TikTok is filling a void for many young careerists looking for guidance on their professional journeys.
Per a recent report from Resume Builder, nearly half of Generation Z and millennial workers turn to career advice on TikTok with 1 in 5 sharing they’ve actually made career decisions based on what they saw on the streaming platform.
Some have even shared they’ve paid TikTok influencers for career coaching services—shelling out between $500 to $1,500 on occasion.
“Most creators are sharing their personal career experience and calling it career coaching, which isn’t coaching,” Julia Toothacre, resume and career strategist for Resume Builder, said in a statement. “Personal experience is a way to connect, but it does not account for the unique experience, personality and needs of their followers,” she said.
The report went to highlight that of those who use TikTok, 86% (or half of the total sample) say they get career advice from the platform with some frequency. Overall, 27% say they get career advice on TikTok frequently, 38% say sometimes, and 22% say not very often. Only 14% say they never do.
“I like to put career advice into two categories: transactional and transformational,” one TikTok user shared. “Transactional advice is about the job search process (résumé, interview prep, negotiation skills, and general job search strategy). Transformational advice is about digging into your specific situation to help you make the best decisions in your career moving forward. Understanding whether you need transformational or transactional advice is important because you need to ensure you find a coach who can offer the type of advice you need.”