The Gen X Question for Gen Z

I posed a question on TikTok last week:

If you were 18 today, with your current knowledge, what would you do? University? Travel? Something else?

It sparked hundreds of responses.

The aim was to help Gen Z make confident decisions in a world that’s nothing like the one we grew up in. Many older professionals have the benefit of hindsight - and it’s time we used it to bridge the generational gap.

Some key takeaways from the responses:

• Many would skip university in favour of trades or apprenticeships
• A huge number said they’d move abroad
• One Gen Z chimed in with: “There aren’t that many degree apprenticeships or we’d all be doing them.”

What do you think?

Your challenge is to answer the same question on Linkedin. I also added a cheeky poll.

Would you give it a click? Let's see if we can help some young people.

Gen X and older... If you were 18 today (not back in your day), with your… | Dan Ilett

Gen X and older... If you were 18 today (not back in your day), with your existing knowledge, what would you do? Would you go to uni, travel, join the forces etc? Please fill in this survey - and comment below. I asked this question on Tiktok to help Gen Z see what older folks might do if they were in the same position as them. It had hundreds of responses.

LinkedInDan Ilett

The CEO Agenda

• This is your talent pipeline talking on TikTok - are you listening?
• University is no longer the ticket. ROI matters more than reputation.
• Apprenticeships and trades are rising.
• Mobility is assumed. Gen Z will relocate for work, opportunity or quality of life. Location loyalty is fading.
• The prestige economy is collapsing. Titles and brand names don’t hold sway - impact, autonomy and mental health do.
• The side hustle isn’t a hobby - it’s the new pension. Your policies need to support entrepreneurial energy. Most jobs do not.

Jobs and Requests

Looking to hire - or be hired?
I'm considering a CXO Jobs Board - a curated space for executive and advisory roles. What do you think? Useful?

I'm also exploring a Classifieds Section. I get a steady stream of unusual, interesting requests - from stealth startups looking for advisors to investors chasing niche tech. This could be a great way to surface them.

If you're receiving this email today, you can post for free for six months - job ads or classifieds. Just ping me.

What do you think?
Reply and let me know. I really value the feedback you send - it helps shape what comes next.

Have a great day

Dan