MY JOB Gen Z 

Finding Your Place in a Fast-Changing World

 

 (c) 2021 by Suzanne Skees and Sanam Yusuf

An open-source, narrative nonfiction book full of true stories of jobs along with best practices for how to make your dream-job come true.

 

Editor’s note: Join us for this sneak-peek into the contents of this book, whose highlights we’ll release RIGHT HERE on this blog, and which we’ll publish on New Year’s Day 2021. 

Are you in our book? Scan below to find out. We feature one hundred “ordinary” and “famous” Gen Zers striving toward and succeeding in their dream jobs. Find yourself or your hero/ine in our pages and celebrate with us the power of Generation Z!

 

The Age-Range for Gen Z

 

What’s a Gen Zer? While sources vary in the dates that define generations, this is the breakdown we use in this book. Graphic used with permission from kasasa.com.

See this informative article that breaks down shared qualities found within each generation—and the cultural/historical events that shaped us.

 

This Book Is Dedicated To . . .

Our Sources of Inspiration

For Alexis, Tessa, Tori, Michael, Daniel, Matthew, Morgan, Sarah, Michaela, and all the Gen Zers in my life: I love and respect you. Thank you for giving me hope for the future of our world. 

–Suzanne

 

To my mother Paru and my father Zia, for always telling me that my age didn’t define my place in the world, and for reminding me that I can do anything I dream. 

–Sanam

 

We honor our families, who supported us through this effort to connect and empower young people: 

• Sarah Helly, who honed her sharp mind to copyediting and fact-checking.
• Maya Chawla, already working her dream-job as a graphic designer, for creating the stunning cover for our book.
• Saira Yusuf, who cheered us on in person and through social media (check out her posts on our Instagram).
• Connie Liu, for her passion that young people can do anything they believe in, and for inspiring Sanam to follow her dreams. 
• Vincent Oviedo and Isaac Hinman, Suzanne’s heroes in every way.

Our Narrators

And we salute the Gen Zers who responded to our survey and shared their values, vision, and job stories. Those who shared more than quick-click answers are listed here; find their words woven into the stories of this book. Some respondents chose not to include their surnames. We’ve listed our contributors in alphabetical order by first name. 

• Aditi Marshan
• Ariela Rosenzweig
• Audrey Cho
• Catherine Laugharn
• Charlie Franklin Love
• Chase Hilleary
• Chloe Johnson
• Daniel Mozes
• Danielle Battle
• Donna Rowshan
• Ella Keinan
• Izzy Goldfarb
• Izzy Philippe
• Jasmin
• Jazmine Coburn
• Jennifer Dakkak
• Joanna L. Grana-Maciel
• Josiah Hirsch
• Kamrie McKay
• Kelly Bignardi
• Kian Motamed-Zaman
• Kristen
• Kristina Stevens
• Kyle Toler
• Kylene Madrigal
• Lana Gesinsky
• Marie Cisne
• Matthew Maertz
• Melissa Brear
• Mia McFarland
• Michael Lesko
• Michael Turner
• Mika Kurland Fuchs
• Morgan Jackson
• Parker Jay-Pachirat
• Pilar
• Rachel Mayer
• Rebecka Yaeger
• Roberta Jreisat
• Sabrina “Renn” Salkind
• Sam Abrahams
• Saumya Shinde
• Sedona Yates
• Shaked
• Siddhant Jain
• Sydney Cameron
• Sydney Shepard
• Talia Kurtz
• Tessa Skees
• Theodore Toler
• Victoria Lesko
• Will Korsh

Where Our Narrators Live & Work

Our respondents chimed in from a wide range of cities around the world:

