{"id":4206,"date":"2026-07-25T16:41:12","date_gmt":"2026-07-25T16:41:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/?p=4206"},"modified":"2026-07-25T16:41:12","modified_gmt":"2026-07-25T16:41:12","slug":"as-millions-of-gen-zers-face-unemployment-ceos-of-amazon-citi-and-mcdonalds-say-opportunity-is-still-there-if-you-have-the-right-mindset","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/?p=4206","title":{"rendered":"As millions of Gen Zers face unemployment, CEOs of Amazon, Citi, and McDonald\u2019s say opportunity is still there\u2014if you have the right mindset"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Some CEOs, including Anthropic\u2019s Dario Amodei and Ford\u2019s Jim Farley, have even used their platforms to warn AI and automation pose existential threats to many entry-level roles.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Read more A Hims cofounder fired his entire marketing team for AI. Now his 24\/7 online vet service is growing 20% a month<\/a><\/p>\n

But while there are signs the rest of 2026 could bring further turbulence, not every executive message has been a bleak one. As AMD CEO Lisa Su put it: \u201cRun towards the hardest problems\u2014not walk, run\u2014and that\u2019s where you find the biggest opportunities, where you learn the most, where you set yourself apart, and most importantly, where you grow.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

For the millions of Gen Z NEETs and job huggers looking to land a new job or promotion, the takeaway is clear: Embrace challenges, stay curious, take ownership of your career, and remain adaptable\u2014and you\u2019ll be positioned to thrive even in an unpredictable job market.<\/p>\n

Accenture CEO Julie Sweet: Curiosity is a leadership advantage<\/h2>\n

Julie Sweet never expected to become CEO of Accenture. She didn\u2019t fit the traditional mold of the firm\u2019s past leaders, many of whom came from conventional business backgrounds, spent their entire careers at the company, and were men.<\/p>\n

Instead, Sweet told Fortune<\/em> last year embracing uncertainty, and saying yes when opportunities arise, helped propel her into the role\u2014a lesson that Gen Z can learn from.<\/p>\n

Even at the top, she said, leadership doesn\u2019t mean having all the answers. Being curious and seeking help remains one of her self-described \u201csuperpowers.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cI think the idea of being a deep learner at the top is really critical, and that is not usual in a lot of companies,\u201d Sweet said.<\/p>\n

That mindset began during her early years in the legal department, when she admits she wasn\u2019t particularly tech savvy\u2014and had to ask for guidance. But it\u2019s a skill that ultimately helped her stick out from the pack and traverse up the corporate ladder.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cTransparency builds trust,\u201d she added. \u201cBecause the more value you can contribute [to] your company, the more likely you\u2019re going to get that best next job.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy: You don\u2019t need to have it all figured out<\/h2>\n

In an era defined by constant change, trying to map out an entire career at a young age can feel overwhelming. But Amazon CEO Andy Jassy says pressure is often self-inflicted\u2014and unnecessary.\u00a0It\u2019s something he\u2019s learned from his Gen Z children.<\/p>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cOne of the things I see with them and their peers is they all feel like they have to know what they want to do for their life at that age,\u201d Jassy said on the podcast, How Leaders Lead with David Novak<\/em>. \u201cAnd I really don\u2019t believe that\u2019s true.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jassy\u2019s own career is proof. Long before becoming CEO of one of the world\u2019s most powerful companies, he experimented\u2014trying his hand at sportscasting, product management, and entrepreneurship. He also worked at a retail golf store, coached high school soccer, and tried investment banking.<\/p>\n

That exploration, he said, was essential.<\/p>\n

\u201cI tried a lot of things, and I think that early on, it\u2019s just as important to learn what you don\u2019t want to do as what you want to do, because it actually helps you figure out what you want to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

AMD CEO Lisa Su: Run toward the toughest challenges<\/h2>\n

For AMD CEO Lisa Su, uncertainty isn\u2019t something to fear\u2014it\u2019s where growth happens.<\/p>\n

Speaking to graduates at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 2025, Su shared the best career advice she has ever received\u2014and it\u2019s something that may be more relevant than ever: Don\u2019t avoid challenges\u2014tackle them head-on.<\/p>\n

\u201cRun towards the hardest problems\u2014not walk, run\u2014and that\u2019s where you find the biggest opportunities, where you learn the most, where you set yourself apart, and most importantly, where you grow,\u201d Su said.<\/p>\n

Embracing difficulty, she added, only accelerates learning and impact: \u201cWhen you choose the hardest challenges, you choose the fastest path to growth and the greatest chance to make a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Citi CEO Jane Fraser: Dream big and build resiliency<\/h2>\n

