I had the complete joy this past Sunday of having absolutely nothing to do. It was pouring rain, SeamlessWeb delivered bagels and coffee directly to my door, and my husband and his best friend had plans to watch nonstop football.
So, I camped out upstairs in our apartment -- computer turned off! -- and read pretty much the entire Sunday New York Times cover-to-cover. In addition to reading Bono’s op-ed, a review of Gail Collins’ new book about women and, as always, the wedding announcements (“the sports pages for women”), I came across an interview with Carol Bartz, the CEO of Yahoo.
In the interview, Bartz is asked to share her best career advice. She says the following:
“You need to build your career not as a ladder, but as a pyramid. You need to have a base of experience because it’s a much more stable structure. And so that involves taking lateral moves. And it involves getting out of your comfort zone.”
It’s no secret that the concept of a career ladder, in which you rise up each rung in a direct (and precarious) upward trajectory, is no longer relevant to the realities of today’s work world. I was excited when, a few years ago, Deloitte’s Cathy Benko and Anne C. Weisberg, authors of Mass Career Customization, coined an alternative term “career lattice.” They defined this as a career that exists as “an undulating journey of climbs and lateral moves.”
I like the lattice image, especially in a corporate context as Benko and Weisberg designed it, but for career paths in general I love the pyramid analogy. It suggests that, in the early years of one’s career especially, your job is to build a foundation that will be the base for future career decisions and accomplishments. It suggests that a career is something from which you can’t “fall off” or “fall through the cracks.” It connotes stability and strength.
Furthermore, a pyramid can be custom built to any specifications. The current Wikipedia entry on pyramids notes, “The base of a pyramid can be trilateral, quadrilateral, or any polygon shape, meaning that a pyramid has at least four faces.” (Plus, if you envision a pyramid that looks more like a progression of steps, you can also incorporate the helpful concept of "leveling up," which Chris Brogan wrote about recently.)
It’s no secret that many of us have various “faces” at any given point in our careers. I’m thinking of a newly entrepreneurial friend whose pyramid “base” is her seven years at a law firm learning the basics of negotiation and communication. Or my husband, whose base includes eight years in magazine advertising sales that has now grown into a role as VP of sales for a digital media company. Or my own career pyramid, that started with a base of writing and speaking experience and has grown into a business with a variety of “faces.”
What do you think of the idea of career pyramids? Do you think this is a helpful analogy for the “shape” of 21st Century careers? Please share in the Comments!
I recently hired a part-time assistant to help me get a bit more organized. As someone who studies generational relationships in the workplace, I was curious to learn how my personal experience as a Gen X-er managing a Gen Y-er would compare to other people's experiences. Though we've only worked together for a couple weeks, I couldn't be happier with the arrangement. Aside from the obvious advantages of working with someone younger (she tells me when I need to ramp up the cool factor in my speeches and blog posts), here are the top five reasons I love my Millennial employee:
1. She brings up things that never occur to me. As much as I study Gen Y and correspond with them frequently online, there's something completely different about having a Gen Y-er physically in my presence. Since she's fresh out of college, she brings a totally different perspective about my work and the world. By digging into her experiences and hearing those of her friends and peers, I widen my view of what's important to her generation. For my business and many other businesses today, Gen Y is either our entire customer base or a large and ever-growing percentage of it. No matter what your business, gathering Gen Y input is not only a good idea; it's become essential.
2. She's just tech-ier. Much of my day-to-day work involves staying on top of Twitter and leading webinars on LinkedIn. Even with my relatively good technical knowledge, I sit mesmerized as my assistant zooms around on her Mac, flips through her Google docs and takes advantage of all the Internet has to offer. Gen Y has a natural facility with technology that even many of us active in the digital space cannot beat. I didn't even know what I was missing in time-saving tech shortcuts until I watched my assistant.
3. She understands personal branding. As a speaker and writer, part of my job is selling myself and my skills. Gen Y understands the importance of personal branding, because they've been branding themselves since their middle school AIM profiles. In The Narcissism Epidemic: Living in the Age of Entitlement, psychologist Jean Twenge says Gen Y's preoccupation with Facebook and other social networks demonstrates their high levels of narcissism. To me, it's not so much narcissism as it is generationally-appropriate personal branding. Whether you're a writer, speaker, entrepreneur or just working on your professional image, it's important to have someone who intimately understands personal publicity on your team.
