1. Would You Hire You? Junior Achievement Phoenix, Arizona March 25, 2010
2. It’s a Very Challenging Workforce Will you be ready… Globalization Economic Uncertainty Technological Advances Shifting Demo-graphics Downsizing
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4. Four Generations in Today’s Workforce Traditionalists Boomers Xers Millennials
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9. You may have heard it all before… “ Millennials: Worst Generation in the Workforce” Business Week “ A New Generation of ‘Slacker’ Professionals?” Industry Week “ The Lost Generation” Business Week
11. However, many are seeing the other side of the coin… “ If You Think All Millennials are Slackers, You’re Dead Wrong!” Fast Company “ Millennials have the potential to be a great generation.” Dave Verhaagen, author of Parenting the Millennial Generation “ It’s the corporate leaders (not the young professionals) who need the attitude adjustment though. ‘Businesses must shed negative perceptions and learn new ways to incorporate Gen Y views into the workforce.’” Rob McGovern, JobFox CEO
12. Food for Thought J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince , 2005 Age is foolish and forgetful when it underestimates youth.
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14. How would you describe a company’s dream employee? Good Communicator Mature Professional Team Player Organized Integrity Positive Attitude Follow Through
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16. Getting Beyond the Myths To prove your worth, you have to get over some misconceptions about your generation.
17. Millennial Myth Game Show Your managers at work will likely not be as technically savvy and socially connected as you. TRUE FALSE
19. Millennial Myth Game Show The appropriate response when asked to make copies is… Sure, I can get that done for you. Is there someone else who can handle that? That’s not part of my job description. A B C
20. Millennial Myth Game Show There’s no need to write personal thank you notes anymore; emails are fine. TRUE FALSE
21. Millennial Myth Game Show When is it OK for your parents to step in and help out? Explaining why you missed a job interview. Justifying to your professor why you should receive a higher test grade. Pushing your manager for a promotion or salary increase. A B C
23. Millennial Myth Game Show Which sentence is the best example of proper business writing? I prob wont be at lunch. TTY later bro. I probably won’t be able to make the lunch today. I’ll talk to you later this afternoon. Can’t make it, later. A B C
26. Millennial Myth Game Show It’s OK to send a text giving an interviewer a heads up that you’re running late. TRUE FALSE
27. Millennial Myth Game Show Which of the following are not appropriate in a work setting? Visible tattoos Facial piercings Torn jeans and flip flops A B C
29. Millennial Myth Game Show Face time will be important to your manager, even if you’re getting all your work done quicker. TRUE FALSE
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32. Thank You and Good Luck Sherri Elliott-Yeary, SPHR [email_address] Ties to Tattoos available at: www.barnesandnoble.com www.tiestotattoos.com
Editor's Notes
Start incredibly upbeat Focus is on tips to help them as they enter the workforce in the next few years
There’s a lot of ‘negatives’ about the economy these days Down Sizing Lay offs Outsourcing And even Right Sizing How can they make sure they’re ready to enter such a challenging environment?
But today we’ll discuss some ways that you and your generation can succeed even in a challenging economy First by understanding different generations, then discussing you generation – the Millennials – in particular. Then finally some tips on interviewing and what you want your career to look like….!
Keep this very high level, without going into details about each generation yet Simply a way to set up the 4
Typical overview of the Traditionalists
Typical overview of the Boomers
Typical overview of the Xers
Typical overview of the Millennials
If you think your boss or professor cant sleep ant night thinking about your career, think again! They aren’t. They are thinking about their careers. Don’t take it personally . Their bosses aren’t thinking about them either! No matter what you hear in the media, it is you who is responsible for your success, however, you measure it. Only you can make it happen no matter what you decide to make your career goals. Success means something different to everyone and isn’t measured by your title, salary …it is measured by the way you feel about YOU! Period.
Even 60 Minutes got on the Millennial-bashing bandwagon
But the reality, is your generation has a tremendous amount to offer our country. It’s a problem with existing corporate leaders, not the new workers coming in Millennials have great potential And many of the views so far have been misconceptions and misunderstandings, so lets help educate them on what you have to offer.