For Jane Fraser, the challenges facing young people are personal. Her two sons are only just beginning to build their careers in finance and tech\u2014and she\u2019s been candid with them about how unstable the future of work may be.<\/p>\n

In a 2025 interview with T. Rowe Price, Fraser said she\u2019s had to acknowledge that many of today\u2019s jobs may not exist in their current form in just a few years. Thus, figuring out how to build resiliency and develop skillsets that will allow you to reinvent yourself several points in your career will be critical, she added.<\/p>\n

Read more Schools across America are quietly admitting that screens in classrooms made students worse off and are reversing years of tech-first policies<\/a><\/p>\n

\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

And in an AI-driven world, she admitted knowing every answer matters less than developing sound judgement and human intuition.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t need to know the answer. You\u2019re going to need judgment. You\u2019re going to need a whole range of other things,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Her overarching advice for young people is simple: \u201cDream.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t feel you\u2019ve got to be pigeonholed into things because there\u2019s so many pressures on the kids coming out of college.\u201d<\/p>\n

McDonald\u2019s CEO Chris Kempczinski: Stand up for your own career<\/h2>\n

Chris Kempczinski may be responsible for Happy Meals and Ronald McDonald, but he recognizes that not all is fun and games when it comes to building a career. And in an Instagram post, the McDonald\u2019s CEO shared the tough love advice some young people need to hear: the ball is in your corner\u2014and the onus is on you to reach your career goals.<\/p>\n

\u201cRemember, nobody cares about your career as much as you do,\u201d Kempczinski said. \u201cYou\u2019ve got to own it, you\u2019ve got to make things happen for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

At a time when many young workers are grasping at their networks for a leg up, the risks of falling behind are real: Millions of young people are now classified as NEET\u2014not in employment, education, or training. But Kempczinski leveled that there will always be career ups and downs, but no matter what, it\u2019ll always be beneficial to be someone who keeps an open mind.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u200aTo be a yes person is way better than to be a no person,\u201d he added to LinkedIn\u2019s Ryan Roslansky. \u201cSo as those career twists and turns happen, the more that you\u2019re seen as someone who\u2019s willing to say yes and to go do something, it just means you\u2019re gonna get that next call.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang: Explore the skilled trades<\/h2>\n

Jensen Huang has been one of the most closely watched executives, largely because he leads the world\u2019s most valuable company\u2014and one at the center of the AI boom.<\/p>\n

But the Nvidia CEO\u2019s advice to young people isn\u2019t that they need multiple degrees or to be a tech whiz. Instead, he\u2019s been urging Gen Z to take a serious look at skilled trades\u2014jobs that are both more AI-resistant and increasingly essential to tech\u2019s growth.<\/p>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re an electrician, you\u2019re a plumber, a carpenter\u2014we\u2019re going to need hundreds of thousands of them to build all of these factories,\u201d Huang told Channel 4 News in the U.K.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe skilled craft segment of every economy is going to see a boom,\u201d he added. \u201cYou\u2019ve going to have to be doubling and doubling and doubling every single year.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Ex-WalmartCEO Doug McMillon: Raise your hand<\/h2>\n

Doug McMillon retired as the head of the world\u2019s largest retailer in early 2026, but throughout his decades-long career at Walmart, he learned a thing or two about climbing the corporate ladder; after all, he entered the C-suite after a career that began with unloading trucks at a warehouse making just $6.50 an hour. But he couldn\u2019t have gotten to the top without the help of others.<\/p>\n

\u201cNothing happens through the work of just an individual,\u201d McMillon told Stanford\u2019s Graduate School of Business in May 2025. \u201cWe all do this together.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Another secret for his success, he has said, is his willingness to volunteer for tasks that others may snub their nose at.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the reasons that I got the opportunities that I got was that I would raise my hand when my boss was out of town and he or she was visiting stores or something,\u201d McMillon told Stratechery<\/em> in 2024.<\/p>\n

This also enabled him to get face time with more senior management, and show them he was ready for the next rung up the ladder\u2014a lesson that Gen Zers of today can use to stand out in the competitive job market.<\/p>\n

\u201cI then put myself in an environment where I became a low-risk promotion because people had already seen me do the job,\u201d McMillon said.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A version of this story originally published on\u00a0Fortune.com\u00a0on December 26, 2025.<\/em><\/p>\n

Read more Can Apple\u2019s incoming CEO bring back the product design mojo of the Steve Jobs era?<\/a><\/p>\n