Twenty-five-year-old Sukayna Kazmi works as a campaign manager at an influencer marketing company while also taking on freelance‭ ‬gigs and leading other passion projects like the women's support group FemFam and the Dubai Jobs and Internships Community to help people find jobs‭. ‬To generations that came before Kazmi‭, ‬this might sound like a lot‭, ‬as juggling full-time jobs and side hustles was practically unheard of‭. ‬But today‭, ‬it has become so common that there is even a term for it‭ ‬–‭ ‬'career minimalism'‭. ‬

Contrary to popular belief‭, ‬'career minimalism'‭ ‬doesn't mean coasting through work or being lazy‭. ‬As career coaches and others have pointed out‭, ‬it reflects the youngest workforce's shifting career goals and pursuit of happiness outside of work‭. ‬“I don't want to just tick boxes or chase titles‭,‬”‭ ‬says Kazmi‭. ‬“I look for roles and projects that allow me to grow‭, ‬tell impactful stories or build something of value‭. ‬Instead of attaching my‭ ‬identity to a job title‭, ‬I focus on the skills I'm gaining and the experiences that truly matter‭.‬”

The term entered the public lexicon earlier this year after a Glassdoor Community survey revealed that 68‭ ‬per cent of Gen-Z workers‭ (‬the poll surveyed over 1,000‭ ‬US professionals‭) ‬seemed to‭ ‬'reject the traditional corporate ladder'‭ ‬and‭ ‬'wouldn't pursue management if it weren't for the paycheck or title'‭. ‬Instead‭, ‬it said‭, ‬they prefer to choose financial stability and security over status‭, ‬establish boundaries for a sustainable work:life balance and have side hustles that are personally gratifying and give them a sense of purpose and identity‭.‬

“For me‭, ‬career minimalism is about aligning work with meaning‭,‬”‭ ‬says Kazmi‭. ‬“I've noticed millennials often equate stability with success‭ ‬-‭ ‬climbing the corporate ladder or securing long-term roles‭. ‬Gen-Z‭, ‬on the other hand‭, ‬values flexibility‭, ‬mental health and purpose much more‭.‬”‭ ‬She adds that her peers don't hesitate to leave well-paying jobs that don't feel fulfilling‭. ‬“They'd rather freelance‭, ‬build side hustles or explore creative projects that give them autonomy and a sense of meaning‭.‬”

It is perhaps unfair to generalise an entire generation‭ ‬–‭ ‬after all‭, ‬individuals have their own unique needs and desires‭ ‬–‭ ‬but millennials have‭, ‬generally speaking‭, ‬grown up watching their parents spend their entire careers working at one company or‭ ‬two‭. ‬There used to be an old-school sense of pride and honour in retiring from the same organisation they had joined at the start of their careers‭. ‬It's no surprise‭, ‬then that many millennials hold similar beliefs about work ethics and career stability‭.‬

Marisa Kamall‭, ‬career coach and founder of GAIA‭, ‬a women's leadership community based in Dubai‭, ‬points out that millennials were often raised to work hard and long hours without complaining and‭, ‬sometimes‭, ‬suffered as a result‭. ‬Gen-Z‭, ‬on the contrary‭, ‬grew up witnessing the toll burnout could have on workers‭, ‬and how global pandemics and crises could leave the world wobbly‭. ‬“People aren't interested in working for one company for decades anymore‭, ‬doing the same thing and slowly working their way up the ranks‭,‬”‭ ‬she explains‭. ‬While interacting with young leaders‭, ‬Kamall says they often talk about boundaries‭, ‬and not dedicating 80‭ ‬hours a‭ ‬week to a job that doesn't align with their values‭. ‬“Gen-Z are clearer on what they will and won't tolerate than my generation was at their age‭.‬”‭ ‬

As a result‭, ‬organisations have begun to reassess their work culture and HR policies in an effort to recruit and retain young talent‭. ‬Dr Anurag Byala‭, ‬CEO of global digital e-commerce firm Techies Infotech‭, ‬for instance‭, ‬explains that companies like theirs‭ ‬offer hybrid work options‭, ‬encourage vacation time and prioritise mental health‭. ‬As someone who hires interns throughout the year‭, ‬Byala says he has observed behaviours and attitudes that align with career minimalism among Gen-Z interns‭. ‬“The most telling indicator is retention rates‭,‬”‭ ‬he explains‭. ‬“Roughly three out of 10‭ ‬interns choose not to accept our full-time employment offers‭, ‬even when extended‭. ‬When we gather feedback to understand their decision-making‭, ‬the most common response is that the role doesn't align with their expectations‭. ‬Sometimes‭, ‬we get feedback like‭ ‬'it's not fun working here'‭ ‬or‭ ‬'the culture is too serious about work'‭ ‬–‭ ‬which admittedly makes me wonder what their benchmark for‭ ‬'fun'‭ ‬actually is‭.‬”‭ ‬However‭, ‬career minimalism also challenges the toxic productivity culture where success is measured by overtime hours rather than actual output‭, ‬he adds‭. ‬