How many you have read Harry Potter? This is my favorite quote!
Lets talk about the benefits your generation and the distinct benefits that younger workers bring to an organization
Currently the average Millenial will change jobs 10.2 times before they turn 38 years old! So, before you think about changing lets talk about a dream employee… I heard a good story about a DREAM EMPLOYEE: After reviewing resumes for summer interns, Susan had an impressive resume for a nineteen year old . The other candidates had more years of experience than Susan, but after a brief phone conversation, I knew we wanted to bring her in for an interview. When she walked in my office with her beautiful smile, and professional attire and passion for life, she had me at HELLO! How would a manager describe their dream employee? Get responses from the audience before bringing the list up on the slide
The WORLD does not revolve around you. It does not revolve around me, either. Making it all about them – your Colleagues, Boss, and Clients will help win their trust , support, respect, loyalty and admiration.
Your reputation is a SHADOW that follows you through life, always remember that! So yes there’s a lot of great potential, but still some misconceptions and biases to get over Let’s discuss some of the myths about your generation and how you can overcome them.
For this one, discuss how deeply connected the younger generation is online, through social networking, texting, etc. But how older generations communicate in very different ways Insert story about Blueberry story, or Laptop as a doorstop
Funny clip about how even when older people try to get with the technology times, it doesn’t always work. There’s still a big gap
In your first professional jobs, you want to be seen as the ‘go-to’ person, not someone who feels entitled and that certain work is below them Have you ever heard your Generation called “Self-Entitled?” The person willing to take on anything will be the one that stands out from the crowd
It may have been ages since you wrote a hand-written note in this age of emails and texts, but the time it takes to craft one goes a long way with recruiters I advise candidates to follow up 3x’s with recruiters so they can stay in front of them by first voice message, then email and finally a written thank you note. That way, however, they like to receive communication you will have made sure you delivered the message!
None of the above College and you early career are times to spread your wings and take responsibility for your own actions You parents are always there for advice, but they should not intervene…I like to call my husband who has a 20 and 22 year old college girls….the “Safety Net Dad…..Can anyone tell me why?
This phenomenon is known as ‘helicopter parents’: Parents who are too willing and too aggressive to swoop down and solve their adult children’s problems There are stories about young professionals inviting their parents to sit in on their performance reviews, or sit in on meetings when they’re in trouble at work. Believe it or not, some parents are calling managers to complain about the amount of work their kids are being asked to do. Promise me you wont bring your parents to school or work, its your responsibility to handle these issues but you can ask your parents for advice.
Business writing skills have declined as we write in short, choppy online phrases. But when writing in a business environment, our words need to be more complete, professional, and thought through Even emails should convey a professional tone. You don’t want your manager to need a decoder to figure out what all your abbreviations are
Out of the list of the Ten Things That Will Drive Your Boss Crazy: three are related to email and business and communication skills
What may be appropriate with friends or in social settings is not always right in the business world Not everyone uses text messaging, believe it or not. A better way would be to call that you’re running behind
Of course, all of the above. Any of these appearance issues can raise immediate flags with recruiters Why should it matter what you wear? Didn’t they hire you because of who you are and what you can offer their company, rather than the clothes you have on or at least your dazzling personality! You want people to focus on you, not your clothes, shoes, fingernails, jewelry, tattoos or body piercings. The first thing people see is your smile and the TWINKLE in your eyes and the SECOND they notice is your CLOTHES! Despite how qualified you may be for the job, your appearance can leave the opposite impression
A friend of mine was interviewing a job candidate. It was a great interview, until the very end. When the candidate got ready to leave she bent down to pick up her purse and accidentally revealed her LARGE LOWER-BACK TATTOO! All of a sudden, nothing the candidate had said mattered. All my friend could remember was the tattoo and the fact that the clothing the candidate chose to wear did not cover her body.
Older managers place more value in face to face interaction and adhering to schedules, even working later to show their importance to the organization. While you might want to be more flexible with your time Delivering results is still the most important thing, but just be aware of other people’s expectations about your time and schedule
You are the next Great Generation, and it’s up to YOU to make it happen!
