High-Achieving Students of Generation Z to Seek Careers in Healthcare and STEM

ATLANTA, July 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Generation Z's highest-achieving students expect to build careers in healthcare and STEM fields, and they plan to do it with advanced degrees and international studies. With a whopping 76 percent reporting plans to attend graduate school, these students are preparing for a workplace that requires specialized skills and education.  

Those are among the key findings of the National Society of High School Scholars' 2017 Career Interest Survey, an annual report that focuses for the first time this year on Generation Z (children born in the early 2000s and later). The survey, conducted in partnership with Hanover Research, examines the educational, civic and professional interests of NSHSS member respondents, most of whom are high-achieving high school students.  

Big Career Goals

Medicine and health fields are popular, with 41 percent of respondents reporting that they expect to someday work in those areas. More than half of respondents – 54 percent – said that they see themselves pursuing career paths somewhere in science, technology or engineering.

"Our survey sets the tone for what to expect from Generation Z teens, who are just a few years away from entering the workforce," says James W. Lewis, president of NSHSS. "These digital natives came of age in a time of political and economic turmoil, but the education and career plans they're making show how much they want to help others, learn new things and explore the world around them."

NSHSS is a distinguished honors society for outstanding students that offers member-exclusive scholarships, college admissions counseling and advanced networking opportunities. With many of its members thinking about college, the NSHSS also surveyed them on their education goals.

Plans for College and Beyond

Seventy-seven percent of respondents said they plan to pursue internship experience during college. Almost two-thirds of students said they're interested in international experiences like study abroad trips during their college careers, which speaks to the globalized, hyper-connected world they grew up in.

"Generation Z students recognize that they'll need to be comfortable with the world around them," Lewis says. "As they look toward the next few years, it's clear they already understand what it will take to be successful in their eventual careers."

Focus on Workplace Fairness

But they're thinking about more than what they can offer employers –  Gen Z students expect certain benefits from employers as well. That doesn't necessarily mean generous vacation policies and open office layouts, though.

Eighty-one percent of respondents said it's very important they work for a company that treats its workers fairly, while 71 percent said they prioritize learning the skills needed for advancement. Fairness for all employees, regardless of ethnicity or gender, is increasing in importance across the NSHSS' annual surveys and surpasses financial concerns like salaries and bonuses.

While human resources departments might assume younger people want to get job information across social media channels, the NSHSS respondents said that isn't usually the case. Over three-quarters of the Gen Z students surveyed said they are most likely to find and pursue jobs via organizations' own websites first.

To read the complete 2017 survey and learn more about the NSHSS, visit the NSHSS website.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL SOCIETY OF HIGH SCHOOL SCHOLARS

Formed in 2002 by James W. Lewis and Claes Nobel, senior member of the family that established the Nobel Prizes, The National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS) is a distinguished honors society that recognizes academic excellence at the high school level and helps to advance the goals and aspirations of high-achieving teenagers through unique learning experiences, scholarships, internships, international study and peer networks. NSHSS members become lifetime members. At each step along the way – from high school to college to career – NSHSS connects outstanding young scholars with the resources they need to develop their strengths and pursue their passions. Currently, there are more than 1,300,000 Society members in 160 countries. To help us further efforts that provide students with continued opportunities, please acknowledge NSHSS in any press release mentions by providing a resource link to www.nshss.org. For more information about NSHSS visit www.nshss.org.  

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SOURCE National Society of High School Scholars