#163 Two Eye-Opening Conversations That Changed my POV on GenZ

Welcome back!

Last week I promised a big announcement, but in the spirit of Netflix currently building out Netflix Studios in Fort Monmouth New Jersey, I'm going to cliff hang you.

I'll share the announcement next week as there was a delay in construction on my end. It's bittersweet though! And no, the newsletter isn't shutting down…the show still goes on!

I've been keeping a close eye on how Gen Z is responding to AI. There are countless discussions going on behind the scenes where some are all for it and some are against it. Pretty much like every other generation. Half dig it and half don't.

But some of Gen Z are finding their way into the workforce for the first time. And from what I've been hearing, they're curious AF when it comes to how AI can help them in their role, and how they can get their foot in the door given the highly competitive job market their generation is experiencing. That's supported by hiring freezes across many industries, with 66% of CEOs planning to freeze or cut hiring through 2026 given the onset of AI.

So with this edition, I want to talk about conversations I had with two people in two different situations about Underwriting and AI.

One is a senior at Montclair State University in NJ. The other recently graduated and is six months into her Financial Services career in San Francisco.

There's a lot to unpack, so let's take off.

Context on the Convos

Both of them found me online in the last two weeks from the content I've been sharing about underwriting and AI. One through TikTok, another through LinkedIn.

I believe the underwriting career path (been in it for 10 years) is undervalued and most young people don't know what it entails. In my world, I'm essentially playing detective on a company's financial health - investigating the business, its leadership, and its exposures, to determine if we should protect the board of directors and the company itself when financial-related lawsuits come knocking. You become a mix between a researcher, analyst, marketer, negotiator, and sales rep in one, all while learning about whatever industry you're underwriting too. It's pretty cool sh!t if you ask me.

And with AI, I'm passionate about what it can do for you if used correctly. My goal is to guide non-technical people to make the most of what's available to them in a way that doesn't smell like some software engineer's jargon. I’m figuring it out along the way, and I believe anyone else can too.

My Conversation With the Senior.

With me living in NJ and her attending a school in NJ, we could relate to a couple of things right out the gate.

But instead of small talk about the best bagels or pizza, she opened the conversation saying she found me through LinkedIn. She had questions about the underwriting career path and has plans to graduate in May. She was looking for insight on how to stand out in the job market.

We only had 30 minutes. She took full advantage of that. She drilled me with questions the entire time, squeezing the most out of the call. Some questions I was so impressed where I'm like damn, you're wayyyyy ahead of me at 22.

A lot of younger people watch tons of content on how to stand out in the market, but still don't put forth enough action. She was a prime example that showed me young folks take action. She got her name out there. She reached out to a stranger. She went out of her way to set herself up in a better position, especially when it comes time for an interview. I’d be doing the exact same thing if I were 22 again. You must find ways to set yourselves apart, and reaching out to someone in the industry you’re interested in is such a great start instead of just closing your eyes and applying to 50+ jobs.

I'm sharing this because maybe you know someone looking to break into the job market. Maybe you are. While things are getting more competitive given the hiring freezes, it's more important than ever to get creative, and the good news is, you can use AI for that.

The point is: It's not only entry-level work experiencing a freeze - it could be at any level you're applying for. But you're going to have to find ways to get your foot in the door.

Here's a tip you can use right now. Copy and paste a job description you're interested in into Claude or ChatGPT and try this prompt:

"Break down this job description. What are the top 5 skills the hiring manager cares about most and why? For each one, give me talking points I can use in an interview that shows I understand why it matters. If I don’t have certain skills they’re asking for, do a deep search online to find me solutions on what I can do to obtain these skills."

And if you really want to stand out: Anthropic Academy just launched 13 free courses with certificates of completion you can add to your resume or LinkedIn. Start with Claude 101 and AI Fluency: Framework & Foundations. It's free and it's from the company that built Claude, and I truly believe this signals to employers you're taking AI seriously.

I'd make the bet you'd stand out in this market with this on your resume. Most industries are leaning into AI, and they want to see that type of initiative, especially from new employees.

**Ps, this is not sponsored, nor do I make $$ from including. I did some research and believed it would be helpful.

My Conversation With the Entry Level Associate.

This convo got interesting. She works at a financial services company in San Francisco and came across one of my TikTok videos about AI and underwriting.

She told me she's trying to get ahead of the curve with AI, but the software at her company feels outdated and restricted compared to tools we have access to in our personal lives like Claude (my new favorite) and ChatGPT (the OG, but using less nowadays). I had to remind her that large companies take time to adapt for a variety of reasons.

The point of the call was to bring something useful to her team and manager when it comes to using AI in her role. She recently graduated, has been on the job for only 6 months, and she wants to make an impact on her team.

She stressed how much her friends were doing with AI, and being in San Francisco, the pressure felt real because her friends work at startups where the AI energy is high. She told me she has a sense that in her role, adoption of these tools will be slow with limited capabilities, especially at the company she works for.

This was eye-opening to me because Gen Z is growing up in the social media era at its peak. Now they're growing up in the AI era that’s only just begun and they’re expecting access to the best tools like we have in our personal lives. This is only one use case of course, but I’d suspect other young people feel the same way.

So if I were her, and I wanted to make an impact, here’s what I’d do:

Start by documenting what you actually do every week at work. Write down the tasks that eat up your time - the repetitive things, the mundane unfulfilling stuff, the things that feel like they could be done faster. Then open Claude or ChatGPT and try this:

"Here are the tasks I do weekly in my role: [list them]. Here are the biggest problems I'm experiencing: [list them]. Based on this, what are 10 ways I could use AI to save time or improve the quality of my work for me and my team? Be specific and give me steps I can start with today. If my company doesn’t have the resources you suggest available, what are alternative solutions? Build me this plan. Don’t make it overwhelming and explain your reasonings for each step."

So, if you’re interested in how you can leverage AI at work, now you have a starting point. You can bring solutions to the table for your team, regardless of your age. And you’re not pitching your manager on AI - you're showing up with something real that could benefit your team.

That's how you can create leverage early in your career in an extremely competitive market.

Before You Go!

Basketball was my life growing up, so I love this time of year. March madness has been nothing short of awesome. My bracket is still alive and hoping yours is too if you’re a ball fan.

When OTF drops next Tuesday we’ll see if more madness occurs, but I’m confident it will.

Take care and appreciate the time from you as always.

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