A career coach shares the top industries hiring Gen Z and millennials in 2024 — and where layoffs might happen

• Eliana Goldstein is a career coach for millennial and Gen Z workers.
• She expects job opportunities to arise this year in healthcare and cybersecurity.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Eliana Goldstein, a 35-year-old career coach from New York City. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

As a career and success coach who predominantly works with millennials and Gen Zers, I help people create careers that don't make them dread Monday morning.

I worked in sales in the adtech industry for about 10 years and had a successful career on paper, but I felt disconnected from what I was doing. Through much trial, error, and reflection, I learned that it wasn't what I wanted to do long term, so I transitioned in 2019.

My primary focus is helping my clients set goals. From there, we work on strategies to determine the right career path for them, then execute and land the job.

Right now, it's an employer's market, so I'm helping job seekers navigate a tough environment. Many are still making career pivots regardless.

These are some trends we'll see for job seekers this year.

Layoffs will continue

While I don't think we'll see layoffs in the same volume we did in 2023, it's still a much-tougher market than we saw in the few years during and after the COVID-19 emergency, as well as in the "Great Resignation." We'll most likely see more this year.

Tech, in particular, experienced many layoffs in 2023, and I think we'll see that continue in 2024.

Artificial intelligence might drive some layoffs, but it's also an incredibly helpful tool. Employers are using AI, so employees should be as well.

Everyone should consider implementing it in their job search, whether automating job applications or helping with résumé optimization and customization.

Healthcare, cybersecurity, and hospitality will be hiring

One industry poised to be very strong this year is healthcare. It struggled a lot post-health emergency, but now it's resurging. There are typical healthcare roles, such as nurses, physician assistants, and doctors, but there are also a lot of jobs in the healthtech space, including telehealth, tech support, and data analysis.

The pandemic hit hospitality hard, too. We've seen a big reemergence in hospitality, and I think that will continue. The in-demand roles here are for hotel and restaurant staff and event managers as things continue to return to pre-COVID-19 levels.

And almost every company wants to beef up its cybersecurity. These roles translate across industries, so cybersecurity analysts and architects will likely be in high demand.

AI will create roles

Many industries collect large amounts of data and need to figure out how to leverage it best. Hospitality companies collect data on their guests, such as booking information and reviews, while tech companies collect data on consumer spending habits, among other things.

AI can help manage and comb through that data, but we'll see more openings in industries looking to capitalize on AI and data-aggregation advances.

Roles focused on AI and those related to cloud infrastructure are in higher demand as companies focus on building their AI technologies and move to cloud platforms. There's competition for roles such as customer support because it's a great way to break into tech, so getting hired for those roles will likely be difficult.

Remote and hybrid companies are likely to maintain the status quo

Any workplace that has been remote up until this point isn't likely to suddenly insist that employees return to working in the office full time.

Remote workplaces that might still be considering how they will work will probably pivot to a hybrid model because the workforce expects that now.

'Quiet quitting' is over, but employees want flexibility

After the pandemic, companies focused on giving people what they wanted in a work-life balance and more support for internal career mobility. This was especially important to millennial and Gen Z workers, but we're beginning to see less of a focus on what they want because the market is skewed toward employers.

For employees, what's important to them is feeling that they can have a good job with work-life balance, where they don't want to think about "quiet quitting." Most young people I coach want to feel that they can grow in their jobs and know that internal moves are available.

They also want to be able to pursue side hustles. It's probably the biggest trend I've seen in the past few years.

They're prepared and willing to work hard for an additional source of income. Roles that support and promote that will be well received from an employee perspective.

In return for this flexibility, employers want commitment

Employers don't want employees who are just clocking in to get a paycheck and clocking back out — they need to see that employees care. Employers who show that they support employee growth will find that.

They can do this by speaking with their employees about the growth and goals they have within the company. For example, when a new employee is starting out, managers should ask them how and where they want to grow within the company. Just asking the questions can help employees feel their desire for growth is being recognized.

Focus your job-search strategy on building relationships

Since AI is leveling the playing field, it's important for a job seeker to bring the human element into their job search. My focus with clients is always on referrals. Technology is great and simplifies things, but the more you can get in front of another person, the better.

I ask my clients to look at how they can develop connections and have informational meetings with people before they even get to the interview process. Putting a face to the résumé is crucial for 2024.