Posts Tagged: Millennials
Stop bashing Gen Y workers!
Posted in Economic Crisis Generation Y on January 18, 2009 at 10:06 pm
I try to read everything in the news about Generation Y and careers. This means I regularly find myself plodding through frustrating stories about how the Millennials are “entitled,” “coddled” and “disloyal.” Friday’s article on MSNBC.com is yet another maddening example.
When did the Baby Boomers mantra “Don’t trust anyone over 30” turn into “Don’t trust anyone under 30”?
Why, during the worst economy in over 60 years, would anyone tell our youngest workers—our future leaders—that they are “not special” and “woefully unprepared”? If we said this about any other type of worker, it would be discrimination. Why is it okay to bash young workers?
I acknowledge that many Millennials (those born in the 1980s and 90s) are not as prepared as previous generations when it comes to some very important areas of work, such as writing skills and professionalism. I would argue in return that they are significantly more prepared in such very important areas as technology and globalization.
And yes, many young workers like to change jobs frequently. But this is a natural and understandable result of growing up in a time of unprecedented economic expansion, the dot com revolution and rounds upon rounds of corporate downsizings. Millennials know they’ll never work at one company for 30 years and retire with a gold watch. They’re not disloyal; they’re realistic. And, when they find a company that has adapted to the new realities of the workforce, such as Zappos.com, they do stay. (more…)
Video on PwC.tv: How to recession-proof your job search
Posted in Career Advice Economic Crisis First Job Out of College Generation Y Internships Job Hunting Networking Recommended Resources Volunteering on January 14, 2009 at 9:07 am
The bad news: 2008 was the worst year for jobs since 1945.
The good news: It’s a new year, and with that new year comes new advice, new tips and new resources for job hunters.
Recently, PricewaterhouseCoopers, one of the best places for young professionals to launch a career, invited me to provide tips to help students and recent graduates find jobs and internships right now.
Click here to watch the 5-minute video and to download a list of 10 ways to recession-proof your job search.
If you have additional questions, feel free to submit them here.
Win a working vacation to Sydney, Australia
Posted in Recommended Resources Uncategorized on January 4, 2009 at 5:38 pm
Happy New Year, Everyone!
Did your New Year’s resolutions include the goal of traveling overseas? Taking more risks? Casting a wider net in your job search? If you’re interested in any of the above, you might be interested in this contest, sponsored by Tourism New South Wales, a consulting client of mine:
Tell us why you deserve to win the ultimate Sydney work and play lifestyle.
All you have to do is tell us why you should in the ultimate working vacation in Sydney. If you win, you can combine a little work or a little study with a LOT of fun and travel. Make it original but most importantly make it about you and why Sydney will love you. Tell us why you should win in a video or in words.
4 Prizes of approx. $6,000 USD each:
- We’ll fly you here – Return flights to Sydney, Australia.
- We’ll get you a job – Talent Management package courtesy of Hudson and CareerOne.
- We’ll make sure you have fun – Free event access courtesy of Moshtix.
- We’ll settle you in – Talent Fee courtesy of Tourism NSW.
Click here to apply now.
Click here to learn more about opportunities to work, study or vacation to Sydney, Australia — now easier thanks to a new Work and Holiday visa arrangement between Australia and the United States.
As I’ve blogged about before, I lived in Australia for two and a half years — feel free to ask me any questions about the experience!
Find your dream job: 12 career resolutions for 2009
Posted in Career Advice First Job Out of College Generation Y Job Hunting Social Media on December 28, 2008 at 8:36 pm
Reminder: I’m now answering job search and career questions as Career Contributor for ABC News on Campus. Submit your question here.
Every day is a new beginning, but a new calendar year offers a particularly great opportunity for fresh starts. This year more than ever, career-minded people are craving new opportunities and new strategies to carry out in January and beyond.
As you think about your plans and goals for 2009, here are 12 career-related resolutions to consider adding to your list.
