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It had been a while since the game of generation bashing has had a look in but the floor is open again to generational commentary, stereotyping and general whinging following a research report on the values, attitudes, behaviors and demographic characteristics of American Gen Y | Millennials: A Portrait of Generation Next

Born 1979 outside or upper end of the generational “age bracket” does nothing to change the fact that I identify most strongly with the Y Generation. While I can see in many friends my age, a stronger tendency to Gen X some of us never had the new generational “stereotypes” to qualify our actions.

Generation Y on Careers

I had to live my “traits” before they became widely touted indicators of our generation. My work career for instance in which I’ve had more than 10 jobs in the last 10 years. Inevitably, there were interviews in which I was asked to justify my job “hopping” to which my response involved learning, challenge, personal circumstance.

Now, in retrospect I can claim this as normal for an entire generation of people. No longer such an outlier, there is some reassurance to the fact that the following opinion is as true to me, as it is Amanda and probably millions more like us.

I don’t think that staying at one company for 20+ years necessarily correlates with building a career. Gen Y’s are more adaptive and willing to jump companies if it means advancing their career and lifestyle goals. I believe that this is a strength of our generation, not a weakness. I would rather change jobs many times to advance my career than allow my career to stagnate due to “corporate loyalty.” ~ Amanda, Tustin, CA : July 8, 2010 4:24 pm

Gen Y on Opportunities

Granted, I can understand that a CV of contract research and 6 – 12 month “career” efforts probably looked disconcerting to potential employers. And probably well it should because each job was for me about discovering something new about what I wanted to do with my life.

In some cases I learnt lessons about what I would do and what I could achieve but in most I learnt more about what I didn’t want. It was a process of discovery that has lead me to the clear realisation that as an employee other people were never going to allow me to challenge the status quo, learn and grow by testing limits.  I was not made to fit the “employee” mold, a fact which I believe will prove true of many of our generation.

Volunteer work experience is a testament to one’s willingness to work and one of many steps towards your dream job

We support volunteering because it can help people explore new fields of work, develops a service orientated work ethic and gain valuable work experience which in turn expands your work horizons.Some of the skills volunteers can develop include:-

* Leadership & team building skills
* Relationship building skills
* Communication skills
* Negotiation skills
* Creative thinking skills
* Organisation & time management skills

New Zealand is a leading nation in contribution made by volunteers.

A 2008 study of the New Zealand non-profit sector estimated that volunteers make up 67% of nonprofit workforce equal to 133,799 full time positions.

This represents 6.4% of the economically active population.

Research indicates volunteering can offer mental health benefits. In fact it may even help people to perform better in their paid work role. The many benefits of volunteering include:

* Volunteering offers an intrinsic sense of achievement and personal reward
* Volunteering builds peoples confidence through new challenges and experiences
* Volunteers will meet new people by actively participating in their community
* Volunteer work experience can help people explore new fields of work
* Volunteers can learn and develop transferable work skills
* Volunteering develop work ethic and looks great on your CV

Find Volunteer Work Experience

1. Register as a member of our talent community
2. Create your talent profile, entering keywords and phrases that describe your interests & values, skills & talents.
3. Interweb magik connects you with volunteer work opportunities that match your talent, skills and interests (keywords).

I chose to study extramurally so that I could apply my business education across a range of business settings and discover where my talents lay.

However, when I finally completed my degree and set out to find full-time employment (my apprenticeship in business ownership) potenial employers began to question why I had already worked in so many roles.

Back in 2003, before it became widely recognised as a common Gen Y work trait, my CV already listed more roles over five years than my mum held over a thirty year working life:-

• Gymnastics Instructor, Tauranga YMCA
• Holiday Programme Leader, Tauranga YMCA
• Civil & Criminal Law Clerk, Tauranga District Court
• General Administration & Customer Service, FIL Agrichemical
• Part Time Financial Administration, Harmer Parr Financial Planners
• Market Research Contract, Private Interests
• Junior Reporter, Oceansider Community News
• Frontline Sales, Greenpeace
• Business Developer, Bartercard NZ
• Bay of Plenty Marketing Representative, Hewlett Packard

The problem was full time study combined with working 30+hours a week, rather than proving a strong work ethic or general intelligence, indicated to potential employers a lack of loyalty or worse. Fours year study, did little to prove my discipline or perserverance, all it served was to get me on a level playing feild with every other graduate.

WorkNoWorKnow

It’s a conundrum that many students face.

• First we must choose either to Work Now which research shows will hinder future long-term prospects or
• Forego earnings and take on student debt in order to be in the “Know” and compete for jobs that require no more than a high school education.

On choosing the second option – education and the pursuit of knowledge – we still must Work Now to get by in more than survival mode. Yet in most cases the type of work we can get  – hospo, cleaning, labouring – does  almost nothing to reflect our true intelligence, or inherent talents.