4. She's not really into the 9 to 5. She's more of a 24/7 kind of girl. If I email my assistant at 11 p.m., she responds. If I unintentionally interrupt her dinner, she isn't caught off guard. She's attached to her iPhone, and as her employer, I reap the benefits. Sure, there are a few catches. For instance, when I say Sunday night deadline, that may mean a little after midnight or even 2 a.m. Monday morning. But overall, her 24-hour work schedule works to my advantage.
5. Her energy is phenomenal. Lately, my days have been filled to the brim with meetings, speaking events and other engagements. In fact, I'm surprised my TripIt app hasn't crashed from overuse. I naturally have a lot of energy and need every bit of it to keep up with my busy schedule. But when I do find myself running on empty, my young and savvy assistant swoops in with a burst of positive energy that jolts me back on track. Her eagerness and excitement are quite contagious, and I'm loving it.
Yes, those Gen Y-ers are a little different than the rest of us. But I assure you the benefits of having one (or more) by your side are well worth the difference.
According to research company Twentysomething Inc., up to 65
percent of 2009 college graduates are slated to return home upon graduation.
Although not the ideal choice for many young people, it’s a smart option if you
don’t have the means to support yourself and your parents are willing to put a
roof over your head for a while.
I lived at home for a few months after graduate school and,
frankly, I didn’t handle it very well. I spent a lot of time sulking in my
childhood bedroom—heart-design wallpaper, prom photos and all—and fell into an “I’m
a failure” funk. Eventually, I set up some networking lunches, had a few
sessions with a career counselor and landed a job and an apartment on my own.
In retrospect, I wish I had handled the situation a lot better. I
wish I’d treated that time as as a positive opportunity rather than a post-college
purgatory. If you find yourself in a similar situation, here are some tips—a.k.a.
what I wish I had done when I moved back in with mom and dad:
1. Communicate
early and often. If you have a good enough relationship to move back home after
graduation, you should have a good enough relationship to talk openly with your
parent or parents about your expectations for living together again. For instance,
discuss up front whether you’ll be expected to come home at a certain time,
whether you’ll need to ask permission to have guests over and what you’ll be
expected to contribute to the household in money or chores.
2. Use
your parents’ financial support wisely. If your parents offer to help you
financially, consider asking them for help purchasing items and services that
will help your job search or career development. For instance, they might take
you shopping for work
appropriate clothes, pay for the gas in your car or put you on a family
cell phone plan that includes both voice and data for keeping in touch with
friends and conducting your job search (check out the Spring Simply Everything
Family Plan, which is a great value and also available for individuals).
3. Learn
a new skill or two. Why, oh, why did I not learn some cooking tips from my mom while I
was living at home? If you view your time at home as an opportunity, you’ll
take advantage of the skills your parents can teach you—things you probably
overlooked when you were a kid. For instance, ask your parents to share their knowledge
on home maintenance if you want to own a home someday, work in the garden with
your dad or go to yoga with your mom. You might also offer to teach them
anything you’ve learned while you were away at school. While she was living at
home, my younger sister helped my dad set up his Facebook profile!
Have you moved back in with your parents and made the best of it?
Please share!
As the job market becomes more and more competitive, students and
recent grads need to do everything they can to stand out from their
peers. One great way to do this is by building your professional
reputation, also known as your “personal brand.”
I recently had the opportunity to interview Dan. Here are some excerpts from the interview, including a shout-out to Fast Company!
Lindsey: How do you define personal branding?
Dan: Personal branding is the process by which we market ourselves
to other people. The process that I’ve developed in my new book, Me
2.0, is “discover, create, communicate and maintain (DCCM).”
The first step in this process is to discover what you’re passionate
about and your area of expertise, while establishing goals and forming
both a development plan and a personal marketing plan.
The second step is to create marketing materials, which could
include a business card, portfolio, website, blog, social network
profiles, a podcast, a video resume, as well as traditional documents
like a resume and cover letter.