1. I will do one thing every day to find a job or advance my career. Spend some time every day, even just five minutes, researching potential employers, reading advice articles, following up with people you’ve met, practicing for interviews or doing anything else to help your career prospects. Keep moving forward. Momentum matters.
2. I will update my resume once a month. Especially in an economic downturn, your resume needs to be ready to send at a moment’s notice. Make a note in your calendar to review this important document once a month to be sure it sells your skills and experience in the best possible way.
3. I will regularly review my online presence. While you’re keeping your resume up-to-date, review your online professional presence as well. Google your own name and make sure the results reflect the image you want to project. Many organizations are now relying on social networking sites like LinkedIn and Facebook for recruiting, so it’s quite likely your next employer will review your online profile before seeing your official resume.
Essential recession reading: 5 new articles for young job hunters
Posted in Career Advice Economic Crisis First Job Out of College Generation Y International Careers Internships Job Hunting Recommended Resources on December 18, 2008 at 1:57 pm
Yesterday I was a guest on NPR’s Talk of the Nation on the topic of “Where to Look for Jobs in the Recession.” Laurence Shatkin, author of 150 Best Recession-Proof Jobs, and I shared our tips, and host Neal Conan took calls from listeners.
Many listeners shared upsetting stories of layoffs and difficulty landing new jobs, and many also offered suggestions on what companies and industries are still hiring. We discussed opportunities in healthcare, education, accounting, trucking, energy, defense and more. Listen to the full program here.
We also talked about the fact that job hunters today have to cast a very wide net in their jobs searches. To that end, here are several recent articles that offer an abundance of suggestions, resources and opportunities: (more…)
On Cheezhead: What Millennials really want to know
Posted in First Job Out of College Generation Y Job Hunting Recommended Resources on December 12, 2008 at 1:32 pm
This week I had the opportunity to write a guest blog post for the Cheezhead recruitment blog, the news and commentary site run by Joel Cheesman. If you don’t know about this blog, it’s a must-read for anyone interested in HR and recruitment issues. It’s also a great resource for job seekers who want to understand how recruiters operate.
My post, “What Millennials Really Want to Know,” shares the top three questions I receive from entry-level job seekers. Here is an excerpt:
Millennials (a.k.a. Generation Y) have earned a less-than-stellar reputation in the recruiting community. You’re not alone if you’ve found young candidates to act “entitled” to jobs or not know basic rules of professional etiquette. As someone who spends a lot of time with college students and young professionals, I admit that I observe these traits fairly often.
Fortunately, I can also report that many career-minded college students are eager to work hard, impress recruiters and become savvy professionals. This is most evident during the lengthy Q&A sessions following my college workshops, when students ask thoughtful, detailed and serious-minded questions about how to get jobs.
In the spirit of helping us all understand each other a little better, here the three most common questions I receive from Millennial job seekers. I believe the companies that answer these questions — and communicate their answers to entry-level candidates — will go a long way toward winning the hearts, minds and productivity of today’s best and brightest young workers…
Economy got you down? Move to Australia (seriously!)
Posted in Career Advice Economic Crisis First Job Out of College Generation Y Graduate School International Careers Job Hunting Recommended Resources on November 18, 2008 at 5:00 am
Looking for an alternative to job hunting in the U.S.? It’s now easier than ever to work, study and travel in Australia.
College students have been studying abroad for decades, but in today’s increasingly global economy, international experience is becoming more and more valuable to employers. When you add the fact that job prospects in the U.S. are not exactly great right now, you may determine that it’s the right time to consider working or studying overseas. If so, I encourage you to add the Land Down Under to your list. New visa rules between the U.S. and Australia make it easier than ever.
This is a topic that’s close to my heart. After I graduated college in 1996, I studied and worked in Australia for two and-a-half years. It was an amazing, life-changing, career-enhancing experience (if you’re very, very nice to me, I might post embarrassing touristy photos of me petting kangaroos).
