HMM: US needs mechanics and nurses, but kids want to be influencers.

Young people with realistic goals are likely to succeed. But few students get useful career guidance, writes Anne Kim, senior fellow at FutureEd, on The 74.

Counselors are in short supply, and high schools are still pushing “college for all,” writes Kim. “Despite increasing interest in alternative pathways,” many students — and high school counselors — are “unaware of the careers they could pursue, the availability of jobs locally, and the skills required.” In a 2024 survey, two-thirds of young adults ages 16 to 24 said they “do not know exactly what career they want to pursue.”

The dream career for nearly half of Gen Z respondents in a 2025 Morning Consult survey is “content creator,” notes Kim’s Future Shock report. Working in “media and entertainment” is also a popular goal. They think it’s an easy path to riches. Only a third want a “traditional job.”

No different than kids from previous generations wanting to grow up to be baseball players or movie stars, really.