(NewsNation) — Gen Z is known as the first generation to be truly digitally native, meaning they were the first to be born when the internet was already widespread and the first to grow up with access to modern-day technology.
However, new polling shows that despite digital advancement, Zoomers feel underprepared to enter a constantly modernizing job market.
The study revealed that nearly 40% of Zoomers believe their school education has left them without the necessary technical skills to kickstart their careers.
The numbers from the Dell Technologies’ international survey showed more than half of Zoomers felt they had basic to no digital skills and 44% said they only learned basic computing skills in school.
Now, some are questioning how the generation that has lived their entire lives online is not prepared for an increasingly digital workforce.
Tessa White, founder of the Job Doctor Company and host of the Job Doctor podcast, explained that the reason Zoomers are feeling underprepared is because technology is constantly, rapidly changing — it’s not just emails and instant messaging anymore.
White said that there are so many new applications and tools available that managing data, storing data and even getting data out of a system to be able to share can be difficult.
While Zoomers know technology and how to do things quickly, they don’t necessarily know how to use advanced tech tools, or really spend time learning how to use the tools.
“When they grew up in a digital market, they grew up communicating via text in really short spurts. Technology is not something you learn via text, you have to learn it by training, and you have to learn it by being in the tool. And I think that that is difficult for that attention span for Gen Z,” White said.
“I think Gen Z is struggling with the workforce in general, I don’t think it’s just about not having the tools and resources. I just think they’re ill-prepared on a lot of fronts with how business works,” White continued.
She recommended that Zoomers learn three skills: how to use project management tools with a remote workforce, how to use digital marketing beyond social media and how to properly analyze and use data.
It’s important to invest time in order to really be up to speed on evolving technology, she said.
Zoomers also have a real problem with how to deal with workplace conflict, where they’d rather leave a company than actually address the conflict, White said.