Posts Tagged: Generation Y
Overcoming the “E” Word
Posted in Career Advice Generation Y Managing Generational Differences Millennial women on August 30, 2010 at 9:09 am
Lots of people are buzzing about the recent New York Times Magazine cover story, “What is it About 20-Somethings?” The article focuses on the fact that today’s 20-somethings are “delaying adulthood” by moving back in with their parents, marrying later and hopping from career to career.
The article speculates about whether these shifts are happening because of the current economy, a fundamental change in the definition of adulthood or — as many of the article’s more negative commenters believe — the “entitled” nature of the Generation Y.
Personally, I believe that 20-somethings are simply reflecting the reality of our current times. But I have seen evidence that many Millennials aren’t aware of the way they are perceived, particularly in the workplace. I frequently hear recruiters and employers complain that today’s young people have a sense of entitlement — a belief that they deserve jobs, high salaries and advanced responsibilities even when they don’t have much experience.
Whether you personally feel this way or not, it’s important to understand that this perception of 20-somethings is out there. In many companies, the older generations are still in charge, so when you’re looking for a job or wanting to advance in your career, you’ll have a better chance of success if you avoid the “entitled” label. Here are some tips for overcoming the “e” word…
Read these tips on my “College to Career” blog at MyPath.com…
What I Wish I’d Known in College
Posted in Career Advice Generation Y Life Advice on August 23, 2010 at 9:00 am
Happy Monday, everyone! As you can imagine, I spent this weekend thinking a lot about the New York Times Magazine cover story, “What Is It About 20-Somethings?” I’ve submitted a Letter to the Editor and will post it here if the Times doesn’t publish it. In the meantime, I’d love to hear your comments here or on Twitter.
In the meantime, on to my newest post. Looking forward to your comments!
What I Wish I’d Known in College
As someone who spends my days interacting with college students and thinking about their career prospects, I often think back to my own days on campus. I’ll admit that I experience a mix of nostalgia, relief and regret. I enjoyed college, but I also struggled to find direction during those four years.
While I know I can’t change the past — and my struggles transitioning from college to career led me to the work that I do now — there are definitely some things I would have done differently. For what it’s worth, here are three things I wish I’d known in college that I know now, in my 30s:
1. Great teachers and mentors are rarer than you think. I wish I’d taken classes in college based solely on the amazingness of the professors, regardless of the subject of the classes they taught. If there is a “star” teacher at your school, take his or her class, even if you just audit it from the back row. No matter what that person teaches, his or her passion will inspire you and may open your eyes to something you never previously considered.
Read the rest of this post on my “College to Career” blog at MyPath.com…
Making the MBA Decision
Posted in Career Advice Career Change Graduate School on August 5, 2010 at 9:50 am
Dear Lindsey,
How important is getting your MBA from a top graduate school verses a middle of the road or maybe online school make? What difference does it make regarding future pay and opportunities?
Thanks,
Marie
Dear Marie,
Educational decisions are personal and the right answers are different for everyone. What I can do is provide you with the right questions to ask to make the right move for you.
Here are three questions to help you make the best decision for you:
1. Why are you getting an MBA?
Education is a wonderful, valuable endeavor and a worthy goal in itself, but in my opinion, you should always have an end goal in mind. That desired result can help you make the decision about the best school for you. For instance, if you are getting an MBA to help you make a career change, your top priority should be finding an institution that is known for guiding people into careers in the new field you want to join. If your goal is to increase your technical knowledge of accounting, financial management, etc. (for instance, to gain a higher position or salary bracket in your current organization), then the school name may not be as important as simply gaining the knowledge you need. If your number one goal is high-level networking, then a “brand name” school might be the choice for you. If post-grad school salary is the key factor for you, then ask schools for the average starting salaries of their graduates.
