Gen Z at work
Gen Z is heading to the world of work! One question is will Gen Z conform to the the current working conditions or will it shape them in new and different ways. Outside of work, people use fashion to express themselves, but will how will Gen Z react to more conservative work attire? This page features Paper 2 reading and listening tasks with an optional writing task.
Some of the interesting questions associated with the theme of Social Organization and the topic of the working world are:
- What role do rules and regulations play in the formation of a society?
- What opportunities and challenges does the 21st-century workplace bring?
Younger generations often shape culture. However, the older generations hold more power and authority in the world of work. Will Gen Z conform to the dress code of the working world or will they begin to shape and change it for the future? Read and listen below to help form your opinion.
The text below is from a young fashion influencer discussing how to be fashionable at work. You can find the original text here which was originally published on Substack which is hybrid platform that functions as both an email newsletter and a public web blog. For our English B purposes, we will compare it to a Blog.
Elysia Berman is a fashion influencer writing her blog titled Style-Lish. You can read the original text by clicking here. It is interesting to note that the original blog doesn't use capital letters for the title. This could also be how Gen Z is changing our grammar, but that is for another discussion…
After reading, answer the questions below.
Notice if this text follows the conventions of a Paper 1 blog:
• first person statement and/or narration
• awareness of the reader, e.g. direct address, a lively and interesting style etc.
• closing statement, e.g. invitation to comment, a conclusion drawn etc.
Find the word or phrase in lines 31 - 48 which means the following:
Easily the best, most versatile piece in my closet for work is a personality skirt. It’s as much 5-9 as it is 9-5, in that it works for both the office AND you don’t look out of place at a fancy dinner. And hey, the dress code just says it has to be knee-length, they didn’t mention anything about fringe! The way this skirt moves brings me an endless amount of joy: it’s like traipsing through a wall of Spanish moss and reminds me a lot of what we saw in the major collections in Paris last season. It’s fashion forward but office appropriate, more “AW 2026” and less “HR-violation”.
The relaxed shape of this oversized white top balances the formality of the skirt perfectly, and because of its double collar detail, it does have the “crisp white collar” that a lot of offices require. Maybe don’t wear this if you’re a criminal defense lawyer, but it’s certainly apropos for my corporate advertising job! That said, I saw one of my coworkers wearing a trucker hat, so I do think the bar is fairly low in terms of adherence to the office dress code.
Answers:
- versatile
- fringe
- traipsing
- fashion forward
- apropos
- adherence
Why does the writer describe her life as similar to “Clark Kent and Superman”?
Correct Answer:
She has two different professional roles.
What is the writer’s main priority when choosing clothes for work?
Correct Answer:
Combining practicality with personal style
Why does the writer particularly value the “personality skirt”?
Correct Answer:
It can be worn in different settings.
What does the comment about the coworker wearing a trucker hat suggest?
Correct Answer:
The office dress code is not very strict.
In the description of Outfit 2, what does “dressed down” mean?
Correct Answer:
Made less formal
What is the writer’s main message about suitable office clothing?
Correct Answer:
Styling can make many clothes suitable for work.
What is the main purpose of this text?
Correct Answer:
To promote stylish and adaptable workwear
Below you will find the answers to the Paper 2 reading and listening texts:
Paper 2 Reading:
- versatile
- fringe
- traipsing
- fashion forward
- apropos
- adherence
Multiple Choice:
2. She has two different professional roles.
3. Combining practicality with personal style
4. It can be worn in different settings.
5. The office dress code is not very strict.
6. Made less formal
7. Styling can make many clothes suitable for work.
8. To promote stylish and adaptable workwear
Paper 2 Listening:
- errands
- disorientating
- 16 years
- distracting
- resume
- thank-you note
- insincere
This listening text is designed to go along with the reading text. It comes from the American National Public Radio broadcast of the show All Things Considered with hosts Scott Detrow and Juana Summers. The interview is in response to an internet debate where a recruiter posted a TikTok advising potential job candidates to stop bringing iced coffees to interviews.
Listen to the three minute long interview which coincides with the length of a SL text C or an HL text A. Afterwards you can discuss if Elise would be criticized for her outfits based on the interviewers.
