Why ‘what do you do?’ is the wrong question to ask Gen Z

by Ryan Deluchi

Image by Dan Senior

‘What do you do?’  

It’s the classic opener for all occasions – from networking and dinner parties to first dates and orgies (if that’s your thing) – and the undisputed failsafe when it comes to one of the most unpleasant of duties we have bound ourselves to as modern social beings - small talk.

But when we ask ‘what do you do?’ what we actually mean is ‘what do you do for money?’.

And the answer to that question for many is becoming increasingly complex, with many of us taking on additional jobs or monetising our passion-projects.

The rise in side-hustles mid- and post-pandemic has been particularly pronounced amongst young people, with research suggesting that 31% of 16-24 year olds in the UK now have an additional job, compared to a fifth among the general population.

The reasons for this have been well documented, ranging from a desire for more job satisfaction and purpose through to the rather more fundamental motivation of making ends meet during tough economic times. 

With content creation, passive income and online businesses all offering viable sources of income for the digitally savvy, the answer to ‘how do Gen Z make money’ isn’t straight forward.

What’s more, a generation characterised by fluidity was always likely to rail against the notion that a profession could ever define them. Even if a job still makes up the lion’s share of one’s income, it doesn’t mean it paints a full picture of who we are or how we want to be perceived. To ask someone to define themselves purely by one facet of their lives is increasingly non sensical to a generation of young people with so many interesting facets from which to draw upon.

Why should ‘what we do’ only mean the things that make us money? What about the things that make us happy?  

The way this plays out in discourse is already changing. Ask anyone in the SELFHOOD Collective ‘what they do’ and you’re unlikely to get a quick answer. What was once a simple question requiring a simple response is now anything but – just ask our research team.

So what becomes of that question?

Well, at SELFHOOD, we’ve gone for a slightly different iteration when getting to know the members in our Next Gen collective:

“What sets your soul on fire?”

More of a mouthful? Yes. 

Likely to be greeted with a weird look at networking events? Also yes.

But next time you’re genuinely curious to hear what someone is all about (rather than just what their probable income is) then why not give it a go?

You may even find yourself beginning to enjoy small talk.