What’s the deal with Gen Z acting young

[Anonymous]

I’m not that much older than these recent grads (mid 30s) but it surprises me a lot how many of these kids don’t know how to carry themselves, professionally and personally. Which is a shame because many of these kids ones I work with in a client facing business role actually do good work.

It’s more so that they dress way too juvenile or trendy- like off the shoulder tops and ill fitting clothes that they spend all day messing with because they don’t fit properly, long nails with bright nail polish, play video games on their phones with giant headphones in at lunch, come into meetings with giant lattes filled with whipped cream, ect. The people at my level make side comments about it all the time but they aren’t breaking any rules or anything, they just look silly. And these are kids that make enough money to invest in quality work attire.

Just interested to see what’s changed in the 15 years since I started working, as starting out in a client facing industry, we were borderline obsessed with being professional and put together!

[Anonymous]

ok b'mer

[Anonymous]

I’ve observed among a few (not all of them) that they they think showing up for a few hours in the office producing mediocre work a few days a week warrants a promotion.

But def not all. Some are great. It varies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m not that much older than these recent grads (mid 30s) but it surprises me a lot how many of these kids don’t know how to carry themselves, professionally and personally. Which is a shame because many of these kids ones I work with in a client facing business role actually do good work.

It’s more so that they dress way too juvenile or trendy- like off the shoulder tops and ill fitting clothes that they spend all day messing with because they don’t fit properly, long nails with bright nail polish, play video games on their phones with giant headphones in at lunch, come into meetings with giant lattes filled with whipped cream, ect. The people at my level make side comments about it all the time but they aren’t breaking any rules or anything, they just look silly. And these are kids that make enough money to invest in quality work attire.

Just interested to see what’s changed in the 15 years since I started working, as starting out in a client facing industry, we were borderline obsessed with being professional and put together!

Meh. It's nothing new. In the 1990s when I just turned 30, I had to deal with kids just entering the workforce who had similar issues.

The clothing thing likely just money. They've entered the workforce and still have the clothing they wore in college. It's not much more than that. I had to explain to many millennials what the office dress code was.

Why shouldn't they play video games and wear headphones at lunch? What is it that you think they should be doing ... at lunch? What a weird thing for you to complain about?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m not that much older than these recent grads (mid 30s) but it surprises me a lot how many of these kids don’t know how to carry themselves, professionally and personally. Which is a shame because many of these kids ones I work with in a client facing business role actually do good work.

It’s more so that they dress way too juvenile or trendy- like off the shoulder tops and ill fitting clothes that they spend all day messing with because they don’t fit properly, long nails with bright nail polish, play video games on their phones with giant headphones in at lunch, come into meetings with giant lattes filled with whipped cream, ect. The people at my level make side comments about it all the time but they aren’t breaking any rules or anything, they just look silly. And these are kids that make enough money to invest in quality work attire.

Just interested to see what’s changed in the 15 years since I started working, as starting out in a client facing industry, we were borderline obsessed with being professional and put together!

This is such an odd thing to notice.

[Anonymous]

There was a version of this that Gen Xers felt when you and your peers entered the workforce, too. And likewise that Boomers felt when Gen X entered the workforce. A tale as old as time

But, also there were some signficant changes between Millenials and Gen Z - the complete and total attachment to one’s phone, for example (I’m guessing you didn’t grow up comsuming all media through your phone - it probably hit about middle school for you). And most of Gen Z had critical socialization years impacted by covid and its aftereffects.

Regardless, you were in those shoes once whether you remember/realized it or not, so stop being so critical and start being a good mentor.

[Anonymous]

Congratulations! You're now the old person at the job. You can commiserate with the boomers about kids these days.

[Anonymous]

This is just a symptom of extended adolescence brought on by being childless. I have a 40 year old SIL who looks and acts exactly like that. My kids friend has a mom in her 20s who doesn’t act like that at all and I actually had no idea how young she was.

[Anonymous]

It's a bitter pill to swallow to have to join the olds they've been blaming for their problems. Reality is hitting them hard and they don't want to grow up and admit they are just cogs in the wheel and the next gen is nipping at their heels.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m not that much older than these recent grads (mid 30s) but it surprises me a lot how many of these kids don’t know how to carry themselves, professionally and personally. Which is a shame because many of these kids ones I work with in a client facing business role actually do good work.

It’s more so that they dress way too juvenile or trendy- like off the shoulder tops and ill fitting clothes that they spend all day messing with because they don’t fit properly, long nails with bright nail polish, play video games on their phones with giant headphones in at lunch, come into meetings with giant lattes filled with whipped cream, ect. The people at my level make side comments about it all the time but they aren’t breaking any rules or anything, they just look silly. And these are kids that make enough money to invest in quality work attire.

Just interested to see what’s changed in the 15 years since I started working, as starting out in a client facing industry, we were borderline obsessed with being professional and put together!

They are getting their office fashion advice off tik tok plus they are trying to repurpose their college clothes.

[Anonymous]

Every millennial I know wears giant headphones, partly because of all the noise in our office floor plan.

