It probably comes as no surprise to you that video is the No. 1 format for content consumption among Gen Z. But did you know that 91% of Gen Z students prefer watching videos for learning purposes?
That’s why it’s critical for career services teams in higher education to invest in career-related video content. But what type of content is most helpful? What formats are most engaging to Gen Z? Do you need to produce video content in-house or are there ways to pipe in outside content (in a legal and cost-effective way, of course)?
In a recent episode of the Career Everywhere podcast, we posed these questions and more to Willie Wittezehler, the creative director at career video powerhouse Roadtrip Nation.
Wittezehler has produced and directed Roadtrip Nation’s award-winning documentaries for over 16 years and has been behind the lens for over 200 interviews. Roadtrip Nation is a nonprofit organization that provides resources and tools to help people explore careers and build lives around their passions. They’ve conducted over 3,500 video interviews with leaders from around the world who have turned their interests into careers.
In this article, we’ll dive into what appeals to Gen Z when it comes to video and why career centers should use video as a key part of their strategy. You’ll walk away with some tactical advice, examples, and ideas for bringing more video into your career center.
Learn more from Wittezehler in his episode of the Career Everywhere podcast.
Why Gen Z prefers video for content consumption
It’s no secret that different generations have different preferences when it comes to media formats they most resonate with—even if there may be some overlap.
The younger an audience is, the more likely they are to be attracted to video-based digital content, especially in the short-form style that focuses on visually stimulating, straight-to-the-point information. And of course, there’s no better way to access this content than the ever-present supercomputers in our pockets. Whether we’re starting our morning routines, chugging through a midday slump, or unwinding after a long day, our phones are designed to provide endless digital entertainment that keeps our brains busy.
And for Gen Z, video is another avenue for building strong online communities. Comments, shares, and reactions allow them to engage with content and creators on a deeper level that can’t always be produced in other ways.
They’re looking to see themselves and the topics they care about in the content they view. By putting video first, career services offices can focus on specific identities, perspectives, and interests that their Gen Z audiences relate to and experience in a more personal way.
“Young people are using video-based platforms for searching and answering questions. So similarly to how we all use Google, young people are using Google as well, but they’re also using TikTok and YouTube,” Wittezehler said. “If there’s something that they want to learn about, they’re going to videos to get those answers.”
Why career centers should use video as a key part of their strategy
Humanizing the process of career planning and creating a genuine connection with students is essential for success.
According to Wittezehler, the power of video lies not just in the message being delivered, but in the messenger. By making sure your content is delivered by someone relatable, approachable, and enjoyable, you’re more likely to gain trust and interest from students as they explore your resources and begin to think about their careers.
This human element is particularly important in bridging the gap between inspiration and information. Video not only delivers factual data, but it also has the power to spark motivation and empowerment. It’s one thing to describe a career path in abstract terms, but it’s entirely different when a young woman sees someone who looks like her thriving as an engineer at NASA. This visual representation inspires a “they did it, so can I” mentality, which is invaluable in career exploration as students look to those they can truly connect with.
At its best, video appeals to both the head and the heart. It can balance the practical details of a career with the emotional resonance of seeing someone relatable succeed. Not to mention, it can be a great way to communicate a lot of important information in bite-sized, shareable chunks.
How to use video to engage Gen Z with career services
1. Create authentic, meaningful content
With Gen Z’s digital native status, it is crucial to understand their heightened media literacy and hunger for genuine content. This audience is made up of seasoned professionals when it comes to content consumption.
“Gen Z’s BS radar is really high. They know when something’s off, and they’ll leave quickly. And because of that, authenticity is so important,” Wittezehler said. “This is a generation that can see through your intentions, and they’re looking for real people. They want to hear it from the source. They don’t want something that’s been filtered, translated, or edited.”
At the same time, focusing on being as real, raw, and natural as possible doesn’t have to be a stressful metric to meet. It can be a fun exercise to find your career center’s true voice as an organization while exploring the best ways to include your students not just as an audience or a “client,” but as partners and collaborators, too.
The best way to do this is to focus on truly building relationships with your collaborators before the camera starts rolling.
- Make sure they know their value and authenticity helps create a more comfortable environment
- Encourage them to be their true selves and help them feel at ease
- Be open to sharing your own stories and getting vulnerable
- Communicate goals for the content
“We really try to bring people into the process and truly collaborate with young people, because, to center youth voices in media, or to make youth content, you can’t be helicoptering in from the outside and telling their stories. They have to be partners in that,” Wittezehler said. “The more you can bring that approach into the pre-production, the better the product becomes, because they’ll be bought into the mission, they’ll be ready, and they’ll see their role in it. And then you’ll come out the other end with a more authentic youth voice and youth-centered product.”
2. Find the right messenger
While the content and message of any video is obviously important, what is equally (if not more) important is finding the right messenger to convey it.
“I keep beating this drum, that ‘messengers’ piece, where maybe you know exactly what this young person needs to hear, but are you the right person to deliver that message or is there someone else out there doing it?’’, Wittezehler said. “Is there an influencer in the space? Is there a YouTuber or a TikTok creator that’s diving deep in that industry, or exploring what that career looks like?’”
This way, your message comes across as genuine, rather than pressuring, or out-of-touch.