Experts are divided over the potential lifespan of the‭ ‬'trend'‭. ‬While Kamall believes that career minimalism isn't going anywhere as‭ ‬“it's very much in tune with how Gen-Z lives and thinks”‭, ‬Ben Hardy‭, ‬clinical professor of organisational behaviour and academic director‭ (‬EMBA Dubai‭, ‬EMBA London‭) ‬at London Business School‭, ‬is sceptical about‭ ‬'career minimalism'‭ ‬being a legitimate concept at all‭. ‬“Most of the references lead back to Glassdoor‮...‬‭ ‬At this stage‭, ‬I haven't seen enough evidence to point to it as a genuine trend‭,‬”‭ ‬he says via email‭. ‬

Hardy hasn't found Gen-Z to be‭ ‬“terribly different”‭ ‬and says that historically‭, ‬people have always taken up jobs for financial reasons rather than out of passion‭, ‬and predicts that the‭ ‬'trend'‭ ‬will probably fizzle out soon‭. ‬“But complaints about the young by older generations‭, ‬on the other hand‭, ‬are very unlikely to fizzle out‭,‬”‭ ‬he says‭. ‬“I suspect some other idea of how the young are feckless and work-shy will be developed‭.‬”

But if it doesn't fizzle out‭, ‬it could alter the way workplaces function‭. ‬It may make it easier for individuals to switch jobs as their side hustles might unlock networks and lucrative opportunities elsewhere‭, ‬but this could also mean they don't stay long enough to develop expertise in one area‭. ‬“You may also not get the positive experiences that being‭ ‬'forced'‭ ‬to do something may lead to‭,‬”‭ ‬says Hardy‭. ‬“Many interesting career directions have started because someone was asked to do something they didn't want to do‭, ‬only for them to discover they enjoy and are good at it‭. ‬And the downsides for organisations are the costs of replacement and training‭.‬”

Ankita Dhiman‭, ‬fashion marketing and PR executive at MULU‭, ‬is 27‭ ‬years old‭. ‬Her social circle is mostly Gen-Z‭, ‬while she interacts with millennials at work and home‭. ‬“I would say that Gen-Z wants to make sure that they enjoy what they do‭,‬”‭ ‬she says‭, ‬adding that they generally reject monotony and routine‭. ‬“I need every day to be exciting‭, ‬where something new happens which I can contribute to‭.‬”‭ ‬Career minimalism doesn't mean working less‭, ‬she points out‭, ‬but just having clear boundaries‭. ‬“Sometimes‭, ‬it is necessary to put in late hours or work over the weekends when there is extra work‭, ‬but it should not happen regularly‭. ‬All my friends and classmates try to maintain that balance‭.‬”‭ ‬Dhiman herself spends her free time painting‭, ‬attending dance workshops‭, ‬creating content on social media‭, ‬and reading up on styling trends‭.‬

Hardy points out that people who work to support their side hustles and other passions might be happier and their skills might come in handy at work‭, ‬but also that‭ ‬“having enough financial headroom to be able to pursue other things is a bit of a luxury”‭. ‬Byala agrees‭. ‬“It's considerably easier to pursue career minimalism when you don't have immediate financial responsibilities‭. ‬Those who need to support themselves or their families often don't have the luxury of turning down stable employment‭.‬”

Gen-Z is heavily influenced by what they see online and consume content on the perfect work:life balance‭ ‬-‭ ‬which doesn't always reflect reality‭, ‬he adds‭. ‬“The challenge for both employers and young professionals‭,‬”‭ ‬says Byala‭, ‬“is finding common ground‭: ‬workplaces that are engaging and meaningful‭, ‬while also recognising that building a career requires patience‭, ‬effort‭, ‬and sometimes doing work that isn't immediately thrilling‭.‬”‭ ‬

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