Why does Gen Z want flashy job titles?
Every week, PhilSTAR L!fe explores issues and topics from the perspectives of different age groups, encouraging healthy but meaningful conversations on why they matter. This is Generations by our Gen Z columnist Angel Martinez.
Back when we were required to apply to internships in junior year, my batchmates would schedule free consultations with me to revamp their resumes. I didn’t set out to do it. I don’t even know how exactly it started and how my clientele grew. I think I just enjoyed making use of my extensive vocabulary.
For instance, a friend’s summer job at her family business turned into a stint as Chief Marketing Officer, where she produced social media campaigns to increase sales by so-and-so percent. Another one’s internship filled with mundane admin tasks finally seemed interesting—once we reframed her as a critical team member who assisted with a major launch. (For the record, it was technically true.)
It seems that Gen Z’s obsession with prestigious positions and packed job descriptions starts prior to formally entering the workforce. A study from Datapeople shows that half of Gen Z want to be promoted within their first year and a half, with many expecting to reach VP or Director status early on. Employers, in turn, are affixing "Lead" or "Manager" to entry-level roles to meet expectations. Career catfishing, the formal term for what I was doing for my friends in college, seems to be common practice among Gen Z applicants.
No wonder higher-ups often criticize us for being "hilaw"—inexperienced, entitled, and maybe a little naive. But, is it really all that bad? Career coach Pat Mallari tells PhilSTAR L!fe that as humans, we are “psychologically wired to crave recognition from our peers.” Job titles, she adds, function in such a way that they award a “positive evaluation to those around us.” So, in that sense, we are certainly not the first generation to apply to elite management trainee programs or pad our resumes.
We might even have it worse. Unemployment and underemployment rates remain alarming, with degrees from acclaimed universities no longer the safety net they once were. Sure, their CVs end up at the top of the pile. But that doesn’t exempt them from being filed away, like what happened to Elizabeth (not her real name).
“I thought graduating cum laude from a Big 4 university meant I was set for life, but it was very difficult to be accepted into the kind of corporate job I wanted,” she shares with L!fe. But in reality, it took her four months of back-and-forth before she realized what she was up against. Her strategy? Apply to a bunch of startups “para mabilis asenso,” and secure a more senior position. “Now, I’m in my dream company and am on track to be a middle manager.”
Without the position, we do not get pay, which is undeniably and unsurprisingly one of the top criteria for job-seeking Gen Z. Poppy (not her real name) applied to a management trainee program for the opportunities it provided, but also because “they’re very prestigious in nature and pay higher than full-time [employment] as a fresh grad.”
But now that she’s graduated from her two-year track, her main concern is to be able to afford her lifestyle. “If they’re paying me what I deserve but I’m still a junior manager, I don’t care. But if they promote me and my compensation stays the same, I will definitely switch employers.”
Our desire to scale the corporate ladder, then, is not all driven by ego. Moving upward can simply mean personal progress, rather than an automatic promotion. We simply want to be acknowledged for the distinct value we bring to the company and compensated accordingly. Don’t we all?
While Kiana (not her real name) knows members of Gen Z “who see work as work” and others who are “really passionate about their fields,” she feels that a lot of effort goes into any job either way. “Job title progression is a reflection of that effort, with monetary implications. [...] It’s not only the title I’m after for the sake of it, but more of what it implies about my personal growth, achievements, and impact on a wider scale,” she tells L!fe.
Although I will say we’re not entirely blameless. Instant gratification and comparison culture work in tandem to warp our ideas of a normal career trajectory. “We live in an era of aesthetics: based on what I’ve seen on LinkedIn, job titles are getting more and more complicated, and it’s becoming a source of pride when you create posts about it and advertise yourself on the platform,” Mallari observes.
Seeing our peers land assistant brand manager positions on an accelerated track or become the Chief Executive Something of their own small businesses can do a number on our self-esteem, and send us into a frenzied panic. As mentioned in a previous column, some Zers have resorted to job hopping as a way of upping their market value, to varying results. Others will literally LinkedIn window shop, like Kiana, whenever she “feels stuck or at a dead end in development.”
Gunning for promotions we’re not yet prepared for may lead to a skills mismatch, feelings of impostor syndrome, and burnout very early on in our journey. Because while we can commit theory to memory and shadow our supervisors, trial by fire trumps them all. Elizabeth graduated from the management program of her dreams, but sometimes has this hunch that she’s not living up to her full potential. “I do think I welcome all challenges as they come along, but there are days when I can’t help but feel, ‘I’m just a girl!’ What am I doing making these decisions?”
The best way to discern whether we deserve the position we have in mind, according to Mallari, is to assess our personal readiness alongside the business’ needs. “To temper your ambitions, look at the things you can learn from your role and projects,” she advises. If we’re constantly bored and unchallenged, we may find ourselves filing a 30-day notice. But sometimes, “things happen naturally once we’ve learned everything we need.” If we feel like we’ve grown but remain deprived of the chance to prove ourselves, that’s our sign to take our talents elsewhere.
Quite a paradoxical reminder to send to the generation that has often been maligned for doing the bare minimum, or who explicitly expressed a desire to be defined outside of the 9-to-5. However, these facts can coexist. We might want something bigger for ourselves outside of the standard day job, but still realize that we exist within a system, and those who know how to game it emerge on top.
Generations by Angel Martinez appears weekly at PhilSTAR L!fe.
