6 Jobs Boomers & Gen X Would Pretty Much Never Hire Gen Z To Do
PeopleImages | Shutterstock Age bias in hiring doesn't only affect older workers.
A 2024 ResumeBuilder.com survey found that 42% of hiring managers considered an applicant's age when reviewing resumes, while 40% admitted they were biased against Gen Z candidates. So why do hiring managers see Gen Z as a red flag? Chief career adviser Stacie Haller pointed to concerns about limited experience, professionalism, and frequent job changes as possible reasons. Those assumptions may be especially strong when Boomers and Gen X picture Gen Z taking jobs known for uncomfortable interactions or difficult working conditions. Here are 6h4 jobs older generations may assume Gen Z would never want to do.
Here are 6 jobs Boomers & Gen X would pretty much never hire Gen Z to do:
1. Telemarketer
Some older generations believe that younger folks just don’t want to work (as Kim Kardashian put it, "it seems like nobody wants to work these days!"). Many believe that they won’t tolerate rude customers or repetitive work. Younger workers tend to have firm boundaries around how they expect to be treated at work, so a job that involves frequent hostility from strangers may be a tough sell.
Many Gen Z workers also want to feel connected to the purpose behind their work, which can make the repetitive and heavily scripted nature of telemarketing less appealing. That doesn’t mean they’re unwilling to work, but it does mean telemarketing may not offer the environment or motivation Gen Zers are necessarily well-suited for.
2. Door-to-door salesperson
sturti from Getty Images Signature via Canva
Gen Zers are known by Boomers and Gen Xers to dislike repetitive work. Older generations figure the thought of having to knock on doors over and over again sounds painfully boring to Gen Zers. Plus, it's a lot of social interaction, which, according to many older people, Gen Z struggles with.
Door-to-door sales requires a lot of people to say "no" to you in your face, but Gen Z has a complicated relationship with rejection. They may be used to facing rejection due to the lack of jobs and the highly competitive job market, but Gen Zers still say that rejection holds them back. David Brooks, a writer for the New York Times, explains that in 1959, about half of American college applicants applied to just one school. Now, students have to apply to at least 10. Because door-to-door sales involves repeated face-to-face rejection, older employers may assume younger workers wouldn’t be able to tolerate such a job for long.
3. Factory assembly-line worker
Older generations view Gen Z as "job-hoppers" because of their tendency to switch jobs quickly or work multiple jobs at once. Because factory or assembly-line jobs can require fixed schedules, repetitive tasks, and consistent attendance, older employers assume they’re a poor fit (especially if they're juggling more than one job).
Government data show that nearly 8.4 million adults in America (5.2% of the workforce) work two or more jobs at once, not because they want to, but out of necessity. This makes a job at the factory harder for Gen Z if they need to work multiple jobs to make ends meet.
4. Overnight or late-night server
RgStudio from Getty Images Signature via Canva
Some older employers may believe Gen Z workers are less willing to accept physically demanding shifts, low pay, and difficult customers. All of these combined mean that most of Gen Z are not cut out to work the overnight shift.
Working an overnight restaurant shift requires more than just staying awake. Servers spend hours on their feet while juggling multiple tables, cleaning between customers, and keeping their patience with people who are tired, intoxicated, or rude. The hours can also make it difficult to maintain a regular sleep schedule or spend time with friends and family.
Gen Z workers aren't willing to accept poor working conditions just because that’s how jobs have always been done, and older employers interpret that as a lack of work ethic. They assume that younger workers may simply decide that the long hours, unpredictable tips, and difficult customers aren't worth the pay, and they'll end up leaving. Because of that, Boomers and Gen X would pretty much never hire Gen Z for an overnight serving job.
5. Customer service representative
As many older generations know, Gen Z hates small talk, which is why customer service jobs are pretty much out of the question. Workers of all generations understand that customer service can feel pretty soul-crushing at times, and for a Gen Z person who values individuality and meaningful, fulfilling work, answering constant customer questions, following prepared scripts, and staying patient with frustrated shoppers doesn't really float their boat. Boomers and Gen Xers don't see anything wrong with that, but to them, it just means Gen Zers might want to consider a different career path.
6. Newspaper delivery
Kampus Productions via Canva
For starters, physical newspapers are virtually a thing of the past. Although print circulation has fallen sharply, some newspapers still rely on delivery drivers to bring physical editions to subscribers. Older generations assume that Gen Z hates early hours, bad weather, repetitive routines, and a not-very-glamorous lifestyle, so doing all of those things to deliver newspapers doesn't exactly sound like something Gen Z would excel at. Although I’m sure there are some Gen Z people out there who would love to deliver the newspaper, the employers aren't necessarily looking for them.
Sophie Bagheri is a writer with a bachelor’s degree in English and theatre who covers lifestyle topics.
