In collaboration with Amberjack, we surveyed 1,277 young people, aged 13-21 across the UK to find out what they want from their future careers, their perspectives on AI and how they feel about career advice.
We wanted to know when they start thinking about their futures, the pressures shaping their choices and how confident they feel about finding a job.
We’ve gathered some of the insights to breakdown, but have a full summary of the data in our latest Gen Z Careers Report.
Early awareness and engagement with careers
Career thinking and decision making is happening earlier than anyone realises. When asked when they first seriously thought about their career, 86.3% of respondents said before the age of 16, with the majority having done so under the age of 13.
In contrast to that, 44.5% spend either no time or less than 1 hour per week researching careers. This points to a gap between young people knowing they need to think about their future, but not necessarily having the clarity or advice needed to explore it in depth.
For employers, this means not waiting until the recruitment stage to engage with young talent. Young people are in need of clear career content, so they can make informed decisions even earlier.
School-level careers support
Careers support seems to be reaching most students, with 90% saying they have careers advice available at school and 75% saying they find it valuable. Out of the remaining 10% who don’t have access, 86% of them think it should be available.
Despite the wide reach, the majority say that they engage with careers curriculum or advice once or less a year, followed closely by once a term.
Career decisions are not a one and done scenario, they evolve over time. Employers and educators should be focusing on making the support more frequent and visible.
“I wish that the education system taught students more about employment and developed their valuable skills like CV writing, building a personal brand, and interpersonal skills.” - Future Maker Advisory Board Student
Career confidence and anxiety
One of the most impactful findings from our research is that 70% of young people say thinking about their future career is a source of stress for them. This number gets worse the older they get, and is higher for those who identify as female.
Despite stress rising, confidence levels remain the same, indicating an imbalance between pressure and certainty. Young people are making increasingly important choices as they get older, without the clarity needed to reduce the strain.
Again, this points to earlier and more consistent support needed to build their job confidence and awareness at a young age.
Influences on career decision-making
We wanted to find out the key factors that are shaping young people’s career choices. For most, it comes down to financial factors.
67% of respondents said the cost of living crisis is directly affecting their career considerations, which has increased from our research last year by 7%.
Also, 48% rank salary as the most influential factor in their career decisions, which comes in far ahead of working environment at 19% and progression at 10%.
Long-term ambition and interest are not at the forefront of young people’s minds. Instead, they’re looking for what feels feasible from a financial perspective. This context is actively shaping the decisions they’re making.
For employers wanting to engage more with early talent, it’s crucial to be upfront about things like salary and financial benefits much earlier in the process.
AI and the future of work
With the increased use and conflicting opinions on AI, we wanted to know how young people are feeling about it, and the results were compelling.
54% of respondents express a negative view of AI’s impact, with only 8% feeling excited by it. It’s clear that young people are concerned about how AI might influence their future careers.
What’s interesting is that despite their concern, or even maybe because of it, 50% of respondents say they’re using AI for career-related activity, most commonly to search careers or build skills.
In terms of how they’re using it, the majority are doing so to review CVs or simulate interview questions. For those who aren’t using it, most of them feel somewhat confident in using it in the future.
We also asked how employers should communicate expectations around AI use in the workplace and it became clear that they’re not asking for it to be removed completely, but for there to be clear and structured guidance on how to use it.
Differences in career experience by background
We were also interested in finding out how personal circumstances shape support, job confidence and access to opportunities.
Young people who are carers or care-experienced are more likely to start thinking about their future careers at a young age, with over a third of them doing so under the age of 13, compared to a much smaller percentage for those who aren’t a young carer.
The same can be said for neurodivergent respondents, suggesting that pressure around future decision-making or awareness of future responsibility starts much younger for these groups.
What our findings do show is that care-experience, neurodivergent and lower-income students face less consistent support, lower confidence and higher pressure.
Despite this, their ambition and aspirations look almost identical to others. The differences are driven by access, clarity and support, as opposed to ambition
Young carers, neurodivergent students and those from lower-income backgrounds engage with careers earlier than their peers, but the support around them doesn't keep pace.
Employers and educators should provide more structured, inclusive support to ensure equal opportunity
What this means for employers and educators
Our findings make it clear that young people are feeling the pressure of their future careers, having to navigate an uncertain landscape without the confidence or support they need to make informed decisions.
Start engaging with young people earlier
Young people are lacking clear and consistent career content and advice that would help them make more confident decisions about their futures.
Be honest about what’s concerning them
Young people have told us financial factors like salary and the cost of living crisis are the biggest influences on their decision-making. Be honest and upfront from the very beginning.
Have clear guidance around AI
Young people are using it, but are concerned about how. Create clear, structured guidance on how they can or can’t use it, rather than assumption-based.
Have equity in mind
Young carers, neurodivergent young people and those from lower-income backgrounds are engaging with careers sooner than others, but are lacking the confidence and support to match.
Get the full report
This is just a breakdown of a few of the sections from our research. The full Gen Z Careers Report 2026 dives deeper into the above, and includes data on research behaviour, channels, understanding of career pathways, advice preference and much more!
