In the last five years, TikTok has expanded to become a leading platform for social conversation, comedic content, influencer advice, and lifestyle stories – especially among Generation Z (Gen Z). With the platform’s growth, career-specific TikTokers have emerged, creating trends and promoting advice from “lazy girl jobs” to “act your wage.”
Our October survey indicated half of Gen Zers and millennials are getting career advice on TikTok, and 21% of Gen Zers have made career decisions based on TikTok advice.
To get a better understanding of the career-related decisions Gen Z makes based on information obtained on TikTok, in March, we surveyed 1,000 U.S. adult Gen Z TikTok users who have held a job.
Key findings:
- 70% of Gen Zers encounter career advice on TikTok weekly
- Nearly 1 in 10 say they trust TikTok more than parents, colleagues for career advice
- 41% have made a career-related decision based on TikTok advice
- 1 in 10 quit their job based on advice from the platform
- 15% received a job offer for an opportunity they found on TikTok
- 4 in 5 Gen Zers have used TikTok to network
Nearly 1 in 10 Gen Zers Trust TikTok Career Advice Over Other Sources
Career advice on TikTok was found to be highly prevalent. Of Gen Zers, 70% who use the app say they encounter career advice daily (32%) or weekly (38%), while 11% say they do monthly. Only 8% say they never encounter career advice on TikTok.
Seven percent of Gen Z TikTok users say they trust TikTok for career advice over family, friends, bosses, and coworkers.
The amount that Gen Z trusts the career advice they find on the platform varies. Eight percent say they are extremely trusting, while 16% say they are very trusting, and 55% say they are somewhat trusting. Conversely, 18% say they are not very trusting, and 3% say they aren’t trusting at all.
“TikTok provides quick and easy-to-follow advice that can be implemented immediately in many cases,” says Resume Builder’s resume and career strategist Julia Toothacre.
“While I think you can get great advice on TikTok, you also need to vet who you’re getting the advice from. Check LinkedIn and do a general web search for people you’re taking advice from before you act. There are a lot of people giving BAD advice on TikTok.”
4 in 10 Gen Zers Have Made Career-Related Decisions Based on TikTok Advice
Overall, 41% of respondents say they have made a career-related decision based on TikTok advice.
These decisions include:
- Pursuing a side hustle (35%)
- Advocating for self in the workplace (22%)
- Putting in less effort (13%)
- Quitting their job (10%)
Thirty-eight percent say these career decisions made based on TikTok advice have had a very positive effect on their life, and 48% said it had a somewhat positive effect on their life. Meanwhile, 13% say the decisions had no impact, and 1% say the decisions have had a negative impact. Below, we go into more detail regarding these decisions.
35% decided to pursue a side hustle
Of those who chose to pursue a side hustle, 34% completed freelance work, 28% became a social media influencer, 25% began drop-shipping, 24% engaged in gig work, 24% pursued affiliate marketing, 20% started an Etsy shop, 20% pet or babysat, 12% tutored, and 11% picked up another full-time job.
22% chose to advocate for themselves in the workplace
Among those who advocated for themselves at work, 47% were inspired by TikTok to ask for a raise or increased benefits, 40% asked for greater boundaries with their boss, 35% expressed concerns with HR, 32% asked to work remotely, 29% asked for a promotion, and 26% requested more time off.
“The only downside to advocating for yourself is if it’s unreasonable. Many of us never advocated for ourselves in the workplace, and it created a lot of stress, burnout, and anxiety for older generations. This generation doesn’t want to be treated poorly, and I think it’s a good thing. Could you get fired? Sure, but do you really want to work somewhere that doesn’t treat you well?” Toothacre adds.
10% decided to quit their job
Of those who decided to quit their job based on TikTok advice, approximately 52% did so because they learned they could turn a side hustle into a full-time job. Additional reasons included 51% learning they should follow their career dreams/passion, 48% learning they deserve better compensation, 43% learning about pursuing alternative lifestyles (i.e., traveling the world, van life), and 40% learning it’s better to work fewer hours and less hard.
13% elected to put in less effort
In the group that decided to work less hard, 63% only worked as hard as their salary warranted, 44% refused to work outside hours, 38% reduced quality of work, 34% worked less total hours, 28% turned down projects, and 24% opted out of meetings.
“This doesn’t surprise me at all,” says Toothacre. “There is an ‘act your wage’ movement on TikTok that advises professionals to work the equivalent of their wage and nothing more.
“This generation isn’t killing themselves for their jobs the way other generations did, and their mental health and quality of life show that. If a company can’t pay a livable wage, an employee isn’t going to go above and beyond for you anymore.
“Be cautious about how little you decide to work because if an employer sees that you’re not putting any effort into your role, you could be fired or first out during a layoff, depending on how the layoff is structured.”
4 in 5 Consistently Encounter Job Opportunities on the Platform
Among Gen Z TikTok users, 85% say they have encountered job listings at some point; 32% say weekly,18% daily,16% monthly,10% every few months, and 9% a few times per year or less.
Of those who’ve encountered a job listing, 30% say they have applied to a job found on TikTok, and of those, 60% say they received an offer.
4 in 5 Have Used the Platform To Network
Networking on TikTok was found to be highly common among Gen Z. Overall, 80% of Gen Zers say they have used TikTok for networking.
Of those, 59% networked through TikTok comments, 45% through direct messaging, 31% connected with creators through collaborations (e.g., stitches or duets), and 18% attended an event found on TikTok.
“One huge benefit of TikTok is the ability to connect with people. It’s a great place to learn about and explore different career options. However, one word of caution. Always check out potential connections on other platforms before you engage with them in any meaningful way,” says Toothacre.
Methodology
This survey was commissioned by ResumeBuilder.com and conducted online by the survey platform Pollfish. It was launched on March 7, 2024. Overall 1,000 respondents completed the full survey.
To qualify for the survey all participants had to be aged 18 to 26 as well as answer that they use TikTok and have held a job in the last five years.
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