The third step is to become your own personal PR person and
communicate your brand to others through speaking engagements,
commenting on blogs, writing for magazines, pitching journalists and
more.
The final step is to maintain your brand, which consists of online
reputation management and keeping your profiles up-to-date and accurate
with changes in your career.
Lindsey: You are in your 20s. How have you established yourself as a personal branding expert at such a young age?
Personal branding came naturally to me because I marketed myself
extensively through college, including eight internships, seven
leadership positions and straight A’s. Instead of networking with
other professionals, I applied and interviewed through job boards and
corporate websites, which really forced me to differentiate myself.
I had never termed this to be personal branding until I read Tom Peter’s article in Fast Company magazine.
The second I read his article, I realized that personal branding was my
passion and since I was blessed with entrepreneurship genes, and skills
that I collected from middle school (graphic design and website
development), I was able to execute on my dream and build a brand
faster than most.
When I first branded myself, I considered myself a “personal
branding spokesman,” because my theories weren’t proven and I was a
prolific writer on this topic. As I started to see results from my
brand building, including being recruited for a new social media
position at EMC Corporation, and press mentions in BusinessWeek and The Wall Street Journal,
I transitioned my brand to “personal branding expert.”
Instead of
being this general with my title, I decided that my audience would be
Gen Y, because that niche was wide open and because I felt that the
millennial generation required extensive help to prepare them for the
real world. As a millennial myself, it was easy to connect to this
generation and thus my personal brand statement (who you are and who
you serve) became “the leading personal branding expert for Gen Y.”
My genuine enthusiasm and knowledge in this field has allowed me to
break through the clutter and establish myself as a top marketing
blogger, magazine publisher, video producer, consultant, speaker and
book author. If I lost everything today, I’d still pursue my passion
for personal branding.
Lindsey: Can you share 3 personal branding tips from
your book that are most important for Gen Ys graduating from college
this spring?
1. Have a targeted approach to applying for jobs.
Most college graduates will furiously apply to hundreds of jobs online,
praying that they might get a few interviews and hopefully a job.
Regardless of what the economic situation is, a focused job search will
always prevail. Instead of getting a job that will pay your bills, try
your hardest to create your own job at a company that you’d love to
work for. Write down the top five companies that you want to work for
and the job description you would like to have.
2. Conduct a people search, not just a job search.
Job boards are fading away and aren’t as useful as they were a decade
ago. Now, everyone is on social networks and can be contacted, without
having to go through chains of command. The best way to navigate the
recruitment process is to contact employers directly, instead of
applying for a job that might not be available anyway. Use search
engines, including Twitter, Facebook, Technorati and Google to locate
employees who work at companies you’re interested in and reach out to
them. By doing this, you’ll appear genuine and have a better chance of
getting the job you actually want.
3. Protect and promote your brand as much as possible.
Protecting your personal brand is extremely important because there are
other people in the world with your name and if you fail to register
your name on social networks and your domain name, someone else will.
Also, you’ll want to command your Google results because employers will
be searching for you. Promoting your brand is required to gain the
necessary visibility to be recruited based on your expertise. By using
social media tools to get your name out there, you have a better chance
at obtaining a great opportunity.
While some people decide to dive head first into entrepreneurship,
others feel more comfortable dipping in a toe, then an ankle, then a
knee before swimming solo. The choice is very personal and depends on
your experience, finances and overall comfort with risk. But, if
you’re thinking even just a little bit about starting your own
business, it’s never too early to take actions that will set you up for
taking the plunge when you’re ready. Here are some suggestions for
first steps to take if you’re thinking about starting your own small
business or becoming a full-time freelancer:
Find Real and Virtual Mentors. I guarantee you are not the first person to start a business in your industry. Use Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, DowntownWomensClub.com,Make Mine a Million $ Business,
Yahoo groups and other networking organizations and websites to make
connections with people who have started similar-sized businesses
(though not potential direct competitors — as you can imagine, it
makes me really cranky when someone asks me for advice on how to start
a business exactly the same as mine!). Ask people how they got started
and what advice and recommended resources they might offer. You can
also use the web to research successful entrepreneurs. What do their
websites look like? What experience is listed in their bios or
LinkedIn profiles? What professional credentials do they maintain?
