By Panagiota Steliou

More and more young professionals today are rejecting the traditional pursuit of climbing the corporate ladder for job security and financial growth – a path that appealed more to older generations. Instead, they are seeking work that feels meaningful and reflects who they are.

It is not solely about a paycheque anymore – and honestly, who can blame them?

This mindset reflects a growing willingness among younger generations to embrace risk, think entrepreneurially and explore careers at a slower pace that offers perspective. Many young people now take multiple internships, even unpaid, before jumping into the tight job market.

In a world that tends to measure worth by financial gains and fancy titles, this kind of deliberate attitude to wait and explore feels not only radical but also essential.

Yet, this is not the whole story – there is another side that must be acknowledged. The ability to take your time – to wait for the “right’’ job, to say no to what does not feel aligned – is often a privilege.

But, it is much easier to reject uninspiring work when you have a financial cushion or a supportive family. For those from working-class backgrounds and underrepresented communities, the story is very different.

A significant number of young people do not have the option to pause and explore. They enter the workforce quickly – not because they lack ambition, but because they need to earn, contribute to family finances, or repay debt. Their choices are shaped purely by urgency, not luxury, not an intrinsic purpose.

Research highlights that the majority of people, from any social group, do desire to pursue a meaningful career path. Nevertheless, those that actually manage to go through with it are often the ones from higher socioeconomic backgrounds.

This raises a deeper question: Is the pursuit of meaningful work becoming a class divide?

If only the privileged can afford to search for purpose while others must settle, we risk establishing inequality in yet another space: our careers.

It does not have to be this way. And on top of everything, one of the biggest challenges we face is societal judgement – especially towards those who choose practical, hands-on jobs. It is time we stopped measuring worth by titles or degrees and started honouring dignity in all forms of work.

When we do, we ease the burden on those who aspired to follow different paths but could not.