3. Leverage both short- and long-form video
While short-form video is often seen as superior these days, Wittezehler said long-form video still has its place—and the two formats can be used together strategically.
Finding a hook that captures your audience is essential. Once you identify what works, long-form videos can provide a more in-depth exploration of topics, while short-form can give quick pieces of information in an easy-to-digest and shareable format. Wittezehler also suggests using short-form clips to advertise or promote longer-form videos around similar topics.
“Long-form video is not dead,” Wittezehler said. “There’s this prevailing wisdom that it’s got to be short. We talk about attention spans shortening, and that’s all based on some very valid and important considerations, but there are a lot of long-form videos doing really well with young people.”
4. Experiment with different video formats
Video is far from being a cookie-cutter solution to resonating with your audience. By tailoring to different preferences, you can reach a wide audience more effectively and make sure that your content is communicating the best message possible.
On platforms like YouTube, creating videos where a host speaks directly to the audience helps establish trust and develop a parasocial connection. This creates a sense of relatability and makes viewers more likely to follow along with what you’re saying.
According to Wittezehler, “day in the life” videos have proven to be highly effective for career exploration. These concise, 2-3 minute clips extracted from longer interviews provide a quick, relatable insight into what specific jobs are really like. This format resonates with viewers who are seeking tangible knowledge. Additionally, tutorial or skill-building videos that offer clear value—such as teaching a skill or answering a specific question—tend to drive high engagement by addressing the audience’s desire to learn something real.
At the end of the day, each format should be designed with a clear purpose in mind to maximize its appeal.
5. Identify relevant topics that will appeal to Gen Z
When it comes to finding out what Gen Z cares about, keyword research and analytics tools are your new best friends.
Platforms like Google Analytics, YouTube Analytics, and user testing services offer insights into what your audience is searching for, the content they engage with, and the trends that are driving their interests. Keeping tabs on competitors or similar media can also help you find out which topics generate interest. This “Internet CSI work,” as Wittezehler puts it, provides a foundation for understanding the questions and issues that are top-of-mind for Gen Z.
But, data ultimately isn’t everything.
You’ll find just as much, if not more value in real-world feedback. By conducting focus groups, surveys, or casual conversations, seeking out insights gathered from events, classroom visits, and more, you can get a right-from-the-source perspective from your audience that data just can’t hack. By combining data-driven analysis with community input, you can ensure that your content is hitting its mark.
6. Take a “human algorithm” approach to sharing videos
For career centers, understanding algorithms strictly from a data approach isn’t always the best strategy. Taking a “human algorithm” approach by personalizing video recommendations, understanding your audience, and truly connecting with them in a way that allows yourself to be the algorithm takes this to a whole other level. Listening to students and taking note of their interests, questions, and challenges, and then taking the best steps to provide content that meets their needs and puts them on the right path is essential.
“How can you do what the algorithm does so well, and that young people are so used to, which is to gather some inputs from them? What are their interests? What are their questions? What are their hurdles? And maybe there’s content out there that you can connect them with,” Wittzehler said.
3 examples of career centers that effectively use video to engage Gen Z
Career services teams across the country are leaning into video to engage their Gen Z students. Whether it’s long-form videos or virtual event recordings, or short TikTok style clips shared on social media, career centers are getting creative and finding strategies that work.
Here are a few examples:
1. St. John’s University
St. John’s University uses fun and informative welcome videos on the career community pages on their virtual career center (powered by uConnect). The short videos are made in-house and feature career and internship advisor Nikki Pebbles.
In each video, she:
- Welcomes the viewer
- Shares what jobs are associated with that career community
- Gives an overview of the top skills associated with those career paths
- Walks through the career community page
- And more
You can see examples on their Arts and Communications page and their Education and Human/Social Services page.
2. Kansas State University College of Business
The Kansas State University College of Business is a great example of a career center bringing in video content from outside sources, like Indeed, CareerOneStop, or industry-specific sources lik Streamline HR Solutions or AICPAstudent.
You can see examples on their Accounting career community page and their Marketing career community page.
Note: The KSU College of Business curates this video content for their students with uConnect’s video module—an add-on to uConnect’s virtual career center platform. Learn more here.
3. Tulane University
Tulane is another great example of a career center integrating external videos into their virtual career center (powered by uConnect). Tulane offers videos on their career community pages and their identity/affinity community pages.
For example, on their community page for LGBTQIA students and alumni, visitors can find dozens of relevant, timely videos from sources like the Queer Money Podcast, Power to Fly, the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce, and more.
Note: Tulane University curates this video content for their students with uConnect’s video module—an add-on to uConnect’s virtual career center platform. Learn more here.
Conclusion
Video is clearly the go-to format for Gen Z, aligning perfectly with their hunger for authenticity, connection, and relevant content online. From learning preferences to engagement, we’ve seen how video can speak directly to students in a way other formats may not.
By building trust through authentic content, choosing the right messenger, experimenting with different video styles, and finding the right topics, the key is connecting with Gen Z in a way that feels real and personal. When using video effectively, career services can provide the inspiration, information, and support Gen Z needs as they explore potential career paths.
To learn more from Wittezehler about how to use video to engage Gen Z with career services, check out his episode of the Career Everywhere podcast.
