AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--As students head back to school and college, new research has revealed that landing the right job is the most important goal for young people to achieve. The nationwide study, commissioned by leading job site Indeed.com, found that 77% of 18-30 year old Americans rate career or education-related aspirations higher than other life goals, such as owning a property (7%), starting a family (6%), or getting married (6%).
American Millennials see their 20s as critical years for career and life goals
Demonstrating their determined nature, 73% of young Americans would like to have secured their ideal job by the age of 30. An optimistic 70% of them think that this goal is realistic. For more than half, that career path leads straight to the top with 53% of them believing that they will land in a leadership role before or by the time they hit 30. Meanwhile, another 33% have a slightly more conservative goal of 40. Personal pressure is the core driver of this ambition as 44% of young Americans claim it as their main motivation.
The research also shows that today’s savvy young people have aligned other goals to be consistent with the 30 year old age cut-off, with over two-thirds (68%) aiming to be married by the same year. When polled on other important milestones, the results showed that Americans 18-30 years old prioritized having a job as the most important thing to achieve before starting a family or owning a home, reflecting an understanding that finding the right job can ultimately help them to achieve other life goals that tend to come with a heavier price tag.
Optimistic about the road ahead, Millennials believe they have more opportunity than their parents’ generation
Today’s young Americans have experienced an almost decade long recession, but despite this around three-fifths of young people are hopeful when it comes to their career expectations and prospects. ‘Excited’ was the word that over 30% of young Americans used to describe their job expectations for the future, indicative of the spirit of positivity and enthusiasm young Americans bring to the workforce.
Not only are they excited about the future, but young Americans believe themselves to be well on their way. 58% are satisfied with their current employment and believe it will put them on the career path they’ve always wanted. They also believe that they have better opportunities than previous generations as 48% claim to perceive more room for their own career progression than their parents had. This comes with a sense of preparation as 33% of young Americans state that their course study is directly related to their current profession.
“It’s great to see such a positive view of the future among today’s young people,” says Mary Ellen Dugan, Vice President Corporate Marketing, Indeed. “Not only are they ambitious but they are also hopeful. Finding the right job not only leads to a happy work life, but it has a ripple effect on the rest of your life so it’s important to find the right fit. The right job can help you on the path to achieve other goals and it’s great to see that today’s youth really understand that.”
About the research:
Indeed commissioned independent research with Redshift Research in August 2014. The results are based on a poll of 1000 18-30 year olds across the U.S.
For more information on the key findings, please contact: IndeedUSA@hotwirepr.com.
About Indeed:
More people find jobs on Indeed than anywhere else. Indeed is the #1 job site in the world and allows job seekers to search millions of jobs on the web or mobile in over 50 countries and 28 languages. More than 140 million people each month search for jobs, post resumes, and research companies on Indeed, and Indeed is the #1 source of external hires for thousands of companies (sources: SilkRoad & iCIMS). For more information, visit indeed.com.
Contact Information:
For Indeed media and press inquiries, please contact: pr@indeed.com