A bakery owner has revealed the surprising statements Gen Z are putting on their resumes.
Amy Gastman, owner of a plant-based bakery in North London, used TikTok to share the applications she received after advertising for an assistant role.
The owner was looking for a new barista so she posted a job ad asking potential employees to submit their resumes.
But when she received applications from the younger generation, she was shocked to see that they had written statements that she didn’t understand, such as that they were having a “bratgirl summer.”
The video has been viewed more than half a million times, with people sharing their experiences hiring Gen Z workers in the comments. One said: “I was called ‘bro’ during the interview. I didn’t give her the job.”
Amy Gastman (pictured) took to TikTok to reveal the surprising quotes Gen Zers are putting on their resumes
Amy says on TikTok: “There’s nothing more humiliating than being a millennial and receiving a ton of job applications from Gen Z and just not understanding any of them or even understanding why you do some of the things they do.”
Amy talked about some strange applications she had received since she submitted the job posting.
She said, ‘For example, [there are] No capital letters anywhere. So when sentences say, “I like to eat toast,” there is no capital I for I.’
‘I had another girl who was like, “I’m having a brat girl summer.”‘ Amy was like, ‘What? I don’t get it. What do you mean you’re having a brat girl summer?’
‘I don’t know what brat summer is. I mean, I know it has something to do with Charli XCX… but why do you have to put that on your resume?
Singer Charli XCX described the brat aesthetic to the BBC as, “Trashy. Like, a pack of cigarettes and, like, a Bic lighter. And, like, a white strappy top. No bra. That’s, like, all you need.”
Amy continued: ‘I was so confused that I got one that said something like, “I hate work because I’m just a girl.”
Reflecting on her findings, Amy said, “I just feel so old, all of this has made me feel old.”
The baker, who has a store in north London, said she needed a translator to understand some of the applications
The North London cake baker added in the caption: ‘Send help I need a translator’.
The video caused a firestorm online, with others sharing their thoughts and experiences with hiring Gen Z workers in the comments, with one saying: “Brat summer on a resume is crazy.”
“I was interviewing someone and asked about the gap in their resume. I said, ‘What have you been doing?’ and she said, ‘Just chilling,'” added a second.
A third wrote: ‘That’s because they try so hard to be quirky and different but have the opposite effect.’
A fourth viewer added: “Someone put ‘secondary school prom queen’ on her resume.”
I got one that said, ‘I’ve never had a job before but I think I’d be fine because I spent a week in Ibiza and didn’t even sleep,’ said another.
Viewers shared their thoughts on the video in the comments section, and many were surprised
This comes after a recruitment expert revealed why Gen Z is struggling to find jobs and gave her tips and tricks on how to stand out from the crowd when applying for roles.
Ursula Colman, recruitment director at Zetter Recruitment, based in Cambridge and London, said Gen Z had higher expectations than previous generations, including the ability to work from home and a generous salary.
She said her company often sees young graduates applying for senior positions because they expect to get their “dream job” without having any work experience first.
‘[There’s an attitude] that you should get the life you want and get paid for it. It’s made internships old-fashioned,’ she told MailOnline.
According to her, factors that deter young candidates include employers who “want someone in the office full-time” or the “salary not being considered high enough”.
“Whereas before this would have been a gradual phase, now there is a real desire of, ‘I want it here and now.’ It’s a sense of entitlement,” she said.
According to the recruitment expert with 22 years of experience, Generation Z prefers to travel instead of applying for jobs.
However, upon return, there appears to be a large gap in their resume. This is unattractive to recruiters, because although they are older, they still do not have enough experience.
Moreover, nowadays a higher education is no longer enough to distinguish yourself from the crowd.
‘Having a degree is almost normal, while before it was something that many companies required a degree for. [think] ‘is a good way to filter,’ Ursula explained. ‘Nowadays it’s really more about experience and what you’ve done outside of your education.
‘The amount people are willing to work for has definitely changed. We often have entry-level positions and Gen Z thinks, “No, that doesn’t pay enough, I’m looking for more.”
She said Generation Z sets the bar high when it comes to the working conditions they accept.
“We’re seeing more and more Gen Zers wanting to work from home. Traditionally, the first roles in your career are temporary roles that require travel and long hours,” she says.
“But we have graduates who say, ‘I want to work from home, I don’t want to be in the office every day, the salary is not enough,’ in a way that we never saw before.”
Ursula shared her top tips on how Gen Z can stand out from the crowd and land a highly skilled job straight out of university.
“Experience is the best way because it makes you stand out,” she said. “So many people who are good end up getting paid jobs. It’s also a real confidence booster.”
According to the recruitment expert, the way people apply for jobs influences the way they come across.
To stand out from hundreds of applications, Ursula says it’s best to pick up the phone and call the company to introduce yourself and talk about your background. This will help potential employers remember you and is more personal than applying online.
She also said that going into the office for a job interview instead of opting for a video call makes a big difference because it shows the employer that you went the extra mile.
Ursula added that participating in additional sports clubs at university or in associations can help employers highlight their skills, such as team-playing.