by: Joanna Gammon | Client Relationship Manager
We’re young, smart, and aggressive. We may wear Sperry’s to the office or even listen to our iPod at our desk. The first wave of Gen Y’ers is now embarking on their careers so our current and future employers need to be ready to CHALLENGE us!
My first recommendation in my previous post, Generation Y: How to Attract and Retain the New Twenty-Something Professional, talks about challenging the Generation Y group. Since multi-tasking comes natural, we hate monotony. No one wants to watch the clock all day. Our work needs to be interesting, show variety, and allow us to think on our toes. When I am challenged I can make hasty decisions, be creative, and show enthusiasm.
“Gen Y has been pampered, nurtured and programmed with a slew of activities since they were toddlers, meaning they are both high-performance and high-maintenance,” says Bruce Tulgan, who studies the lives of young people. While growing up I juggled school, babysitting, year-round sports, violin lessons, involvement in various organizations, and volunteering my time in the community; so don’t tell me I can’t do it all!
Our generation is also use to rejection since we had to try out for everything we were involved in – from soccer to cheerleading. Rejection has made us stronger and has challenged us harder. Just because I’m 20-something does not mean I can’t execute complex strategies, manage people, or close a multi-million dollar deal.
Generation Y loves reasoning, problem-solving, and researching – all common objectives to complex projects. Gen Y craves more responsibility because we know it will lead to more respect and money! Challenge equals triumph!!
Comments