Young Aussies say they are struggling to find jobs

A young Aussie has revealed the “hard” work reality that Gen Zers are facing, leaving the younger generation panicking about their futures.

Young Aussies are fed up with not being able to find jobs in what should be an employee’s market.

The unemployment rate in Australia is currently sitting at 3.9 per cent, but Gen Zers say they are still struggling to find the jobs they want, and they’ve had enough.

Investing platform eToro recently did a survey that found only 18 per cent of Gen Zers felt strongly positive about their employability.

Creator Keely Pejovic has amassed over a million likes on TikTok by sharing her life and she recently revealed that she’d been trying for months to find employment with nothing to show for it.

“It is so hard to find a job, I’ve been searching for months,” she explained.

She said she was now feeling “stressed” and worried she wouldn’t be able to find a job at all.

She's fed-up! Picture: TikTok/Keely Pejovic

She vented in her car about the issue. Picture: TikTok/Keely Pejovic

Ms Pejovic filmed herself venting in her car and said that she was looking for a job in the fashion industry, and it wasn’t going well.

“I swear jobs in the fashion industry don’t exist,” she complained.

The young Aussie elaborated and said she was looking for a fashion assistant job but only saw jobs requiring more experience.

“Babe, I can’t be a lead designer unless I’m an assistant designer first,” she argued.

The pressure of not being able to find a fashion job was clearly mounting because Ms Pejovic was screaming in her car about the issue.

“Can someone tell me why it is so hard?” she demanded.

She also added that she needed to figure out what she was supposed to do if she couldn’t secure employment in the field of her choice.

Some people in the comments suggested that she should do other jobs like work in retail or get a job stacking shelves at a supermarket.

Ms Pejovic said she’s already worked in retail and customer service jobs and was ready to pursue her dream career.

“I’ve worked in customer service, and now I’m in retail. However, as I now have a degree, I’d like to move forward in my career,” she wrote.

She shared she's ‘stressed’ she can't find a job. Picture: Instagram/Keely Pejovic

She's opened up how finding work is hard. Picture: Instagram/Keely Pejovic

Ms Pejovic isn’t alone in her struggle to find a job. Recently, an anonymous social media user took to Reddit to seek career advice on behalf of their New Zealander girlfriend, 23, who has been struggling for months to find employment in Brisbane.

He said she’d been searching for a job for over three months and had an excellent CV but had zero luck.

“She has a very impressive CV, multiple people have told us and are equally as shocked as we are that no one even gives her an interview,” he wrote.

Young people are finding it hard to get jobs. Picture: iStock

The post creator also said that if she could not secure employment soon, she’d be forced to go home and couldn’t afford to stay in Australia.

People in the comment section were quick to offer advice and recommended things like going through an employment agency or making sure you write tailored cover letters for every job.

The post also revealed that plenty of other young people were also struggling to find jobs and were worried that the market has changed.

One person said they couldn’t offer any advice because their partner had been “looking” for a job since August 2023. Another wrote they were in the same “boat” were are now worried all the good jobs were drying up.

Someone else shared they were “struggling” to secure a job in their industry after taking a break and said they were surprised because they were “swimming” in employment opportunities just last year.

One claimed the job market was “drying” up in Australia and said there’s been a complete “flip” in work opportunities.

They said now they were worried about how they were going to make money in the future and described the job market as “nuts.”

Young Aussies are sharing they can’t find jobs. Picture: iStock

Liam D’Ortenzio, head of people and culture at Employment Hero, said that Generation Z aren’t having trouble landing jobs because their expectations are too high but rather they are trying to establish their careers in hard times.

“It’s unfair to say that the expectations of Gen Z are too high. Instead, their expectations are in response to an economic backdrop of rising housing costs and high inflation,” he told news.com.au.

Mr D’Ortenzio said that if young people are finding it hard to nab a job, there are also a few steps they can take to improve their chances.

“Networking is vital, as many job opportunities are not advertised. Using social media professionally to make connections can also be beneficial. It’s also recommended to demonstrate flexibility and a willingness to learn,” he advised.

Mr D’Ortenzio also stressed that young job seekers need to be clear in what value they can

can bring to a company.

“Young job seekers should also convey their adaptability and openness to taking on new roles or changing industries, which can make them more attractive to potential employers,” he said.

Originally published as Young Aussies say they are struggling to find jobs