• Amman, Jordan
• Beer Sheva, Israel
• Bethlehem, Palestine
• Bilbao, Spain
• Birmingham, Alabama
• Bnei Dror, Israel
• Boston, Massachusetts
• Boulder, Colorado
• Brisbane, Australia
• Cairo, Egypt
• Chicago, Illinois
• Cincinnati, Ohio 
• Coventry, England
• Denver, Colorado
• Detroit, Michigan
• Ft. Smith, Arizona
• Haifa, Israel
• Honolulu, Hawaii
• Huntington Beach, California
• Jeffersonville, Kentucky
• Jerusalem, Israel and Palestine
• Kailua, Hawaii
• London, U.K.
• Los Altos, California
• Los Angeles, California
• Menomonie, Wisconsin
• Miamisburg, Ohio 
• Mountain View, California
• Mumbai, India
• New York City, New York 
• Newark, New Jersey
• Norwalk, Connecticut
• Palo Alto, California
• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Portland, Maine
• Redwood City, California
• Rogač, Croatia
• Rye, New York
• San Antonio, Texas
• San Carlos, California
• San Francisco, California
• San Mateo, California
• Santa Cruz, California
• St. Andrews, Fife, Scotland
• Syracuse, New York
• Tampa, Florida
• Taylor, Michigan
• Tel Aviv, Israel
• Uttar Pradesh, India
• Walla Walla, Washington
• Washington, D.C.

 

What’s in Our Book (Table of Contents)

Dedication

Acknowledgments

Table of Contents

Graphic: Gen Z to Boomer

Preface: “We ARE Gen Z,” by Sanam Yusuf, coauthor and Gen Zer

Prologue: “The Rising Power of Gen Z,” by Suzanne Skees, founder of Skees Family Foundation and editor of MY JOB Book Series

Chapter 1: How Gen Z Works

• How We Define Generation Z
• Various Names for Generation Z
• Fast and Savvy and No B.S.
• What the Statistics Show
• Infographics Show How Gen Z Is Different
• What May Surprise You About Gen Z
• The One Thing Gen Zers Want Most at Work
• Not Their Parents’ or Grandparents’ Work-World
  • Kyle
  • Michael
  • Siddhant
  • Mia
  • Marie
  • Daniel
• Constant Adaptation to New Technology
  • Parker
  • Sydney
  • Chase
  • Shaked
• Working from the Ground Up Toward the Dream Goal
  • Ariel 
  • Melissa
  • Will
  • Joanna
  • Becka
• Instinct for Entrepreneurism
  • Kian
  • Jazmine
• Drive Toward Impact over Money
  • Matt
  • Sydney
  • Ella
  • Kylene
• Facing Age Discrimination
  • Donna
• The Insecurity of the Gig Economy 
  • Chloe

Graphics: Generation Z at Work

Chapter 2: “Ordinary” Gen Zers Building Extraordinary Careers

1. Catherine, University Student
2. Danielle, TSA Officer for the Department of Homeland Security
3. Kamrie, Freelance Real Estate Photographer and Stager
4. Kelly, Office Admin for Hulu
5. Kristen, International Facility Manager 
6. Kristina, Restaurant Waitress and Hostess
7. Jasmin, Crew Member for Trader Joe’s
8. Matthew, Electrical Engineering Intern
9. Michael L., Airframe Mechanic for the U.S. Marine Corps
10. Michael T., Legislative Aide to Michigan Senator
11. Morgan, Civil Engineering Intern
12. Pilar, Dietetic Technician at an Eating Disorder Clinic
13. Rachel, Hospital Employee Orientation
14. Renn, Nursing Home Activities Director
15. Siddhant, Hospital Intern
16. Tessa, Grocery Store Clerk
17. Theodore, Webcam Pornographic Model
18. Gen Z Working Through COVID and the Recession: Lana, Talia, and Josiah

 

Chapter 3: Famous Gen Zers Rocking Their Dream Jobs

1. Apparel and Fashion

1. Brennan Agranoff, Age13, HoopSwagg/PetParty
2. Isabella Rose Taylor, Age 8, Isabella Rose Taylor
3. Moziah Bridges, Age 9, Mo’s Bows

2. Beauty and Body Products

1. Daniel Schlessinger, Age 18, FixMySkin
2. Isabella Dymalovski, Age14, Luv Ur Skin
3. Kiowa Kavovit, Age 7, Boo Boo Goo

3. Entertainment

1. David Dobrik, Age 17, David Dobrik’s vlogs
2. Glosen Teh, Age 12, Poet/Musician/App Developer
3. Jeffrey Owen Hanson, Age 12, Painter
4. Jojo Siwa, Age 11, Dancer/Singer/Actor
5. Liza Koshy, Age 17, Vine/YouTube

