The Coffee’s Hot, the Work Ethic’s Cold: Gen Z and the Death of Professionalism

How a generation raised on Wi-Fi, wellness, and work-from-bed became the most demanding and least prepared cohort to enter the modern workplace—armed with emojis, anxiety, and fluffed up LinkedIn bio.

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They arrive not with a résumé, but with a vibe. They want the corner office, but they’d rather get there by TikTok than by tenure. They demand “authenticity” but shrink from a phone call lest they have to speak to someone’s unfiltered natural voice. Yes, Generation Z has entered the workforce—and the rest of us are expected to celebrate their arrival like it’s the Second Coming. Spoiler: it’s not.

Ask any manager worth their salt about this cohort—those born between the mid-1990s and early 201…