Because I was so far from home and surrounded by new opportunities, during my time in Australia I was able to experiment with different career interests, including working for a PR agency, a magazine, a city council and a film festival. As someone who was undecided about my career path out of college, living abroad was a great way to explore my options without feeling too much pressure. Plus, when I returned to the U.S., job interviewers were impressed with my international experience.
Want to learn more about Australia and opportunities to travel, work, study and live there? Visit MySpace and add MySydney as a friend. You’ll find very helpful info on getting a Work and Holiday visa, going to school, getting a job and having fun Down Under. You can also enter a contest to win a dream working vacation in Sydney. If I weren’t over 30, I’d enter myself!
Have any questions about working, studying or living in Australia? Please ask — I’d love to share my personal experience.
On FastCompany.com: Gen Y and the Presidential Election
Posted in Uncategorized on November 5, 2008 at 12:56 pm
Today’s post first appeared on my FastCompany.com Next Generation Career Advice Blog.
World, meet Generation Y. If you weren’t aware of them yet, you couldn’t miss them on Election Day.
Barack Obama’s victory is the biggest and most inspiring example yet of the growing influence of Generation Y (born approx. 1980–2000) in the U.S. and the world.
I witness this every day when I speak on college campuses and chat with students and young professionals in person, by text message and on Facebook (where Obama has over 2.5 million fans): Gen Y is smart, diverse, energized, socially and politically aware and able to use the Internet to do pretty much anything.
To learn more about how Generation Y took part in the election and helped to influence the outcome, check out the Youth Vote Blog and ABC News on Campus for blog posts, videos, photos and reflections by college students from all over the country and all across the political spectrum.
Of course, no matter which candidate you voted for and which generation you identify with, I think all Americans can be proud today to say:
We just made history.
Tags: Generation Y, Millennials
On FastCompany.com: Interview with an international millennial
Posted in Career Advice Generation Y International Careers Job Hunting on October 15, 2008 at 9:19 pm
Note: This blog post originally appeared on FastCompany.com.
As I travel around to universities this fall, I’m meeting more and more international students pursuing their college degrees in the United States. These students face unique challenges while job hunting, networking and building their careers.
For perspective on this experience, I asked Nuzhat M. Karim, Program Manager, University Relations, EMC², who grew up in Bangladesh, to answer some questions.
Q: Why did you decide to go to college in the US?
A: My grandfather (my mom’s father) and my father came to Texas A&M, College Station for their PhDs in the 70s, but they later moved back to Bangladesh. Then, all my maternal uncles, aunts and my brother moved to the U.S. for college and career. All the stories about the U.S. and the U.S. education system really made me want to come, too.
Q: What was most different or surprising about coming to university in the U.S.?
A: The biggest difference is the fact that a student can start college here without deciding what to major in and even change major multiple times if one wishes. (more…)
This week on FastCompany.com: Why Your Company Needs Millennials
Posted in Generation Y on September 23, 2008 at 12:13 pm
Hope you’ll check out my post this week on FastCompany.com: “Why Your Company Needs Millennials: 5 Reasons to Love Gen Y”
It’s no secret that Generation Y workers (a.k.a. Millennials) don’t exactly have the best reputation in the workplace. Perhaps you’ve heard some of the following comments made about this generation, born in the 1980s and ‘90s:
“They don’t want to pay their dues.”
“They act so entitled.”
“All they want to do is play on Facebook.”
No stereotype is ever 100% true, and lots of people have good things to say about today’s young workers, but these negative perceptions are definitely out there.
Do Millennials have a lot to learn? Yeah, probably. Will Millennials outgrow their quirks? Maybe. But my belief is that companies that act now to take advantage of Gen Y’s strengths and help them overcome their weaknesses will have a major talent advantage today and into the future.
Here are five reasons you need Millennials at your company right now…
