<aside> 💡 third room is an alternative career networking platform for Gen-Z. Today, our research and codebase lives on through the Life Science Cares One-to-One program. You can learn more at www.onetooneportal.org.
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<aside> 💼 80% of jobs are filled via networking
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Gen Z represents over 65M young people in America born after 1997. That’s about 2 out of every 5 consumers. If you are a Gen Z person, you’ve probably heard someone remind you the importance of networking. Or even better, a professor required you to create a LinkedIn profile and find 5 contacts. We’ve been in that situation. Cringe sets in. Nobody you know works at Google or Amazon. You keep browsing and see others bragging about skills you don’t yet understand. Then as you check out some jobs, you realize 200 applicants already beat you to it.
A strong network (like money) is not equitably attainable. If your school doesn’t help you (or you don’t go to college), then you have to figure it out on your own. So you start with LinkedIn. What’s the issue? Studies have shown that students feel inadequate, insecure, and overwhelmed from using LinkedIn. Additionally, for Gen Z, connections are more like friends and followers rather than people you actually reach out to talk business.
By 2030, Gen Z will make up more than 30% of our workforce. Yet for this demographic, the most invaluable tool for networking is underutilized to its potential. This leads us to the following question:
<aside> 🤔 How might we create an online networking experience that young people enjoy and find valuable?
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Our belief: the typical LinkedIn persona does not resonate with a Gen Z audience for the networking purpose it is intended. We envision a new platform that surfaces the stories that matter and are relatable to young people in their career search. This means redefining a content strategy and networking experience that is relevant to early career talent. Our goal isn’t to replace LinkedIn but rather to build the onramp to it.