Марія Бровінська Work 12 January 2025, 10:20

"A full-time job for $37,500 a year? You're dreaming." What is career catfishing, or how buzzers test employers for strength

Generation Z is making headlines in the corporate world with unique workplace habits and unconventional trends.

Generation Z’s entry into the corporate workforce has been marked by unique behaviors—from «annoying» workplace habits to parents accompanying them to job interviews—and now the youngest members of the workforce are making waves in a new trend called «career fishing.»

According to a report by CVGenius, an online resume platform, this phenomenon is where Gen Z workers accept job offers but then don’t show up on their first day without informing their employers. The report highlights that this is a growing act of defiance among workers under the age of 27.

Work-life balance

«Our survey found that Generation Z workers, in particular, reported that they choose creative ways to put themselves first before work,» explained British researchers, who surveyed 1,000 workers across age groups.

34% of Gen Z employees admitted to skipping their first day of work without telling their employer, viewing it as an assertion of their independence. This behavior is a response to the frustration of the job search, which is often associated with long searches, multiple interviews, and delays from hiring managers. Through career fishing, Gen Z employees seek to shift the balance of power in their favor.

However, this trend is not unique to Generation Z.

Millennials aged 28 to 43 are also taking part, with 24% admitting to using the tactic, while only 11% of Gen Xers (aged 44-59) and 7% of Baby Boomers (aged 60 and older) have adopted the tactic.

Personal goals first

For Generation Z, personal goals and well-being seem to be taking precedence over the traditional demands of corporate life. This mindset aligns with other workplace trends such as “ quiet quitting ” — performing minimal duties at work — and «coffee badgering,» where employees show up to the workplace only to have a coffee and swipe a badge before starting to work remotely.

Alice Raskin, a 20-year-old job seeker, recently made headlines on TikTok for turning down a job offer that paid $37,500 a year. In her video, which has been viewed more than 234,000 times, the Australian asked how she could survive on that salary during a global inflation crisis.

«What bills am I paying?» she asked. «A full-time job for $37,500 a year? You’re dreaming.»

Such defiance underscores a generational shift, with younger workers refusing to accept positions or salaries that don’t meet their expectations, even if it means remaining unemployed until the right opportunity arises.

A new trend is gaining momentum on TikTok: quiet quitting. What is quiet quitting, why does it happen, and why do buzzers not want to give their all at work?

Buzzers have invented walking without phones — the new trend is called "silent walking"