To get your next job — leave your iced coffee behind (click to download)
You can also read the transcript of the text below after listening as a way to check your answers. (click on the eye icon to view) Notice if this interview is similar to the Paper 1 transcribed Interview conventions:
(Transcribed)
• Relevant headline / title
• Clear introduction, to explain context
• Question and response structure, showing the speakers’ alternating speeches
Transcript
SCOTT DETROW, HOST:
All right, picture this. You are on your way to a job interview. You have prepared for the questions. Your outfit is perfect. You arrive right on time, even with enough time to spare.
JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:
So you grab an iced coffee to make sure you are well caffeinated. But could that coffee end up being the reason you don't get hired?
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
CAITLIN WEHNIAINEN: My Gen Z candidates are showing up to their interviews with iced coffee, iced latte in hand.
DETROW: One recruiter took to TikTok to say, this is not a good look.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
WEHNIAINEN: It is perceived, from my opinion, my hiring standpoint, that when you show up with an iced coffee or an iced latte, that this interview is just, like, a stop on your list of errands for the day.
DETROW: That's Caitlin Wehniainen in the video that kicked off a massive discussion online.
SUMMERS: And people have very strong feelings about this, so we decided to call her up. She posted the video a little over a week ago, and she said the reaction to it has been...
WEHNIAINEN: Disorienting to say the least. Like, you know, you put out, like, a tip, thinking, OK, I'm going to help job seekers because I see that this is what's occurring in my own experience. And then to see it launch this kind of generational debate and discourse - and the comments are incredible. I mean, thousands.
DETROW: What she thought was going to be a tip for people to help them land jobs has struck a real nerve.
WEHNIAINEN: One interesting thing is people trying to genderize it and say, oh, it's targeted toward women. And it's not at all. It's almost like, do guys not drink iced coffee? Because in my experience, this is not a female or male situation here, you know? Like, what?
SUMMERS: Wehniainen has 16 years of recruiting experience with large Fortune 500 companies, and she gets that some offices are more casual and says a lot of the online discussion has brought up some valid points.
DETROW: Her main point is that showing up with a drink could be distracting in any job interview.
WEHNIAINEN: When you're making that first impression, you want the focus to be on the value that you're adding and your skill set. So why bring in any other outliers into that conversation that could take the focus away from your skill set?
SUMMERS: She knows it's a tough job market, and people are really frustrated, so every detail can go a long way - things like bringing a hard copy of your resume along.
WEHNIAINEN: These are just little things that I see all the time that I recommend to my candidates. I'm doing this for a living, and it's - I think that that's been an interesting thing to see from the masses, is that people don't know how to interview, necessarily.
DETROW: And one other tip to land that job?
WEHNIAINEN: I love the thank you note after an interview, and I think if it's done with an AI chatbot and it's very buttoned-up, it can look insincere. But if you can bring up specific points that were discussed in the interview where you felt like it was a moment of connection with the person interviewing you, bring that to the thank you follow-up because that's the extra lasting impression that you're leaving behind.
What does Wehniainen believe an iced coffee can make an interview seem like?
Correct Anwer:
(a stop on your list of) errands
How did Caitlin describe the response to her post?
Correct Answer:
Disorienting (US) / disorientating (UK) - both versions allowed
How many years has Wehniainen worked in recruitment?
Correct Answer:
16 (years)
During an interview, a drink could potentially become…
Correct Answer:
distracting
What does Wehniainen recommend sending after an interview?
Correct Answer:
Thank-you note
This Paper 1 writing task is designed to be a follow up to the Paper 2 reading and listening tasks above.
Imagine that you are the author of the Paper 2 reading task, Elysia Berman. You just listened to the interview about not brining your iced coffee to work. Write a blog post about what to wear and how to act on your next job interview based on Caitlin Wehniainen's advice.
Make sure to include the conventions of a Blog post:
• first person statement and/or narration
• awareness of the reader, e.g. direct address, a lively and interesting style etc.
• closing statement, e.g. invitation to comment, a conclusion drawn etc.