They’re here! Generation Z, the iGeneration, Post-Millennials, Centennials, or Zees, are just a few of the names of the new generation that have entered Indiana University this year. Gen Z consumers range from ages 2 to 19. It is possible that many reading this post have Gen Zers under your roof currently. For those of you who do, do you learn from them often? There is a big reverse mentorship opportunity to engage with this generation.
Gen Z is our bright future and, wow, do they have a lot to offer! They are driven, motivated to excel, and beyond tech savvy. Most recently I attended the Career Development Professionals of Indiana Spring Conference held on April 22 in Marion, Indiana to learn how to engage Generation Z with new careers.
Ryan Jenkins, Millennial and Generation Z keynote speaker, gave our audience made up of career development professional’s fresh perspective and insight into the Zees. My takeaways are based on the perspective of engaging our future alumni. We must start now getting to know this group and the messaging that will engage them in alumni programs and services.
Ryan described Gen Z as a mobile, boundary-less and video-centric generation. Currently, the Career and Professional Development team distributes short bursts of information via video in our steadily expanding YouTube series called Career ProTips. The short recordings showcase a wonderfully diverse range of alumni who share brief insights and tips to help others succeed.
You have the power to create similar content or disseminate important information to your audience via social media. Try it out! You can record a video using your phone. For the best quality, shoot outdoors, but out of direct sunlight. The colors will pop and the video will be the best you’ll ever get from your phone. (Read the Make Great Videos with Your Phone article by Gretchen Siegchrist.)
Ryan also stated that Gen Z is made up of self-starts, self-learners, and self-motivators that will forever change the world of work. Are you ready for this powerful group in your chapter, company, or organization? One indication of this is that LinkedIn just lowered the minimum age to join the platform to 14 years old for the United States. Why? Because high school students have started looking for internship opportunities and ways to connect to professionals already while they are in high school.
Be ready to embrace this motivated group. Provide opportunities for them to get involved professionally and socially. Keep in mind that this generation is looking to make a difference starting now. Start to think about how you can engage future alumni in the great work you are doing serving and advocating for the Indiana University Alumni Association!
Learn more about IUAA Career and Professional Development. Learn more about Ryan Jenkins, internationally recognized Millennial and Generation Z keynote speaker, author, and Inc.com columnist.