The current generation is future-proofing

About ten years ago, when you asked candidates in an interview what their career aspiration was, the answers were more or less predictable.

“I want to grow into a leadership role.”

“I aim to become a manager.”

Some would even dare to say “I want to be in your chair.”

At least out loud, the trajectory was always about climbing within the organisation. The corporate ladder was still seen as worth climbing.

Today, the answers are startlingly different. Candidates talk openly about moving into farming. About opening a small restaurant. About starting a blog or a YouTube channel. Some are investing in commercial vehicles for leasing businesses. And many other such small scale ideas. The job, for many, is no longer the future, it’s simply the funding. A five-year stint at best, while they save enough money to walk away.

This mindset shift hasn’t come out of nowhere. It has been accelerated by three realities this generation has grown up watching closely:

Layoffs:  Even loyal employees, the ones who stuck it out through nights and weekends, have been cut loose in the blink of an eye. Loyalty is no longer seen as an investment like the previous generation did.

AI is rewriting the rules: The skills you have today might be redundant tomorrow. Why bet your entire future on a corporate role that could vanish with the next upgrade?

Life isn’t just work anymore: This generation has a new view of success. It’s not the corner office. It’s autonomy. It’s ownership.

What’s even more interesting is where this is headed. These aspirations don’t end in the glass towers of metros. They lead away from them. If even a fraction of these candidates follow through, the next big workforce migration won’t be towards urban centres; it will be away from them.

Employers often worry about losing talent to competitors. They’re missing the bigger threat. The competition isn’t another company with better pay or fancier perks. The competition is the candidate’s dreams - their farm, their restaurant, their side hustle.

This isn’t just a generational quirk. It’s a direct response to what corporate life has become. Organisations broke the promise of long-term stability. Employees are simply learning to break free earlier.

If you’re hiring today, remember this: you’re not just offering a job. You’re negotiating against a candidate’s future self. And right now, that future self looks a lot like a farmer, a café owner, or a creator. Not your next VP.