As Gen Zers hunt for jobs, what to know about the interview process

Arin Lee, 21, a senior at Stony Brook University, said she usually gets "pretty nervous before interviews, especially if they are in person." 

Lee, who is double majoring in business management and psychology and interning at Stony Brook’s career center, hopes to land a job in human resources after she graduates in the spring.

"It’s kind of nerve-wracking for corporate or formal interviews," Lee said. "You need to know what to wear and really focus on that impression."

Lee is among Gen Zers, which encompasses those born between 1997 and 2012, or those between ages 13 through 28, who are entering an entry-level job market shrunken by employers' widespread adoption of artificial intelligence and economic uncertainty.

Earlier this year, Bank of America reported that 13% of all unemployed Americans were "newer entrants" to the job market, a category heavily skewed toward Gen Z. At the same time, the number of new entry-level jobs has fallen by 35% from January 2023 to this year, according to research by Revelio Labs, an aggregator of online job ads.

To land a job in today’s highly competitive, evolving job market, local recruiters and employers say Gen Z job hunters must understand the etiquette of interviews and strive to make a positive impression.

Here are eight things Gen Z needs to know about navigating the job interview process.

How should Gen Z candidates prepare for an interview?

Long Island job placement professionals said interviewing rules for all job seekers also applies to Gen Z.

They should research an employer before an interview. And, during an interview, they can bring up projects related to the company. That knowledge can make them more attractive to employers, experts said.

"They should be looking up the company, having an idea of what they do, what they’re looking for in a candidate," said Joely Leidner, managing partner at Jobs By Joely, a Melville-based recruitment firm.

What should job seekers do during the interview?

It’s important for younger job seekers to highlight information about themselves that is not on their resume or LinkedIn profile, particularly if they don't have a lot of job experience, said Lisa Chung, head of talent recruitment at Canon USA in Melville.

Applicants also should make sure they ask questions about company culture and demonstrate how they would be a good fit, Chung said.

What if I don't have enough experience for the job?

Local recruiters said Gen Z candidates should not worry about lacking experience.

"They should understand that the company knows that they are a younger, more inexperienced person and the company knows they have to put in effort to train this person," Leidner said. 

What should you avoid talking about during an interview?

While younger job seekers may want to dive into details, they should stay on task and not ramble.

"Don’t over-talk in an interview," Leidner said. "Answer the questions, be personable, but don’t go on tangents."

Additionally, discussing negative experiences with previous employers can send the wrong message, said Kaitlin Apel, labor specialist and youth counselor with Suffolk County’s One Stop Employment Center in Hauppauge.

“If, for whatever reason, you had a poor experience at a previous workplace, I would not dive into it," Apel said.

How should job candidates present themselves?

Gen Z candidates, like all job seekers, should dress professionally, though what is considered professional may be different to today's 20-somethings, experts said.

"Go for a clean and well-maintained [look]," Apel said. 

"You don’t necessarily have to wear a full suit anymore, as we’ve come away from that, but it makes an impression," Apel said. Ultimately, she said, professional dress isn't about wearing a suit but about "looking clean and presentable."

Should an applicant have piercings or tattoos?

Standards on colorful hair or tattoos have changed over time, said David Kilmnick, president of the LGBT Network, a local resource organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and gender-nonconforming Long Islanders.

"What was once defined narrowly as suits, conservative hair, no visible tattoos ... has expanded to recognizing individuality and inclusion," Kilmnick said.

Still, candidates need to know their audience and "balance expression with context," he said.

What about video interviews?

Employers say job seekers should treat video interviews just as seriously as the in-person kind.

That means testing your camera and internet connection and finding a quiet place without a distracting background before the interview, Chung said.

Additionally, candidates should dress as they would for an in-person interview even if they are at home, she said.

"You have to dress appropriately, and that doesn’t mean just dressing above the waist," Chung said.

Should your bring up salary and benefits?

Job seekers should not be the first to bring up salary or benefits as it can reduce the leverage a potential candidate has in salary negotiations, experts said.

“Going about negotiations is a really difficult thing to wrap my head around,” said Lee, adding she finds the prospect of negotiating during an interview to be stressful.

Leidner said young applicants should know that if they are in the running for a job, an employer will "want to make you happy with the salary offering," Leidner said.

"You don’t get to negotiations if you bring [salary] up right in the beginning," Leidner said.