Gen Z Opting
for Careers in Finance over Tech, Health Care: Study
Finance
ranked fifth in 2021 among college students and recent graduates in
the CFA Institute’s survey, but shot up to No. 1 this year.
By Alex
Padalka | July 6, 2023
Generation Z, as more of its members enter and graduate college,
appears to be a pragmatic one — most want a good salary, it turns out,
and have zeroed in on the financial services industry as their
preferred choice, according to a recent survey.
Sixty-two percent say the most important factor in an employer is a
“good salary,” the CFA Institute said it found in a survey of
9,437 respondents aged 18 to 25 years old and who are studying for a
bachelor’s degree or higher, or who have graduated with a bachelor’s
degree or higher within the past three years.
And the most coveted profession is now in finance, with a quarter of
graduates identifying it as their top choice, according to the survey.
Finance has also replaced health care and medicine as the profession
with the best career prospects — after coming in fifth in 2021,
according to the survey.
Furthermore, finance and investment is seen by graduates as the most
“stable and attractive” sector, chosen by 24% of respondents, followed
by medicine, selected by 21%, and IT and telecoms, chosen by 20%, the
CFA Institute said it found.
Finance is also seen as the most appealing sector today versus before
starting college, selected by 25% of respondents, followed by sales,
media and marketing, selected by 19%, and IT and telecoms, sharing the
third spot with STEM, chosen by 19% of respondents each, the CFA
Institute found.
Careers in finance are also considered the most stable, followed by
those in STEM, according to the survey.
Meanwhile, finance and tech are seen as the most valuable degrees for
finding a career by Gen Z, according to the CFA Institute.
“Humanities and arts are bottom,” it added curtly.
Contact the reporter: apadalka@money-media.com
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A service from the Financial Times
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