And in some cases, like my own, even a series of respectable contract jobs can have negative connotations for employers, which begs the question; would I have been better to choose No Work over Work Now?

But of course if you choose the No Work option and elect to focus on study then when you step out in to the working world, which is where the education path leads for most people, you will lack the “work expereince” needed to land the jobs that you’ve studied so hard and long to attain. In the words of Tom Petty

Situation no win
Rush for a change of atmosphere

Work Study Transition

Of the three option 1) work or 2) study or 3) work and study it is easy to recommend that the best option, by far is #3

• Do try and find contract work relevant to your degree while studying so that you can gain the work expereince you need to apply your education out in the work force.
• If you can’t find paid work expereince, then volunteer with a company that interests you. Volunteering looks great on anyone’s CV and can open doors to work opportunities that are not advertised on seek, trademe jobs or student job search.

Employment is not our only option. Business creation, while higer risk is the much more rewarding alternative.

Here at WorkNow we encourage and support a more entrepreneurial work ethic. Whether you’re starting out and need work expereince or have honed your talent and skills and just need to connect with the right work opportunities, we can help. Register today with our talent community and foster your collective potential.

I am a fan of the solution orientation of think small as a way to address national issues and this morning, reviewing the ever popular issue of  “The Recession” I came across the following solution which necessitated a supportive yet alternative response, except I ran out of room there to comment so decided to share my thoughts here…

The Solution

Students fresh from tertiary study addressing “The Recession”

Some graduates may have found lately that in their respective field they cannot get a job. As the economy is as it is, companies are more reluctant to hire even experienced staff as they do not feel they can afford it, which unfortunately means it’s very difficult for an inexperienced university graduate to get a job. To this end, it may be wise if you are in this situation to consider going back to university and doing a post graduate degree, not only will it give you something to do to fill your time, but it will also give you that advantage over other candidates when the economy settles down and companies are looking to hire again.

My Comment

“We are already the most highly educated generation in the workforce (+) yet the study work transition dilemma still exists. Further education doesn’t solve the problem for graduates it merely postpones it. Wait to be hired!? Guys, we need to think Entrepreneur vs. Employee. Why wait in line to be employees when we can determine our own future?

While education is undeniably an advantage the issue which compelled me to comment is simply that the problem as stated “it’s very difficult for an inexperienced university graduate to get a job” is not solved by telling them to continue on the same path, further education.

We need education applied in combination with our natural strengths our entrepreneurial spirit and tech know how.

As a combination we then have:

1. With education – the knowledge to create and transform ideas;
2. With entrepreneurship – the ability to risk and achieve and;
3. With technology – the tools to find connect and work together in new collaborative ways

Why be dependent on traditional “employment” when we can determine our own future in the workforce by becoming the next generation of talented entrepreneurs vs. employees? With the right team and a good idea building a company need not be as risky as it has been made to look. Begin by finding and connecting with talented others, somewhere like a talent community

A Generations Project Orientation

10 years from now we will represent almost 40% of the workforce and slowly but surely people are beginning to accept that aspects of our Gen Y work ethic, our project orientation for instance, are more suited to work in a knowledge economy.

AUSTRALIA’S pre-eminent demographer, Bernard Salt, has stepped into the debate on whether Gen Y is work shy by declaring they’re not lazy but they have to adapt in the downturn.

“In fact they’re incredibly hard-working within the areas they are interested in. In fact they work quite assiduously when they are engaged by a particular project,” he said.

While always nice to see people portraying “Gen Y” (Gen We as I like to call us) in a rare but positive light it remains evident that Mr Salt still expects us to conform to the norms that he works by. Norms that perpetuate the myth that happy and worker are divergent states of being.

“With the global financial crisis the wheel is turning and it’s time for Gen Y to adapt,” he said.

“It’s important for Gen Y to realise that work is not a form of entertainment. You should not be jumping out of your skin for eight hours of work.” Source

Fair call, it’s not a party but what Mr Salt’s discussion fails to recognise is that there exists other options to remaining an unhappy, under challenged, albeit adaptable employee.

Gen We Entrepreneurs

Research indicates we have an entrepreneurial spirit that makes us increasingly willing and able to take risks. As the most highly educated generation we are armed with knowledge and insight and chomping at the bit to apply it to work life.

Those that expect us to be so desperate for employment, during this recession, that we will just adapt to be more like the old guard was at work, may be disappointed to find we are indeed well equipped to adapt but simply not as dependent on traditional “employment” as previous generations have been.

Today we recognise that we always have the option of working for ourselves. With the right team, building a company need not be as risky as it has been made to look. With today’s networking tools is it’s becoming second nature for us to find, connect and work with each other

Worknow, like Trademe, for services on a networking platform.

Six months ago I did not know either of my two co-founders. I met Jamie by applying for a house on Trademe. Josh and I connected through shared networking circles – Intersect Facebook and Twitter.

Today we are evidence of the collaborative teams and new ventures being established using networking technology to connect talented, passionate people.