Take notes!
Understand the Essentials. It’s not the most
exciting part of starting a business, but it’s crucial to research any
licenses, taxes and insurance you’ll need to go solo, and I recommend
doing this sooner rather than later. Start a list or folder to keep
track of everything, and don’t be afraid to ask experts for help,
especially an accountant and a lawyer. You can look to freelancers unions, entrepreneurial websites (my faves are StartupNation.com, FastCompany.com, Inc.com and Entrepreneur.com) and the Small Business Administration for free or low-cost help determining what “official” steps are required. Above all, be sure to find independent health insurance. Never take the risk of being uninsured.
Learn How to Market Yourself. One of the most
important requirements of entrepreneurship is the ability to sell
yourself and your ideas. Even before you launch your own venture, you
can begin working on this aspect of self-employment: Join high-profile
committees of industry organizations to make yourself visible to
members (who may be future clients of your new business). Volunteer at
a nonprofit organization related to the business you’d like to start.
Take professional development classes online or at a community college
to enhance your business skills and industry expertise. Start a blog on
a topic related to your entrepreneurial interests. Start posting
comments and articles on Twitter that establish your expertise in the
area of your choice. Check out the Personal Branding Blog for ongoing tips on marketing yourself.
Read up. Many, many, many people have written great
books on how to start and run businesses of all shapes and sizes. Here
are some of my personal favorites.
If you have more how-to-be-an-entrepreneur books you’ve liked, please share in the Comments section!
Each of the above activities will increase your leadership
experience, expand your network and, perhaps most importantly, build
your confidence that there is a world outside of full-time employment.
The plunge into entrepreneurship could even take place sooner than you
thought possible. Or, if you find yourself resisting these actions, it
may be a sign that you’re not quite ready to leave the regular paycheck
pool, even if it is hard to find a job right now. Either way,
self-employment is an option that many people consider at some point in
their careers, so it’s always worth a bit of exploration.
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. 1. Will you really remember meeting me at a job fair or campus recruiting event? You’re handing out pens; they could use Paxil. Students stress out about these events like you wouldn’t believe. And, what’s most stressful is that it’s unclear how much these face-to-face opportunities “count” in the recruiting process.
When I was a tour guide in college, I used to announce at the beginning of each tour that I had absolutely zero say in whether a prospective student would be accepted. Everyone was then able to relax and learn a lot more about whether the school was really a good fit for them. Could companies do the same if these events are purely informational? Or, if these events really are an important piece of the hiring process, wouldn’t you want students to know they should make a really strong impression?
2. Should I follow up if I don’t hear from you? My answer when students ask this question is yes, it’s a good idea to follow up a resume about two weeks after you’ve sent it in. I recommend that they follow up by email (phone calls can be intrusive), mention the specific job they’re applying for and provide a very brief reminder of why they’re a good fit.
Is this good advice? Bad advice? Does it depend? Wouldn’t it help everyone if companies provided some brief follow-up guidelines, including absolute “don’ts,” perhaps with a brief FAQ on their websites? Students would be spared the uncertainty and recruiters would be spared endless “just following up” phone calls.
3. Are you really checking out my Facebook profile? One cannot write for long about Millennials without eventually talking about Facebook. Sometimes it feels as if an entire alternative reality takes place on Facebook while we all go about our in-person experiences someplace else. The question is, what role are recruiters playing in the Facebook universe?
Some companies are openly, actively recruiting and communicating on Facebook. Other companies are stealthily, quietly vetting candidates on Facebook. More than a few companies are afraid of Facebook. I know what you’re thinking: Students should know that whatever they post online may be viewed and judged by potential employers (and anyone else for that matter)! Students should be smart with their privacy settings! Students don’t have to be on Facebook! I agree. And, I think students would be more cautious about their online activities if companies were more upfront about their Facebook vetting practices. Plus, I can’t help wondering if the companies transparently recruiting on Facebook will have a big advantage as social networking becomes a more and more important component of job hunting and recruiting.