Read the rest of my response to Marie’s question on Excelle.com…
How to Manage the Technological Generation Gap
Posted in Career Advice Career Q&A Generation Y Managing Generational Differences on July 22, 2010 at 8:36 am
Dear Lindsey,
I’m an engineer at a leading tech company, and for the most part I love my job. At 29, I’m one of the younger people in the office. One of the most frustrating things for me is working with much older people who are a lot slower with new technologies — even my superiors who are in technical roles can’t work as quickly as the younger crew can.
And I don’t blame them — I don’t think I’ll be able to keep up in such a rapidly-changing field when I’m in my 60s. Still, it’s hard to watch (or wait for) them to figure something out that I could have done myself in half the time.
How do I show respect to my older, less tech-savvy coworkers without losing my mind?
Thanks,
Young and Speedy
Read my answer to this question on my new “Ask the Gen Y Expert” column at Excelle.com…
Guest Post: Jobs That Matter for Millennials
Posted in Career Advice First Job Out of College Generation Y Job Hunting Recommended Resources on June 21, 2010 at 9:35 am
This is a guest post by Heather Krasna, author of the new book, Jobs That Matter: Find a Stable, Fulfilling Career in Public Service:
Recent surveys show that Millennials want to make a difference in the world. The National Association of Colleges and Employers found that 27 percent of graduating seniors in 2009 plan to work for nonprofit groups or government. Another survey by the Partnership for Public Service found that 90 percent would be interested in a federal government job. On top of that, the recent Heartland Monitor Poll found that 55 percent of Millennials are seeking long-term job security.
Many of the jobs that make a difference in the world, like those in environmental, social services, education, community development, religion, international development or the arts, are found only in the nonprofit sector or government. Some of the most interesting and fulfilling jobs—like wildlife biologists, foreign service officers, community development specialists, social workers, disaster management specialists, or community organizers and advocates, can only be found in government or nonprofit organizations.
Another reason to consider public service work is that many of these jobs are the most stable in a down economy. For instance, the layoff rate for government was only 0.6 percent in January 2009, compared with 2.1 percent in the private sector.
But the job search for nonprofit or government entities can be very different from the typical ones you might have been prepared for by your college career center. For instance, government agencies may ask you to write essays about your work experience and how it relates to a job, or you may have to take a civil service test. You have to follow all instructions carefully in order to be considered, and a normal resume may not work. For a nonprofit organization, you should highlight your volunteer experience and leadership, and make sure to network as much as possible into the often tight-knit nonprofit community.
Interested in learning more about public service careers? Heather’s new book, Jobs That Matter: Find a Stable, Fulfilling Career in Public Service (© 2010 JIST Works), shares the secrets you need to land a fulfilling job in public service. For more tips from Heather, visit www.heatherkrasna.com.
New Research on Millennials and the Great Recession
Posted in Economic Crisis Future of Careers Generation Y on May 13, 2010 at 12:46 pm
On Tuesday night I attended a dinner hosted by the Atlantic Media Company in Washington, DC, to discuss the results of the brand new Allstate-National Journal Heartland Monitor Poll, which offers a look at the economic experience of the Millennial generation.
There were about 20 of us at the table, including representatives from government, think tanks, media outlets and labor unions. The discussion was moderated by Ron Brownstein, who is not only a well-respected journalist and father of a Millennial, but, I learned, is also a fellow fan of Lost. (Yes, he was careful to end the dinner before Tuesday night’s episode.)
Here are some of my main takeaways from the discussion and the poll:
Job security is trendy. One of the more surprising findings of the poll is that 55% of Millennials say their goal is long-term employment with a single employer. And, when asked to rank their most important workplace priorities, job security was number one (with money a close number two). Personally, I believe this will change as the economy improves. I just don’t see Gen Y-ers sticking with traditional career paths with all of the options and portable benefits available in the new economy. In fact, many of the dinner attendees joked that they don’t even want to work for their current employers for the rest of their careers.
