Amazon AI Exec’s top career advice is always getting your phone. This is a disaster for Gen Z, who has telephobia

And thanks to the random phone he received in 2013.

“When Amazon called to build Alexa, I didn’t know what it would turn out. If I hadn’t received the phone, I might not have had the opportunity,” Prasad said exclusively. luck At Vivatech in Paris.

“They reached out and said, “There’s a project called “driving” by (former CEO) Jeff Bezos.” I was just intrigued, it was an opportunity for a very green field. ”

Of course, Prasad got a job. And today, more than 12 years later, he is not entirely entirely sure how the Amazon hiring team has grabbed his number.

But he knows what influenced the call. “I later learned that someone came across my research paper on speech recognition in a distant field,” he added. “They were particularly interested in my background leading cutting edge R&D projects in the DARPA space, which aligns well with Amazon’s ambitions.”

That’s why he has some luck with success in his career. What is his advice for Gen Z? Control what you can control, hone your skills, and say yes when the opportunity sounds.

“I don’t think I’m smarter than anyone else. I think the smartest person in the room is aware that he or she has something to learn. So I’ve always been faithful to your passion, and of course, I’ve called.”

Gen Z telephobia is so bad that they are ghost employers.

Prasad’s career advice is more phony, but if Gen Z doesn’t learn to get a mobile phone, they may be missing out on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

in fact, the study A quarter of the youngest workers show that they cannot answer any kind of phone call. And when it comes to actual business-related calls, the statistics are even more disastrous. Individual research It was found that 67% of office workers under the age of 34 avoid answering work calls due to anxiety. There are millions of generations of Zers Unemployedthey’re getting a reputation Potential employers of ghosts.

Generation Z telephobia is so bad that the UK’s National Statistics Office (ONS) Forced to dispose of important employment data Because young people don’t pick up their phones. Darren Morgandirector of economic statistics production and analysis at the National Bureau of Statistics, denounced the internet and social media for stealing the attention of young people, while also highlighting how it appears to be a global phenomenon.

meanwhile, British universities Now I’ve stepped up and started offering classes to call and call to help Gen Z overcome this fear. After all, not every call is bad news. Despite the research suggesting that Gen Z might assume.

Amazon’s Prasad is not the only executive who has received a big break thanks to unexpected calls. GHD boss Jeroen Temmerman said luck He wasn’t like that Even in job hunting When the hair care giant rang out of blue at the offer. And Bob Iger never thought he would return to Disney –Until the phone comesand his wife convinced him to say yes.

Calendar invitations don’t always give you the opportunity. Sometimes it just sounds.

Are you worried about getting a phone? Has that affected your employment opportunities? Fortune wants to hear from you. Please contact us: orianna.royle@fortune.com