Stereotypes hurting Millennials

Majority of my blog has been taking articles and critiquing them when it comes to the Millennial generation. It is disheartening to see that lately there are so many articles coming out that are making it even harder for the 14% of unemployed Gen Y’ers to get jobs.

I am oh so frustrated with the article, “Are millennials cut out for this job market?” from CNN. This guy who obviously has zero experience with Millennials, other than what he has “heard” decided to write and Op-Ed with the message that, “They feel entitled to the best of everything,” so therefore employers should knock us off our high horses. I am finding the longer I have been out of college the more appreciative my friend and colleagues around the same age as me are of the positions they currently hold. I think it was a rude awakening for many of us to have graduated during a recession and to not have gotten the dream job. But more and more I am seeing that we are all thankful for the paycheck we have and the fact that we don’t have to live at home like some of our friends.

Another point made in this article is that Millennials are not interested in the more physically demanding jobs -- construction, landscaping, farm work and that is because those usually don’t pay the bills. Most millennials graduated with huge sums of student loans, that even with a corporate job I will be paying off for what seems like forever. So why should it be expected that college educated students with bills to pay go out and get a construction job? It’s not the fact that they are too good for it, it’s the fact that it really doesn’t cover the cost of living.

My favorite part of the whole article is, “With millennials, you didn't do them any favors by offering them a job; they think they did you a favor by taking it.” I would just like to end this with a REALLY?!? I don’t think any of us look at job acceptance as someone doing a favor for someone else. This is a business decision and let’s keep it that way. I wouldn’t ever say a company did me a favor by giving me a job… it’s two parties coming together to benefit each other.

My challenge today to all the millennials that may or may not read this, is to go to work today and prove this guy wrong. Show him that we work just as hard as our older counterparts for less money than when they started in the field. Show him that we accept criticism and can come back better and stronger. Show him that we aren’t the “entitled” generation, we want to work to gain experience and move up just like the Baby Boomers once did.