These three questions provide a brief glimpse into the questions on the minds of Millennials. If you’d like to learn more, seek out a nearby twentysomething and ask some questions of your own. The more dialogue between recruiters and young candidates, the better choices we can all make for our companies and ourselves.
Note: This post originally appeared on The Cheezhead blog -- http://www.cheezhead.com/.
A few weeks ago, I blogged about a young woman from Bangladesh who is launching her career at a U.S. company. For today’s post, I wanted to share the perspective of some American Millennials working abroad.
Australia has a special place in my heart, because I attended grad school and worked there in the late 1990s. It’s also gaining more attention at the moment, because Australia recently became the first country to enter into a Work and Holiday agreement with the United States. This means that students and young professionals can take advantage of new visas allowing them to easily work full-time, take a working holiday or continue their education Down Under.
Thanks to a consulting project I’m doing with Tourism New South Wales, I had the opportunity to interview Jessica Rubinstein and Tracey Taibe, two twentysomething Americans living and working in Sydney, Australia. Here are some highlights from my e-mail interviews with Jessica and Tracey, who are both working in the marketing field in Sydney. Their comments provide insight into the minds of young Americans choosing to build their early careers overseas.
Q: What made you decide to work or study abroad in Australia, and in Sydney in particular?
Jessica: I went on a working holiday in New Zealand and England. On my way to England, I toured around Sydney. I took the ferry to Manly [a popular suburb of Sydney] and saw the Harbour views, which are lovely. When I made it to Manly, I dropped my bags and said to myself, that is it! I want to live in Australia.
I just love how Sydney is a big international city and there are beaches 20 minutes away from the Central Business District. It’s laid back, has a beautiful landscape, people are friendly, the food is good and life here is just great.
Q: What do you see as the biggest differences between working or studying in Australia and the U.S.?
Tracey: There are so many differences working in Australia than in the U.S. There is better work life balance here, more vacation time and it is acceptable for people to take three to four weeks [vacation] at time. The working hours are shorter than what I experienced in the U.S., and women get longer time off for maternity leave. Everyone here works very hard, but because they are culturally more relaxed, work seems more enjoyable.
Q: How do you think your time working abroad will help your future job prospects/career plans?
Jessica: Since Australia is a smaller country, there are jobs that you can get here that you wouldn't necessarily get in the U.S. without years of work experience. For example, in my job I am the sole marketing person. I know for a fact that I would not have been able to get this job in America. They would have wanted someone with more work experience. The competition is slightly less here because they have a “skilled issue” problem. If I continue to work in my field, then I think I will be able to get any kind of job here.
Saying all this, if you want to climb the corporate ladder and keep on getting more challenging roles and bigger projects, then sometimes Australia can be limited because this is a small country—the scale is much smaller.
Tracey: I have had more opportunity career-wise here than I did in New York. It's far more competitive in New York. I also think having international working experience can boost anyone's resume. I've been told from previous managers that international experience is very valuable to anyone's career.
Q: What would be your best advice to American students and young professionals thinking about working or studying in Sydney?
Tracey: My advice would be to just come and do it. Sydney is a great place to come if you want to have a busy city life, but also have beautiful beaches and a relaxed beach lifestyle. It is also a gateway to travel in Australia and even Asian countries.
Jessica: I think it is a great opportunity to step out of your comfort zone and see the rest of the world. Americans are in a big bubble and don’t get out of America enough. I think it’s a great idea to come to Australia for a semester. It’s a beautiful city with the best beaches and cool people. The only negative is that it’s very far away, but I still think Australia is great opportunity to have fun at work, see a different culture and meet wonderful people. It is a life changing experience.
Interested in learning more about opportunities to work or study in Australia? Visit http://www.myspace.com/mysydney or post a question below!
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:
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.
In Bangladesh, the scarce number of universities against the huge population makes college admission extremely competitive. High school graduates sit for admission tests in Engineering schools, Medical schools and Business schools not knowing which exam they will pass.
