The desire to gain work experience is becoming an increasingly important factor among first-time job seekers, a new study has found, while the average age at which people begin their working lives in the UK is creeping steadily upwards.

Based on a survey of 2,000 adults, customer services outsourcer Moneypenny found that the majority of those across all working generations – Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials and Gen Z – said their main reason for getting their first job was to earn pocket money. Baby Boomers aged 55 to 64 said so the most at 65 per cent of those questioned.

The second most popular motivator across all the generations was “to become more independent”, with Gen Z respondents citing this most often at 47%.

However, the data also revealed that gaining work experience was more important to Gen Z than Baby Boomers, with 42% of 18 to 24-year-olds saying this was their main motivation. That compared to just 15% from Gen Z.

Meanwhile, the average age at which people get their first job has increased through the generations. While most Baby Boomers got a paper round, shop assistant, waiting job or similar part-time work at 12 or 13 years of age, the Gen X average was 13 to 14, that of Millennials was 14.5 to 15.5, at that of Gen Z was 16 or older.

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Gen Z is also the first for which a paper round was not the most common first job, coming in at just 14% versus the top answer of retail assistant at 19%. More than a quarter of Baby Boomers (27%) and Gen X (31%) delivered newspapers, while among Millennials aged 25 to 34 the proportion was 18%.

Considering these findings in the context of the job market faced by today’s teenagers, Adzuna co-founder Andrew Hunter said first jobs offer the chance for young workers to cut their teeth in the professional world by learning soft skills like communication and punctuality. In a “fiercely competitive” labour market, a “proven work ethic” can help them stand out from the rest.

“Soft skills like reliability and trustworthiness are more important than ever for companies that may be operating semi-remotely or with a slimline staff,” he said.

“Job seekers who have developed these skills through casual work like paper rounds are viewed as less of a risk in today’s cautious hiring environment. The type of work on their CV is less important; rather, the focus is on their transferable skills.”

Andrew Fennell, director of CV-writing company StandOut CV, noted that the survey also uncovered changes in how people go about getting their first job.

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Twenty-nine percent of 18 to 24-year olds said they got their first job by handing their CV into the workplace, while 16% applied online. Just 20% of this group succeeded by walking into the workplace to ask for a job, compared to 34% of older workers.

“Younger generations understand this isn’t the done thing anymore, and may be considered rude,” Mr Fennell said.

“This same bold attitude has simply translated to platforms like LinkedIn though, where people can message recruiters and CEOs directly and ask for a job or work experience. It’s the same concept just executed differently.”

Expanding on that point, Mr Hunter from Adzuna added: “The single biggest factor that has changed the way we work – and the way jobseekers apply for jobs – is the digital revolution. Rather than getting a first job by handing over a CV or visiting a local cafe, today’s young jobseekers are increasingly spotting opportunities through social media sites like Facebook and Instagram, or searching on job search engines like Adzuna.”

Overall, the most common first job across all age ranges and regions was the paper round, with 25% of those surveyed saying this was their first-ever role. This was followed by retail assistant (16%), waiting tables (7%) and babysitting (7%).

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“Waiter positions continue to be a mainstay for first-jobbers,” Mr Hunter added. “”Though the hospitality hiring has been hurt by pandemic restrictions, these jobs are now bouncing back.

“Our latest data shows nearly 27,000 hospitality and catering vacancies available – still around 50% below pre-pandemic ‘normal’ hiring, but the most we’ve seen in a year.”