“So, where do you see yourself in five years?”
“Well, to be honest, I see myself in a job that allows me to travel and not sit behind a desk. I want to do something that gives me the flexibility to come and go as I please, help the environment in some way and make enough money to have a house here and maybe a place in California.”
Real conversation. My 19-year-old intern was the one who gave me this very interesting answer. And she wasn’t kidding. Not even a hint of a smile. I nearly bit through my lip holding back a belly laugh.
The trouble with the Millennial – and the great thing about the Millennial – is summarized in that quote by a college junior who in a little more than one year will be unleashed on the workforce (unless, of course, she needs to decompress from the “demands” of college and takes a year to travel Europe).
My first job out of college netted me $17K a year and offered all the glamour of a crossing guard. Today’s young person is ready to be the president or CEO before their 30th birthday. And they really believe it’s their destiny. I’m guessing it has something to do with all the trophies sitting in their childhood rooms. I’m also guessing it has something to do with having parents who told them they could do no wrong even when they did some wrong.
I’m not a social scientist, but after five years of working on a college campus, I think I’ve seen enough to draw some conclusions. And Houston, we may have a problem.
Recently, I had a job opening for someone fresh out of school. I interviewed a dozen mostly intelligent young people about the position. Only one did any real research on the actual job they were trying out for. The others looked good in their shiny new business suits, but I got the distinct feeling they figured just showing up and negotiating an appropriate salary and vacation days would land them the gig. Not so fast. One young lady shined through not so much because she was on point, did good research and asked smart questions but because her competition failed to do any of that.
Millennials drive me nuts. They’re needy, they talk with their peers about salaries, they’re needy and, did I mention, they’re needy. They’re smart, they’re super-connected and they’re so darn positive about the future it makes me want to barf. Unlike most of my demographic, these folks are happy with the present and very encouraged about the future, especially since they plan to own their own country, save the whales and cure all disease.
What should a father of one elementary school-aged child and another who’s heading into eighth grade do with all this invaluable information? How do I feed them the right amount of the positive aspects of this group while holding back the stuff that’s toxic? Well, first things first, but the economy stinks like a Russian gulag. My 7-year-old has only known parents who’ve been worried about job cuts, high gas prices and budgeting every last nickel. I think that’s a good thing overall. It gives them a burst of reality.
On the other hand, when I glance at both of my kids’ mantels, I do see a lot of trophies. Trophies for excellence, sure, but plenty of trophies just for showing up. So yes, I confess, I’m a helicopter parent. A Blackhawk helicopter parent.
So as I make light of the Millennials that surround me every day, I’d better look in the mirror because I might just be grooming two future stars of the Millennial generation, complete with their iPhones, passports and Peace Corps brochures.
I’m still unclear whether that’s a good thing, but I know it’ll be entertaining.
Rudy lives in Flower Mound, works in Fort Worth and plays everywhere in between. He has one wife, one daughter, one son, one published book, one obsession with sports and 20 million observations on marriage and children. Follow him on Twitter: Manifesto10.