4. Environment

1. Greta Thunberg, Age 16, Environmental Activist/Fridays for Future
2. Hannah Herbst, Age 17, Inventor
3. Jasilyn Charger, Age 23, Our Climate Voices
4. Keiana Cavé, Age 20, Mare/Sublima Pharmaceuticals
5. Miranda Wang and Jeanny Yao, Ages 22 and 21, BioCellection

5. Finance

1. Aaron Easaw, Age 18, ACE Venture Capital
2. Erik Finman, Age 14, Bitcoin Investor
3. Vitalik Buterin, Age 19, “Initial Coin Offerings” for Bitcoin/Ethereum

6. Food and Nutrition

1. Abby Kircher, Age 15, Abby’s Better
2. Cory Nieves, Age 6, Mr. Cory’s Cookies
3. Haile Thomas, Age 12, Healthy Active Positive Purposeful Youth (HAPPY)
4. Mikaila Ulmer, Age 15, Me and the Bees Lemonade

7. Gaming and Sports

1. Kylian Mbappe, Age 16, Fútbol (Soccer)
2. Soliel Wheeler “EwOk,” Age 13, Fornite 
3. Sumail Hassan Syed, Age 8, E-sports Champion

8. Impact

1. Alex Wind, Cameron Kasky, Jaclyn Corin, David Hogg, and Emma González, Ages 17 to 19, #NeverAgain Gun Control, Genocide, and Human Rights Activists
2. Desmond Napoles, Age 12, Desmond Is Amazing
3. Isra Hirsi, Age 16, Climate Change Activist
4. Kelvin Doe, Age 11, Electrical Engineer
5. Malala Yousafzai, Age 15, Education/Women’s Rights Activist
6. Mihir Garimella, Age 17, Flybot
7. Shamma bint Suhail Faris Mazrui, Age 22, Arab Youth Advocacy

9. Internet

1. Adam Hildreth, Age 14, Dubit Limited/Crisp Thinking
2. Adam Horwitz, Age 15, Dirty Laundry/Mobile Monopoly
3. Brian Wong, Age 19, Klip.me
4. Carl Ocab, Age 13, Internet Marketing Services/CarlOcab.com/Rich Kid Media
5. Christian Owens, Age 14, Mac Bundle Box/Branchr Advertising
6. John Xie, Age 13, Cirtex/Taskade
7. Juliette Brindak, Age 16, MissOandFriends.com
8. Nick Di-Aliosio, Age 17, Summly/Sphere Knowledge
9. Noa Mintz, Age 12, Nannies by Noa
10. Stephen Ou, Age 25, OhBoard, Internet Entrepreneur

10. Marketing

1. David Wilkinson, Age 14, AffiliateDefined.com, Zi Media
2. Farrhad Acidwalla, Age 16, Rockstah Media
3. Jesse Kay, Age 17, 20 Under 20s podcast and VyberMedia
4. Paul Bourque, Age 19, UberAffiliate

11. Retail

1. Asia Newson, Age 5, Pretty Brown Girl
2. Ben Pasternak, Age 17, Flogg
3. Benjamin “Kickz” Kapelushnik, Age 16, Sneakerdon.com
4. Maddie Bradshaw, Age 10, M3 Girl Designs
5. Nic Bianchi, Age 12, Bianchi Candle Co.
6. Rachel Zietz, Age 13, Gladiator Lacrosse
7. Sean Belnick, Age 14, BizChair/Belnick

12. Social and Racial Justice

1. Akil Riley, Black Youth For the People’s Liberation (BY4PL)
2. Amika George, Free Periods
3. Brea Baker, Justice League NYC
4. Hadiqa Bashir, Girls United for Human Rights
5. Joshua Wong, Scholarism/Umbrella Movement
6. Nupol Kiazolu, Age 18, Youth Coalition for Black Lives Matter of Greater New York/ Vote2000
7. Thandiwe Abdullah, Black Lives Matter Youth Vanguard, Black Lives Matter in School Program
8. Ziad Ahmed, Age 21, JUV Consulting