For example, in Dhaka University (the most accredited government university in the country), there are units of majors: Science, Humanities, Commerce, etc. Admission test takes place separately for each unit. In Science, for example, the top 50 students will get admitted to study Computer Science, the next 45 to Pharmacy, the next 30 in Genetics and so on. There are 38 students competing for one seat on an average! One can choose to go down in the ranking but not the other way round. That is to say, if one student gets admitted to Computer Science and wants to study Pharmacy, he/she can but not the other way around.
Q: When and how did you make the decision to look for your first job in the U.S. instead of your home country?
A: I knew within my first semester in college that I wanted to live in the U.S. Like I said before, my brother and most of my family have already moved here. I really started to like it here as soon as I moved as well. So, starting my freshman year of college, I looked for internships, got involved in extra curricular activities, and did anything and everything to make myself more marketable in the U.S. job market after I graduated.
Q: What special challenges do international students face in the job search?
A: The challenge almost all international students face is to be able to land in a job where work permit/visa will be issued. The situation has gotten even worse after 9/11 and it’s now even more difficult for companies to justify hiring an international student and process a work visa for that employee. That makes it really hard for international students to “follow a passion.” Choosing a major almost always has to be a very calculated decision.
Q: What advantages do international students bring to companies?
A: Diversity is a really strong advantage that international students bring to companies. By diversity I don’t mean just ethnicity. It includes life experience, upbringing, faith/religion, passion and languages spoken. A diverse employee pool reflects an inclusive and socially responsible environment, which, in many cases, mirrors a customer base that many global companies currently have. Diverse perspectives drive innovation, which is extremely crucial for sustainability in a highly competitive world.
Q: What is your best advice to international students and recent grads like you?
A: Instead of staying in the comfort zone of the people from the same ethnic group, I would recommend all international college students to spend leisure times to network with students from all over the world.
Getting involved in community outreach initiatives, being in the Student Government Board and the Professional Leadership Program, helping with organizing events at the university, having a part time job in the campus helped me meet people I still reach out to occasionally. Making an effort to get to know my professors also really helped when it was time to ask for recommendation letters.
Extra curricular activities (in addition to a high GPA) can also help to make international students more marketable after graduation. When employers have to justify hiring an international student, all types of involvement outside the classroom really help.
Note: Nuzhat has generously offered to answer additional questions from Fast Company readers. Please submit your questions in the comments section below. Thanks!
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:
1. They are effortlessly tech-savvy. Many of today’s young people clicked a mouse before they turned the pages of a book. Gen Y employees are eager and excited to share their expertise about technology, and it makes them feel valued when you ask for their help. You’ll never miss out on the next big technology trend (social networking, Twittering, wikis) as long as you have Millennials around.
2. They are capable of super-productivity. When I meet college students, I am consistently impressed by all of their involvements. They manage academics, extra curriculars, sports and jobs—and still never miss a single text message. When young people are engaged by their employers, they’ll use their multi-tasking talents and super-productivity on behalf of your company.
3. They’re happy to serve as a free focus group. One of the most marked characteristics of Generation Y is their self-regard (okay, okay, “entitlement”). Instead of complaining about this, use it to your advantage. Ask Gen Ys for their opinions and suggestions regarding trends, marketing messages, customer service, competitors or anything else. An outspoken Gen Y might save you from a big blunder with the hot demographic of 18- to 34-year-olds.
4. They will make your organization more environmentally conscious. If you can’t hire Al Gore, the next best thing is a Millennial. A recent MonsterTRAK poll found that 80% of young professionals are interested in securing a job that has a positive impact on the environment, and 92% would be more inclined to work for a company that's environmentally friendly. If you’ve been meaning to launch a company recycling effort, ask a Millennial to lead the way.
5. They will recruit their most talented friends. Gen Y-ers see very little boundary between work and life, so they love to work with their friends. If you’re a good employer, your young employees will spread the word and help you recruit their most talented peers. That beats recruiting on the Internet any day.
The above reasons are all based on my experience with Millennials and my observation of their comments in blogs and media articles. No list of five facts can fully define a generation, but if you pay attention to the above, you’ll ensure that your organization is full of the best and the brightest young workers.
Please share your experience and suggestions about working with Millennials in the comments section below!
Lindsey Pollak is a career advice author and speaker based in New York.
