| Summary: | In the context of the globalized society where the digital revolution has projected waves of economic,
political, cultural, family, etc. dimensions, we are discussing the digital generation which, due to its
psychological profile, has been given various names: Generation Z, Wireless Generation, Wi-Fi
Generation, Facebook Generation, Instant Generation, etc. Considering the common patterns of
young people who belong to this generation - of thinking and relating to themselves, to society, to
the activity carried out - the purpose of the study is to identify the factors that influence them in their
school orientation and professional choice. The sample is made up of 90 students enrolled in the first
year of undergraduate university study programs from the faculties of Humanities and Sciences and
Economic Sciences of the Petroleum and Gas University of Ploiești. In order to collect relevant
information regarding the determining factors in the school orientation and professional choice of
young people belonging to generation Z, a questionnaire-based survey was used, applied online to
first-year students enrolled in various specializations belonging to the two faculties mentioned
above. Also, a focus group discussion proved to be useful to identify details about young people’s
aspirations, expectations and representations regarding school and professional orientation. The
analysis of the data obtained following the application of the questionnaire, but also during the
focus-group discussion, highlighted the different benchmarks that the young generation Z have in
shaping their professional approach, beyond the common patterns impregnated by the digital
society. The difference is given by the extent to which they are concerned with looking for answers to
the questions “who am I?”, “what do I want to become?”, based on which they can outline their selfidentity.
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