Social Pressure Accompanies Gen Z Who Has Difficulty Getting a Job

Society thinks that graduates must immediately work and be established. This adds to the pressure on young job seekers.

KOMPAS/FAKHRI FADLURROHMAN

Two job seekers scan the QRIS of companies opening job vacancies at the Smesco Exhibition Hall Building, Jakarta, Wednesday (21/2/2024).

In the ideal imagination of some people, people who have completed higher education should work quickly to build a stable life. However, generation Z has difficulty finding work in the formal sector. The intricacies of looking for a job become more difficult with social pressure from people around you.

Management graduate Dani (23) decided to stay in Yogyakarta after graduating from one of the city's universities in March 2024. He is looking for work in Yogyakarta while running a small temporary tattoo business with his partner. Despite the small scale, this business is Dani's source of income to survive while looking for a job in the formal sector.

He is financing his own life after graduating from college. If there truly is no money, only then does he ask his parents, who live in Medan, North Sumatra. According to him, living with self-funded expenses without a steady job is challenging. However, going home to his parents' house is not a solution.

I can send two to three applications a day, but only get called once. It's difficult.

"There is no thought of returning (to Medan). We have an ideology that if you have migrated, that's it, there's no need to go back until you're successful. We have to find our own way. Parents also said, 'You are already a graduate, you have to be able to find your own life. You've been sent to S-1 school, use that,'" said Dani from Yogyakarta, Tuesday (21/5/2024).

Dani is determined not to go home until he finds a job that will allow him to build a stable life. He has applied for jobs at 10 companies in the last three months. However, only one of his applications passed the administrative selection. He still has to undergo psychological tests and interviews.

KOMPAS/PRIYOMBODO

Job seekers prepare their job application documents at the Mega Career Expo Jakarta in the Senayan Multipurpose Building, Jakarta, on Friday (May 17th, 2024). Job fairs like this provide hope for job seekers.

According to him, finding a job in the current era is not easy. He wants to work in the human resources field, which he studied in college, but job vacancies in that field are mostly intended for psychology majors.

Ichlasul Amal (23) is similar to Dani. He has sent job applications countless times, but he never keeps track of the exact number. He graduated from the Accounting Study Program at the Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Muhammadiyah Malang (UMM) in December 2023.

Also read: Gen Z's Ups and Downs in the Job Market

"I can send two to three job applications a day, but I've only been called once. It's really difficult," said Icas, as he is called, in Jakarta on Tuesday (May 21, 2023). He is part of the Generation Z that is struggling to scour job vacancies.

Regarding achievements, he is not lacking in anything. His cumulative grade point average (GPA) is 3.58 with an equally outstanding track record of organizational experience. Icas is active as a senate administrator and in the Muhammadiyah Student Association. He has also received multiple scholarships, ranging from state-owned enterprises to government ministries.

Icas's knowledge was no less powerful by attending tax training on campus for six months at the end of his studies. "I looked at various references for making a CV (curriculum vitae). "Prepare application files and then send them via the internet," he said.

Residents of Bima, West Nusa Tenggara, have tried applications such as Jobstreet, LinkedIn and Instagram. However, the results were still nil. The main obstacle that is difficult for Icas to overcome is that most companies ask that applicants have at least one year of work experience, or even more.

Ironically, jokes about insiders being prioritized for job opportunities also affect Icas. These jokes have often circulated on social media, suggesting that those who have achieved great success will be defeated by the nephews of managers, directors, or company owners.

KOMPAS/PRIYOMBODO

Job seekers search for job vacancy information at the Mega Career Expo Jakarta held at the Senayan Multipurpose Building in Jakarta on Friday (May 17, 2024). The exhibition was attended by around 35 companies offering thousands of job vacancies for high school graduates to bachelor's degree holders.

”I've chattedwith several friends. "Most of them were accepted because of close relatives who have been working for a long time," he said. He fills his time by helping his family who sell basic food ingredients in Palmerah, Jakarta. Icas transports the goods and stores them in the pickup.

Shrink

The number of formal jobs is indeed shrinking. According to the Kompas Daily Data Journalism Team, job creation in the formal sector has decreased over the last 15 years. This was obtained from data from the Central Statistics Agency's National Labor Force Survey (Sakernas) in February 2009, 2014, 2019 and 2024.

In the 2009-2014 period, employment in the formal sector absorbed 15.6 million people. This figure decreased to 8.5 million people in the 2014-2019 period, then fell to 2 million people in the 2019-2024 period. This shows that opportunities to enter formal work in Indonesia are increasingly difficult to access, including for new graduates (Kompas, 20/5/2024).

