Our Millennials: Don't Be Hatin', Be Hirin'

This generation has something new to offer.

Why the hype about the Millennials? Because our Millennials are important. The Millennials (also known as Generation Y) are defined to be born roughly between 1980-2000. As a Gen X girl, I've been a big fan of these kids for years. I taught them in elementary school and I have the opportunity to currently teach their generation in higher education.  They serve, they volunteer, they ask controversial questions, they challenge content and get inspired by new technology.  They have big hearts, big dreams, and even bigger personalities at times. All of which many of us enjoy. 

But recently, I have read blogs and articles connecting millennials to negativity. They are told to "lighten up", "work harder", and "get out of their parents basement!"  They have even been called the "ME" generation which includes labels such as "entitled", "selfish" and "lazy".  In my opinion, this is far from the truth.  On campus, I have listened to the Millennials talk more serving those in need, worrying less about spending money.  They do discuss how anxious are about choosing the perfect college or career, and finding a job after college to match their skills. They just want to do their own thing.   Why is that?  They have been told they should love their job, and to be somebody.  Many of them received much praise and pressure. Many of them grew up with helicopter parents. More importantly, many of them have been told since they were little that they can be ANYTHING they want, do ANYTHING they want.  

I'm here to apologize for that. I'm sorry, but that's not entirely true.  You see, we all have dreams and most of us are working towards a greater goal.  The goal varies and changes between people and certainly generations. But, the bottom line is, it's hard work and sometimes you don't get to pick the road that leads you to that greater goal.

We have all worked in jobs we have not enjoyed.  We did it and/or are in them now because we need to have a job. Providing for ourselves, our families, it's our civil duty and blessing as a US citizen. Perhaps, we've led these Millennials astray by encouraging them to wait, wait for that perfect job. Well, it's not there.  What is out there are jobs. Period. Jobs you take because you need them and they have the potential to provide experiences and open doors to a career you may dream of. Past generations have learned that often times an interest, maybe even a hobby takes place of searching for that job you love.  If you are lucky, your hobby or passion forms into a job. But for right now, right here. take a job. There are no jobs? I beg to disagree. The Millennials need jobs and they need our help. 

Here a few recent quick facts about Millennials regarding the workforce and their finances:

• 75% of them will make up the workforce by 2025.
• 89% agreed they would rather buy from a company which supports social justice issues.
• 87% disagreed with the statement  "money is the best measure of success", compared to 78% of other generations.
• 64%  said they would rather work at job they enjoy which pays about $40K a year then making $100,000 at a job they think it boring. 
• 43% shared they consider themselves conservative investors and 88% of them do their banking online.

There is a discrepancy between how they are perceived 
and who they are really are.
Click here for full view of infographic.

It is interesting to read about their overall views on working and what they intend to do with their money. It's even more refreshing to see a generation passionate about social justice issues. Those of us from the older generations need to support our upcoming youth and avoid making general judgments about who we think they are. For example, many of them are not as technology addicted as you may think and they are more loyal and hardworking then some people give them credit for. Get to know them. 

We all have had someone from the generation above us who reached out their hand instead of hatin'. These Millennials are going to make some significant changes. Changes which will have a direct affect on us all.  

Let's make sure these changes are positive ones.

Watch this 2 minute video to help understand the myths and learn tips about working with Millennials.

Facts and other info:
You can read the whole paper by Brookings:  http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/research/files/papers/2014/05/millennials%20wall%20st/brookings_winogradfinal.pdf

http://danschawbel.com/blog/74-of-the-most-interesting-facts-about-the-millennial-generation/

Techy Terms: Talk Nerdy To Me

Know the lingo.

Everyone's talking the language now. Geek talk. That's right, smart is in. Technology is evolving quicker than we can say "nerd alert."  Doesn't matter if you are in business, education, construction, healthcare, etc, you have to stay current if you want to stay connected with those you serve.

Don't believe me? 

Take a quick glance, do you know what these trendy words or phrases mean? 

Here are some brief descriptions in simplest terms and links for deeper meaning.

1. What's my name? Digital Natives (Generation Z): Let's start with our next generation. These little techy learners are called Digital Natives, the rest of us are Digital Immigrants. Pretty obvious why, our young people will never know life with a mobile device in hand. The last of the Millennials (or formerly known a the Y Generation) are getting ready to graduate. My X generation is trying to keep up! In case you are curious about what defines these generation labels;Digital Natives, born 2000- 2020, Millennials, born 1980s-2000. X Generation, born 1960s-1980s. Note: here is some debate about the actual years, but this is close enough.

2. Byte this. Gigabyte (GB):  
I often get asked, "what is a gigabyte?"  Gigabyte measures storage capacity. For example, most DVDs can hold 4.7 GB. You probably have heard more about GB from your mobile device carrier. According to Nielsen ratings, U.S. consumers use about 733 megabyte (MB) a month on their cellphones. FYI, 1,024 MB = 1 GB. Typically, you use more MB by streaming videos and music. But, unless you constantly using an aggressive music app or streaming videos from internet, it's pretty challenging to use 1 GB a month. For example, If you have one gigabyte of data on your plan, you can perform the following tasks without going over your allotted amount of data. Most smartphone users

• Visit 1,000 webpages
• Send or receive 11,100 emails with attachments
• Stream 33 hours of music
• Stream six hours of video
• Download 197 apps/games/song

3. That is code for... Coding vs Programming: Still scratching your head about what a coder does and what a programmer does? "Programming is creating the logic, coding is translating that logic into code", said Tom Fordham. They both need each other, match made in heaven. For example, the programmer may want to build a game which requires having codes to create a system that allows the user to actual play the game.  

4. Cirrus or Cumulus? The Cloud.Do you know what cloud you are storing your work in? Some people seem to be perplexed about there their documents go when they are placed in the 'cloud'. They see visions of files just disappearing into thin air. What is the cloud? Simply defined as "the set of hardware, networks, storage, services, and interfaces that combine to deliver aspects of computing as a service stored through a web-based stystem. Think iCloud on your smartphone, or Google Docs, Dropbox, anywhere you store data, docs, information through the internet and not on a flashdrive or hard drive.

Stylish and tech savvy.

5. Wearbles that work. Fitbit- this chip is not just about keeping healthy but more about tracking and measuring growth. It's small in size and comes in wristbands and other tracking wearables. It connects to your phone (through an app) then tracks how many steps you take, calories you burn, etc. What's interesting is that businesses are taking notice. There is buzz around companies requiring employees to wear Fitbit so they can keep data on how healthy they are, and possibly maximize productivity in the workplace. Check out this list of other places this chip can be inserted. From bracelets and clothes to tattoos and wigs, these wearable computing ideas are giving Google Glass a run for their money

Hopefully this gives a better understanding of what everyone is talking about. 

You don't want to be left out of the new cool group, do you? 

Can your brain handle all this info? Male brains are larger, but can they hold more information? 
Watch this quick video from the Huffington Post Science: "Talk Nerdy to Me" about which sex has the better brain.


http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2013/08/01/how-much-smartphone-data-do-you-really-need/
http://www.itbusinessedge.com/slideshows/top-10-technology-trends-for-2014-10.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/talk-nerdy-to-me/