[Anonymous]

I’m older—late 40s— and I look at around at the state of the world, the economy, and corporate culture in general, and I just don’t think that precious generations wearing “appropriate” business cazh really got us anywhere. If anything, these uniforms just mask a lot of incompetence underneath. I think the younger people today see through the BS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m not that much older than these recent grads (mid 30s) but it surprises me a lot how many of these kids don’t know how to carry themselves, professionally and personally. Which is a shame because many of these kids ones I work with in a client facing business role actually do good work.

It’s more so that they dress way too juvenile or trendy- like off the shoulder tops and ill fitting clothes that they spend all day messing with because they don’t fit properly, long nails with bright nail polish, play video games on their phones with giant headphones in at lunch, come into meetings with giant lattes filled with whipped cream, ect. The people at my level make side comments about it all the time but they aren’t breaking any rules or anything, they just look silly. And these are kids that make enough money to invest in quality work attire.

Just interested to see what’s changed in the 15 years since I started working, as starting out in a client facing industry, we were borderline obsessed with being professional and put together!

I am a gen-X mom of two gen-Z kids. There are several reasons for this -

- Family and upbringing. DH and I are UMC, well-educated (multiple degrees) and have lived in several countries. I always keep short clipped nails with neutral nail-polish, I do not wear fake eyelashes, I am always dressed modestly with understated jewelry, I wear smart but sensible shoes. DH is similarly dressed in subdued and professional color, patterns and attires. We are health and wallet conscious so junk food is something we avoid. We are around super successful UMC/rich professional people and we very much fit in and are understated.

Our kids see this and they are clued in how to present themselves appropriately. They were not the kids who wore stripper dresses for an honors college commencement or wore PJs to their college classroom taught by the professor who could recommend them for a plum internship. From school to college to internships and jobs - they have always dressed for the future job and role they want. We made it a priority.

- Ignorance. Most kids do not know that their attire is not acceptable to their superiors who are a different generation and have all the power. My kids have been taught to dress smart and professionally. They know that they should dress in the style of their professors, bosses and clients. So, inevitably they get picked up in the client facing roles because they are not an embarrassment. Couple that with being well prepared and well spoken - they will shine over others. My kids have been taught how to dress and behave to impress by us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not that much older than these recent grads (mid 30s) but it surprises me a lot how many of these kids don’t know how to carry themselves, professionally and personally. Which is a shame because many of these kids ones I work with in a client facing business role actually do good work.

It’s more so that they dress way too juvenile or trendy- like off the shoulder tops and ill fitting clothes that they spend all day messing with because they don’t fit properly, long nails with bright nail polish, play video games on their phones with giant headphones in at lunch, come into meetings with giant lattes filled with whipped cream, ect. The people at my level make side comments about it all the time but they aren’t breaking any rules or anything, they just look silly. And these are kids that make enough money to invest in quality work attire.

Just interested to see what’s changed in the 15 years since I started working, as starting out in a client facing industry, we were borderline obsessed with being professional and put together!

I am a gen-X mom of two gen-Z kids. There are several reasons for this -

- Family and upbringing. DH and I are UMC, well-educated (multiple degrees) and have lived in several countries. I always keep short clipped nails with neutral nail-polish, I do not wear fake eyelashes, I am always dressed modestly with understated jewelry, I wear smart but sensible shoes. DH is similarly dressed in subdued and professional color, patterns and attires. We are health and wallet conscious so junk food is something we avoid. We are around super successful UMC/rich professional people and we very much fit in and are understated.

Our kids see this and they are clued in how to present themselves appropriately. They were not the kids who wore stripper dresses for an honors college commencement or wore PJs to their college classroom taught by the professor who could recommend them for a plum internship. From school to college to internships and jobs - they have always dressed for the future job and role they want. We made it a priority.

- Ignorance. Most kids do not know that their attire is not acceptable to their superiors who are a different generation and have all the power. My kids have been taught to dress smart and professionally. They know that they should dress in the style of their professors, bosses and clients. So, inevitably they get picked up in the client facing roles because they are not an embarrassment. Couple that with being well prepared and well spoken - they will shine over others. My kids have been taught how to dress and behave to impress by us.

I’m also a UMC GenX mom of two GenZ kids and, respectfully, you all sound dull as hell.

[Anonymous]

I think a lot of this is parenting. I have a coworker with a Gen Z daughter and it is mind boggling the way she was raised. Second mortgage on the house to pay for her travel sport. Absolutely anything she wants is put on mom’s credit card and I’ve overheard so many arguments about her crazy spending. Of course she could never so much as babysit because every spare moment is spent on her sport. She calls the office from her college when her mom isn’t responding and demands to talk to her mother about things like “the dress you ordered me looks cheap and I need you to overnight me more dresses so I can try them on. I’m sending the links now and do it fast.” And to top it all off my coworker is insanely proud of this girl who we all can see is a terror. She puts up her photos all over the office and brags nonstop about her. I can only imagine how she’ll be in the workplace.