Read the rest of this post on my “College to Career” blog at MyPath.com…
Podcast: Why Two Jobs May Be Better Than One
Posted in Career Advice Career Change Entrepreneurship Future of Careers Generation Y on April 8, 2010 at 3:16 pm
“Modern moonlighting” has become an increasingly popular phenomenon among young professionals. It involves working a full-time job and pursuing other projects on the side.
Why are people doing this and how do you make it work? Listen in on my conversation with Jenny Blake, who works full-time at Google and runs a coaching and blogging business, LifeAfterCollege.org, on the side.
Listen to the podcast on my MyPath.com “College to Career” show now!
Tags: Career Advice, future of work, Generation Y, Jenny Blake, MyPath
Audio Download: Lindsey interviewed by William Arruda of Reach Personal Branding
Posted in Career Advice Generation Y Recommended Resources on November 20, 2009 at 11:00 am
Many thanks to William Arruda, founder of Reach Personal Branding and author of Career Distinction: Stand Out by Building Your Brand, for interviewing me recently. Our topic was “Getting from College to Career in Tough Times” and here is an overview of the topics we covered:
- Why careers for Gen Y are fundamentally different than previous generations’ careers
- How college students and recent grads can avoid the biggest mistake in job hunting
- What parents can do to help
- What universities can do to help
- Why social media is changing job hunting/career development forever
You Have More Experience Than You Think (Part III)
Posted in Career Advice First Job Out of College Generation Y Job Hunting on October 5, 2009 at 12:30 pm
Today I’m pleased to share my third and final post on all the types of experience you have that you might not be giving yourself credit for. I hope you find this valuable, and please share any additional suggestions in the Comments!
Part III: Personal Interests and Experiences
1. Investing. Have you put away money since your tenth birthday and watched your savings grow significantly? Are you active in trading and investing through your E*TRADE account? Do you currently manage your finances beyond balancing your checkbook? Since many high school and college students don’t manage their own money, your experience and knowledge could stand out.
2. Family business. If you’ve been part of your parents’ business development process or worked in a family-owned restaurant or store, your dinner table conversations may have involved hiring practices and workplace challenges. Even if you didn’t start the company, your experience is a source of knowledge and brings value to your job search.
3. Travel. Any trip that has broadened your perspective of the United States or the world adds value to your relevant work experience. Did you hike the Grand Canyon or backpack through Europe? Did you visit a country where you couldn’t even read the street signs? Be sure to tell potential employers how you overcame these challenges and broadened your life experience. (more…)
Tags: Career Advice, Generation Y, Job Hunting
On The Huffington Post: Slacked This Summer? Time to Turn Up the Heat!
Posted in Career Advice First Job Out of College Generation Y on August 27, 2009 at 9:53 am
My next blog post is up on The Huffington Post. Hope you will check it out and re-tweet if you like it! Here is an excerpt:
While many recent grads have spent the summer hustling for jobs, completing internships and taking summer classes, I have a hunch that others have acquired deep tans, toned abs and a slew of ticket stubs from summer concerts.
While I celebrate your right to slack off during your summer (and I’m a bit jealous of this liberty), you may find a summer of pool parties and margaritas is a disadvantage when you start hunting for a job or internship this fall.
If you haven’t had the most professionally proactive summer, here are some tips for what to do about it:
1. Give yourself some credit. Lots of things count as experience that you might not realize. For instance, retail jobs, babysitting or working for your parents’ business can be described in ways that demonstrate your drive, leadership and professional skills. Did you manage your time and money? Were your sales in the top percentage of all employees? Did you learn how to work with different types of people? All of these are invaluable workplace skills that can be mentioned on a resume or in a cover letter.
2. Acknowledge if you needed rest. If you had a rough year leading up to the summer months, it’s okay to characterize your summer as a time of restoration. Whether you got back in shape, learned to cook or perfected the latest yoga pose, these methods of self-renewal are good uses of your time. I do worry that your generation is under a lot of pressure and the stress that follows can be unhealthy in the long term. Just be sure to use your newfound energy to propel yourself this fall.
