I read a lot about the "Millennial Generation" (If you are a current college student, you are one of them). In the business world a lot of people are making a big fuss these days over figuring out how to "handle" you, and some of your negative "generational personality traits", in the workplace.
If you are a student looking to enter that workplace you can create a competitive advantage for yourself in the search process by knowing in advance what concerns employers have about your generation (keeping in mind that most of them are still from the previous generations-Baby Boomers and Gen X) and preparing yourself based on that knowledge. Once you know what they don't like you are better positioned to present yourself as the exact opposite and stand out from your competitors. We will take a look at several of these generational negatives over the next several posts.
[A note here...yes, I agree that it is absurd as a rule to define an entire generation, any generation, by one set of characteristics. Every generation is made up of individuals with unique personalities. However, the reality is that, in public perception, every generation is saddled with a group of shared traits and to just argue that it should not be so misses the point.]
Millennial Negative #1: You won't stick around long and you want important work NOW.
The average Millennial is seen as one who has no interest in "paying their dues". They expect meaningful work and significant responsibility on day one. If they don't get this type of opportunity right away (or at least before their first year is up) they will quit and move on to another, better position working for someone "who appreciates them".
Employers hate this. They spend a lot of time and money recruiting you and getting you up to speed on how to do things...just in time for you to leave and take that training to another employer. When the two most recent generations (the ones now in charge of hiring and managing new grads) were just-out-of-college themselves most had very little expectation that they would be given highly significant work in their first few months (or in some industries, years) on the job. Today, the reality is that even experienced workers still need some time to get up to speed, get current with training specific to that organization and get a feel for how the organization works before they can effectively contribute. In most cases, a recent college grad is not likely to be managing teams of experienced workers on big projects after 6 months. While this is slowly changing in some workplaces, many employers may still be reluctant to make any changes (like promotions or significant increases in responsibility) before your one year anniversary with the company.
So how can you convince someone, let's say in an interview, that you aren't going to bolt out the door next month if you aren't on the fast track to CEO?
In most cases, interviewers will try to get at this trait by asking something like "Where do you see yourself in five years?". Start with humility. No one, of any generation, likes a know it all. Especially one who already knows exactly how to do the job they don't even have yet. There's no better way to end the interview before it starts than to tell them you've got it all figured out. Confidence is fine, but remember they were (in most cases) doing fine without you.
Acknowledge the fact that, while you feel you are well prepared for the challenge, you have a lot to learn...and this is an excellent place to learn and advance in the future. In five years you see yourself here with their organization having advanced as much as your performance and opportunities allow. This type of answer conveys realistic expectations, demonstrates appropriate ambition and, most importantly, places you still with their organization in five years which goes "against the grain" of their perceptions of your generation.
In my next post we will take on Millennial Negative #2: You are too attached to your parents.
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