Dani had tried other jobs before graduating from college, such as working as a barista in 2022. However, his family looked down on that job. His temporary tattoo business, which he started in 2023, was also viewed as not a real job. There is a belief that working in a company is "a real job".

Unfortunately, Dani has not been lucky enough to penetrate the formal job market. Social pressure, coupled with various job rejections, made him briefly pessimistic and lacking in confidence. Although this has caused him stress, he does not want to be overwhelmed by pressure. In addition to meditating to stay calm, he also improves his English and Japanese language skills by watching various educational videos on social media.

Previously, I didn't understand supply chain and only knew theory, but at the shop I understood. I also know about building relationships, marketing, etc.

Similar social pressure is also experienced by Dion (23), a graduate of accounting and twin brother of Dani. Dion, who graduated in September 2023, still does not have a formal job. Job applications to various companies have been rejected.

He, who now lives independently in Yogyakarta, is struggling to survive. The money in his pocket is turned into capital to sell food in a small shop. He targets his shop to be able to work on autopilot four months from now. After that, he will focus on finding formal sector jobs again.

KOMPAS/FAKHRI FADLURROHMAN

A job seeker looks at a number of job vacancy posters at a Job Fair event at Tama Jagakarsa University, South Jakarta, on Thursday (25/4/2024).

"What you learn on campus actually makes more sense in the shop. Previously I didn't understand supply chain and only knew theory, but at the shop I understood. I also know about building relationships, marketing, and so on. "Hopefully this can influence my CV when I want to work again," said Dion.

Although his small shop has become a field for knowledge and income, Dion still cannot escape social pressure. His immediate family urged him to find a "real" job. Meanwhile, indirect criticism from his extended family made him annoyed.

Also read: Additional Work Becomes a Lifeboat for Workers

"There are extended families who raise their children and then compare them. It's common in the village, but they're not that important. What's important are my parents. So, it's okay," said Dion.

Diana Ratih (23) is also deeply frustrated because it is so difficult to get a job. She has sent around 30 job applications, but has yet to see any results. As a graduate of the Development Economics Study Program in the Faculty of Economics and Business at UMM, she completed her studies in December 2023.

KOMPAS/AGUS SUSANTO

Job seekers lined up to enter the job fair exhibition at Grand Mall Bekasi, Bekasi City, West Java, on Monday (4/3/2024). Around 8,000 applicants competed for job vacancies provided by 35 national companies. A total of 123 positions and 1,953 job openings were available at the "Job Fair Kota Bekasi."

A high GPA of 3.52 does not guarantee Diana a smooth entrance into the coveted office she desires. Most companies have raised the minimum requirement for applicants to at least have a bachelor's degree compared to years before where a diploma or even a high school education would suffice. As a result, the number of bachelor's degree holders has already skyrocketed.

Competition is also very tight. The younger generation, including the workforce, of course, is increasing, so it takes more effort to become an employee. "The joke about qualified applicants being defeated by insiders seems to be true. It's just annoying," he said with a smile.

Apprenticeship

The difficulty in finding employment makes final semester students anxious. Some people end up trying to increase their job opportunities by participating in internship programs. For example, University of Indonesia student Divandra Chairunissa hopes that her internship experience can make her a priority candidate when applying for jobs.

If you're just angry, yes. I did some research and found out that the investment cycle is indeed down.

He once interned in the recruitment field. From this experience, he realized that interns have a greater chance of being accepted for work compared to those who did not intern. This is because an internship is an arena for students to practice their academic knowledge in the field. Internships also provide Divandra with basic knowledge about a certain job. He also becomes able to determine whether the job is suitable for his interests or not.

”Job opportunities for fresh graduates are currently difficult. Even though there are many management training programs, sometimes the qualifications are quite difficult. "For example, we have to graduate from a top 10 university," he said. "Currently, the qualifications also prioritize people who already have years of work experience. "Companies also limit the maximum age of candidates," he said, adding that he also had difficulty finding other internship vacancies.

KOMPAS/FAKHRI FADLURROHMAN

Job seekers scan the QRIS of companies that are opening job vacancies at the Smesco Exhibition Hall Building, Jakarta, Wednesday (21/2/2024).

Meanwhile, Icas confessed to feeling frustrated in facing difficulties in entering the workforce. There was also a hint of anger in Icas' mind, although not to the point of getting emotional. "If it's just anger, yes. I have researched and know that the investment cycle is currently declining," he said.

Icas sees it as not entirely accurate to blame the government, but they should still have a responsibility as policymakers. "The difficulty of finding a job is indeed caused by external factors, but the government must be ready to face it," he said.