Gen Z’s Challenges and Barriers in Entering the Job Market

Sociocultural Understanding

  • Behavioral Insights
  • Customer Understanding
  • Human Resources
  • Internal Team Data
Gen Z is stepping into the workforce with new priorities:
Authenticity, emotional well-being, and purpose.

This study explores how young professionals experience the transition from university to their first job, revealing the dilemmas of a generation striving to grow without compromising who they are.

CONTEXT.

For every generation, entering the job market marks a defining life moment. But for Gen Z, those born between 1997 and 2012, this transition is shaped by entirely new pressures.

They face a work landscape marked by post-pandemic uncertainty, global economic shifts, rapid digitalization, and mounting social and environmental tension.

In Mexico, Gen Z is entering a labor market that demands specialization, adaptability, and immediate results. Meanwhile, they carry high levels of anxiety and a strong need for authenticity, emotional balance, and purpose in their professional lives.

THE CHALLENGE.

Gen Z is navigating a “transition crisis” — a moment of dissonance where academic preparation doesn’t translate into clear professional opportunities. They feel the weight of the “first job pressure,” facing a mismatch between their ideals of personal balance and the rigid demands of corporate culture.

At the same time, family support networks, still central to many, can become sources of added stress, caught between emotional expectations and economic constraints.
This project set out to understand:
  • How do Gen Zers in Mexico experience the move from university to their first job?
  • What emotional and practical challenges do they face in this process?
  • How do their values — authenticity, well-being, social impact — shape their view of success?
  • What sociocultural factors influence their decisions, from urban mobility to household economics?

APPROACH

We used a mixed-methods research design to create an empathetic and context-rich understanding of this generational shift:

  • 1. Desk Research
    A critical review of academic studies and national data (e.g., INEGI) to ground the issue in broader socioeconomic trends.
  • 2. In-Depth Interviews
    One-on-one conversations with recent university graduates in Mexico City, focused on emotions, decision-making, and real-life experiences.
  • 3. Secondary Quantitative Analysis
    Integration of public and private statistical sources to validate patterns and widen the analytical frame.
This triangulated approach allowed us to capture both broad patterns and individual nuances, organized across three key stages of the journey:
  • The university experience
  • The job search and selection process
  • Expectations for the future

KEY FINDINGS .

Gen Z doesn’t separate work from identity. For them, a job isn’t just a role; it’s an extension of who they are and how they want to live.

  • Some of the most revealing takeaways:
  • University as an emotional stage.
    It’s not just a place for academic training, it’s where they form emotional resilience, a sense of self, and value collective learning.
  • Authenticity and purpose as non-negotiables.
    They want to work in places where they can be themselves, and where the mission of the organization feels meaningful.
  • Flexibility and well-being as baseline conditions.
    Work-life balance, schedule flexibility, and location are not perks, they’re part of their definition of a “good opportunity.”
  • Learning as a core job expectation.
    They want real feedback, guidance, and visible opportunities for growth from day one.
  • Cultural tension across generations.
    They don’t reject intergenerational collaboration, but they sense a cultural gap that could limit connection and trust.

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Gen Z’s Challenges and Barriers in Entering the Job Market

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