Why Gen Zs’ Dream Job Might Involve Screws - and a Weekend in Tokyo
Gen Zs are flipping the script on everything we thought we knew about career paths and consumer behaviour. They’re trading four-year degrees for well-paying trade jobs, booking international trips faster than ordering lunch, and basically proving that traditional playbooks have become irrelevant.
Today we’re diving into the founders riding this wave – from trade businesses staying ahead of AI disruption to travel platforms cracking the code on scroll-to-purchase behaviour. If you’re building for the next generation, these insights might just reshape how you think about your own industry.
The Great Trade-Off: Why College Grads Are Going Blue-Collar
Gen AI isn’t just coming for spreadsheet jockeys – it’s reshaping how we think about “safe” careers entirely. A Resume Builder survey shows 37% of US bachelor’s degree holders are pivoting to skilled trades, betting on better job security and pay than their office-bound peers.
Singapore tells a different story. While some recruiters see graduates exploring trades out of necessity rather than AI fears, the underlying question remains: which jobs are actually automation-proof?
What this means for Gen-Z founders building in blue-collar trades
Zames Chew
Co-Founder & CEO
Repair.sg
Blue-collar is cool again. Trades like plumbing and HVAC are being talked about as safer career paths than white-collar jobs in the age of AI. There is some truth to that, but it is not as simple as blue or white. Trade work offers stability because the core service is harder to replace with technology and more likely to be enhanced by it. People will always need their homes and workplaces to function safely. That constant demand means the work does not vanish even in downturns.
At Repair.sg, we see this daily. Customers call us not for a want, but a need. Their aircon malfunctioned, lights failed, or pipes burst. The job has to be done, and it will take major breakthroughs to replace the physical presence of a skilled technician. What AI can do is improve the business side – better communication, inventory management, scheduling, and more. These tools make us more efficient and our people more valuable.
But our business is not untouchable. If another company uses AI more effectively, they can displace us. For now, we are shielded because this is a low-margin, mature, and deeply human industry where disruption does not unlock big upside. Still, the scales can tip quickly when the economy shifts. That keeps me grounded. If we stay honest about where we stand and adapt before change forces us, change can be a good thing.
Gen Zs’ Travel Revolution: From Scroll to Suitcase
Gen Zs are rewriting the entire travel playbook. While previous generations planned around destinations, Gen Zs discover experiences through social feeds, then expect to book instantly. This scroll-to-suitcase behaviour happens in minutes, not months, and it’s creating both massive opportunities and major headaches for travel companies.
The numbers tell the story: 70% of Gen Z and Millennials prioritise the journey as much as the destination, focusing on meaningful experiences over traditional sightseeing. Meanwhile, 83% find AI useful for booking, especially for activity recommendations, budgeting, and translation help.
The challenge, though, is that traditional travel infrastructure wasn’t built for spontaneous, socially-inspired booking. Gen Zs expect payment flexibility, instant confirmation, and seamless discovery-to-purchase flows that most platforms still can’t deliver.
What this means for the travel industry
Darryl Han
Chief of Staff
Fly Fairly
Traditional travel booking i.e. fixed itineraries, upfront costs, rigid planning etc doesn’t match how Gen Zs actually live and budget plan. The demand is clear: flexibility, speed, and self-curation. Whether it’s spontaneous trips inspired by social media or splitting payments across pay cheques, younger travellers need infrastructure that bends to their habits, not the other way around.
The gap between discovery and booking is where most platforms fail. This was why I built LFG, a social travel discovery app. When Fly Fairly – a flight aggregator with flexible payment options across hundreds of airlines – acquired us, the integration made perfect sense. Both teams believed travel should feel natural and accessible for the next generation.
As LFG’s founder, I’ve watched travel decisions move from spark to confirmed booking in real-time. The biggest lesson was that product-market fit today is also about cultural fit. You need to speak the emotional and financial language of your users. For Gen Zs, that means designing for flexibility, enabling split payments, and creating experiences they genuinely want to share. The key isn’t just adding features but more of building something that feels like it was made for them.