourage students to be more creative in the types of roles they look for. Every job you have in your life will give you new skills that you can outline. The creativity is in how you articulate them as transferrable. (Have you demonstrated creative problem solving? Are you getting new experience in customer service? Are you always accountable and hitting goals outlined?). Grocery store cashier, call centre concierge, camp counsellor and beyond. All have value. Show us how we will experience you when you become a part of our team.

And I want to encourage employers to think differently about the ‘bar’ we set on relevant work experience. The work we can do is to see the value that these potential employees will bring from all of the obstacles they have overcome. We also might want to consider how we can give more opportunities in our workforce at these levels.

We are all going to reap the benefits if the Gen Z workforce of tomorrow is getting opportunities today. They will have the keys to lead our future sooner than we think. It’s on us to prepare them to get there. 

If you are an early 20-something woman interested in a Torch Lighter Project conversation, visit www.torchlighterproject.com to sign up for a session. 35 down, 65 more to go….