July 24, 2009

Defending Generation Y: The rise of the 'slash-career'

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Everyone has an opinion about the future of the so-called Generation Y demographic, aka the Millennials, aka These Kids Today. The knock on teens and young adults of 2009 is that they have a sense of entitlement; that they're impatient, terminally casual, blinded by techno-gadgets and oblivious to the world around them. The list goes on.

Well, Lindsey Pollak has heard quite enough of these accusations about today's 20-somethings. "The rap on this generation is that they're lazy, and I'm really sick of hearing that," says the blogger and Gen Y career expert. "I've met a lot of recent grads who are smart, who are actively engaged in networking, who are getting internships and making connections. They're doing everything right and they're still having trouble finding a job."

This spring, two studies released by the National Association of Colleges and Employers found that employers nationwide expect to have 22 percent fewer job openings and offer nearly 21 percent fewer internships to new college graduates this year than they did in 2008.

While many of Gen Y's employment troubles can be blamed solely on the current economy, there are other difficult circumstances they must overcome, Pollak says. Those with the misfortune of having been born in the 1980s are also the first wave of job seekers who have been trained to seek conventional careers yet are entering a workplace that is alien to every previous generation.

"The old paradigm is clearly not working anymore," she says. "The thinking was that all the baby boomers would start to retire and there would be lots of new positions open, but that's not happening. Even the meaning of the word 'career' is changing. You're not going to see people working for one company for 30 years anymore."

Pollak, author of the new post-grad bible, "Getting From College to Career: 90 Things to Do Before You Join the Real World," says some new terms are cropping to describe the peripatetic nature of employment today, in which workers will commonly jump from job to job, sometimes moving into several different fields. Some are calling these "slash-careers," she says, referring to the need to add a series of slashes in job descriptions (e.g., editor/speaker/dancer). Others say young job seekers are members of "free-agent nation" and need to become their own CEOs and take more control of their careers.

What seems especially cruel, Pollak adds, were the offers that many graduating seniors thought they had sewn up but have since evaporated. "There are reports that some companies have rescinded offers made to graduates last spring," she says. "How do you say to a whole generation 'We don't want you'?"

But rather than wallow in self-pity, the Class of '09 should look at their uphill climb in a different light, Pollak says. "This recession is going to end at some point," she says. "In the long term, those who stick with it, who realign their time frame to make job searching a daily habit and who leverage every social networking tool out there will be in a great position when the economy improves."

By doing things like working part time and casting a wider net to search for jobs beyond their chosen majors, Gen Y workers can give themselves a boost by broadening their experience. She says she is also happy to see a "an enormous uptick in applications for volunteer work" at places such as the Peace Corps, which can help show hiring managers that the applicants are not just sitting home playing video games.

As tough as it is for a lot of young people looking for the right slash-career, Pollak did find one other positive aspect about the struggles of recent grads: "The stereotype of college kids moving back in with their parents no longer has the same stigma it used to."

Randy Woods writes about job-search tools, networking techniques and other tips to help you land your dream job.

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5 Comments

John Bailo on July 25, 2009 11:47 PM | Reply

All your trend reports are wrong. We're about to enter a Job Boom period ... for the first time since the 1940s, our economy will create jobs in excess of workers, young and old.

Wages will rise by an order of magnitude. Baby Boomer, Gen X and Gen Y will all blend together and bask in a golden Age of Labor.

Art Casho on July 27, 2009 2:59 PM | Reply

Hopefully you're being sarcastic, John. If not, I doubt your sanity. There is no evidence whatsoever to support your comments.

youngen on July 28, 2009 1:07 PM | Reply

proof that gen y has grown up: http://thestimulist.com/generation-y-has-grown-up/

MobileBehavior on July 30, 2009 7:36 AM | Reply

I think that Gen-Y's problem in the job market, as you mention, has a lot to do with that generational divide. The baby boomers don't really respect Gen-Y for a slew of reasons, they think they have nothing to bring. The boom of social media might be the step in the door for Gen-Y in the close future.

Miriam Salpeter on August 2, 2009 8:46 AM | Reply

There's no doubt that Gen Y (and all) job seekers who embrace the new paradigm will be the most successful finding fulfilling positions, but those positions may look very different from the old norms.

Marci Alboher, author of ONE PERSON/MULTIPLE CAREERS and an authority on "slash careers" notes on her website: http://heymarci.com/book:

"...slash careers integrate and fully express the multiple passions, talents, and interests that a single career often cannot accommodate."

Anyone looking for a job, particularly young people with less experience, will do well to embrace a variety of types of internships, part-time work and entrepreneurial options to take advantage of the opportunities the current economy offers.

For one Gen Y's optimistic take on the situation, see the video interview with Stephanie Perrett, a Gen Y intern for Stephanie A. Lloyd and Radiant Veracity:

http://bit.ly/Qk6z2

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