13. Social Media

1. Evan of YouTube, Age 8, EvanTube
2. Evan Spiegel and Bobby Murphy, Age 21 and 23, Snapchat
3. Kristopher Tate, Age 20, Zoomr.com
4. Loren Gray, Age 12, TikTok
5. Nash Grier, Age 18, Nash Grier (Vine)
6. Ryan Kaji, Age 2, Ryan Toys Review/Ryan’s World

14. STEM and Technology

1. Jason Li, Age 15, iReTron
2. Omar Raiyan Azlan, Age 14, Mathematician/Soccer Player
3. Shubbam Banerjee, Age 12, Braigo Labs

14. Transportation

1. Caleb Nelson, Age 16, Romeo Rickshaws
2. George Matus, Age 18, Teal Drones
3. Ray Land, Age 17, Fabulous Coach Lines

15. Travel and Real Estate

1. Alex Hodara, Age 21, Hodara Real Estate Group/Colivo
2. Bella Tipping, Age 12, Kidzcationz.com

 

Chapter 4: Achieving YOUR Dream: How-Tos, Tools, and Tips

How-Tos

1. Job Hunting During COVID
2. Personality and Skills Testing: Get to Know Your Talents and Work-Style
3. Internships
4. Research the Position You Desire
5. Write a Great Cover Letter

• • • What It Can Do for You
    • Formatting Basics
    • Writing Style
    • Template
    • Mistakes to Avoid

5. Compose a Succinct Resume

• • • Skills and Brevity
    • Sections of a Resume
    • What To List Under “Experience”
    • Formatting Best Practices
    • Use Action Verbs
    • Use the Right Keywords

6. Create a Powerful Profile on LinkedIn

• Why Bother?
• What To Include
• Polishing Your Profile

7. How To Use Your Phone To Find a Job: Glassdoor and Other Apps

8. How To Capture an Employer’s Attention in 6 Seconds

9. How To Organize and Track Your Job Search

• • Start with Your Career Goals
  • Create a Schedule
  • Minimize Your Job Applications
  • Track Each Position You Apply For

10. How To Interview To Get the Job You Want

• • Before the Interview: Preparation
  • Anticipate and Review Their Questions
  • Dress for Success
  • Bring Your Best Hygiene and Grooming
  • Be Beyond Punctual
  • During the Interview: Be Attentive, Authentic, and Ask Insightful Questions
  • Drug Testing: What Are Your Rights?

 11. Best Practices After the Interview

• • Thank the Interviewers
  • What NOT To Do
  • Another Chance: Use That Second Interview to Shape Your Success

Tips and Tools

1. Apps and Websites That Can Get You to Work
2. Branding to Gen Z—Characteristics of This Market
3. Challenges Gen Zers Face in Finding Jobs
4. COVID-19 and Its Impact on Gen Z
5. Dream Jobbing Platform: Find Yours Here!
6. Inspiration: More Gen Zers Making Their Dreams Come True
7. Job Security: Does It Exist Anymore?
8. Marketing to Gen Z: What Works
9. Mental Health on the Job
10. Millennials and Similarities to/Differences from Generation Z
11. Podcasts on Gen Z
12. Videos: How Generation Z Shapes Our World
13. What Gen Zers Want at Work

 

Epilogue: How To Find the Hope You Need To Get to Work

By Dr. Wendy Leonard, founder of The Ihangane Project and The Hope Initiative

 

Note from the Authors

Join us each Tuesday and Friday as we release the above-listed material, until you have the entire book in your hands!

Share with your friends and followers; it’s FREE, open-source, and available to everyone.

No one makes a penny on this book project, which is intended to inspire and empower Gen Zers to launch their careers and land their dream jobs. Suzanne and Sanam have volunteered their time, and we’ve chosen this platform to transmit our book so that YOU don’t have to pay for publication costs.

However, if you feel inspired to help someone in poverty to have access to dignified work, jump here to donate directly to the nonprofit job-creation program of your choice–all vetted and supported by Skees Family Foundation.

Thanks for being with us! We’re excited to share our book with you.

–Suzanne & Sanam

 

Cover photograph courtesy of eric-weber-GAVSpEx6ooc-unsplash.