We encourage and support a more entrepreneurial work ethic by providing tools to help other people connect with each other to create solutions, new knowledge and work opportunities.

It seems that deriding Gen Y has become a marketing tool in itself. Repeat something negative about Gen Y and you’ve instantly attracted an audience.

Some readers will flock in order to have their personal points of view validated. But how many more will read because we’ve learned the importance of “…know thy enemy…”

Everyday we learn more about why the entrenched workforce fears us but more importantly the negativity provides us a challenge to rise to.

It seems, my entire generation now has a point to prove and the best way I can see to do that is to overcome the negativity, choose life and community over career, step around the square box and do exactly what we are disliked for.

Be different, challenge the status quo and find better new ways to get work done.

Although people continue to highlight our flaws a growing number of people are beginning to realise that these traits which appear as weaknesses may indeed be indicators of our strengths.

As one onlooker notes:-

“It is quite likely that some sizable percentage of these [Gen Y] workers will never work in a steady job on the payroll of a single employer. And an equally large segment may never know a career different from that of a ‘permanent part-timer,’ contractor, or consultant.”

Gen Y’s fierce independence will accelerate the nation’s evolution from a corporate economy of worker bees to an entrepreneurial one of innovative thinkers and rapid change, one where a majority of the Gen Y workforce is self-employed or even part of an ever-widening proprietary class.

The Gen Y group will be fiercely start-up oriented, and “by 2013, perhaps two- thirds of all adult Americans will be classified as entrepreneurial.” Source

Gen Y Entrepreneurs

So while this article talks of our US counterparts perhaps we should take note. More than any previous generation Gen Y has a more flexible and entrepreneurial approach to work.

Our entrepreneurial spirit makes us increasingly willing and able to take risks, our education has armed us with knowledge and insight and today’s technology allows us to connect, share and collaborate in new, more effective ways.

The traditional dependency on employment has begun to weaken as more and more of us recognise the potential we have to connect with others in order to create our own forms of work.

While our entrepreneurial and flexible approach to work demands of us greater self-reliance in return we capture the ability to shape our own future rather than “comply” or “conform” to the expectations of a workforce that often fails to utilise our talent or understand our work ethic.

Worknow

At Worknow we support a more entrepreneurial work ethic and are developing tools to help people find, connect and work together in new ways

Reducing Barriers to Productivity

Social networking tools will play an important role in the future of work organisation by helping us to create, connect and collaborate as project teams, regardless of time or place.

As workers move toward contracting and business’ take the opportunity to outsource work to increase productivity new methods of organising and facilitating work will arise.

Institutional “containment” as we know will cease to exist and with it the barriers to productivity that stalled the growth and development of our people and businesses.

Networking Tools & Platforms

Today’s social media tools and network platforms have created an environment where communication, collaboration and coordination are already in use. They need simply be applied in business to make it quicker and easier to get work done.

No longer limited by time or place or disadvantaged by the costs of travel, the concept of using networking tools to facilitate projects begins a paradigm shift in the way we think about and accomplish work.

IT and business technology will take center stage in the post-recession economy. The crisis…will sweep away organizations that do not grasp the importance of and utilize social network technologies.

Innovation will be defined by networks, [collaborating to] work with partners or competitors or customers using social technologies. George Colony, CEO of Forrester.

The way we work is changing and with it comes a shift in power, away from the corporate hierarchy that directed and controlled productivity in the past towards the innovative, more flexible contract workers that are ready and able to work, as needed.

Connect & Collaborate with Worknow

Networking tools and platforms give individual contractors and dispersed project teams the ability to compete with institutions at an unprecedented level. At Worknow we support this more flexible, entrepreneurial work ethic and are here to help contractors find, connect and collaborate on project work opportunities..

Developing Entrepreneurs vs Employees

Entrepreneurship is not yet considered a viable alternative to the professions because, as Sam Morgan noted November 2008,  New Zealander’s tend to view entrepreneurship as a niche, high risk, slightly crazy alternative  to employment.

This sentiment permeates New Zealand’s culture as was confirmed when I spoke to students attending the Otago University Career fair about news of a trend in New Zealand towards private contracting instead of employment.

When asked whether they would consider private contracting as an alternative to employment some did not consider it a viable option while those that did support the alternative noted that it’s often seen as too risky.

Our education system undermines the development of a more entrepreneurial culture by encouraging our smartest people towards  “safe, secure professions” such as lawyers, accountants, and doctors.

“We seem to have focused wrongly on building CVs rather than building businesses” Sam Morgan

As a result we have a wealth of talented people preparing themselves to be “employees” rather than cultivating talents which could drive economic growth through the creation of new business and new jobs.

Aotearoa NZ, Past Achievements.

We  would do well to remember more often that our small pacific nation has lead some of the best innovations  and achievements of the last century.

Rutherford split the atom, Hamilton built the first jet engine.  We were the first to allow women the right to vote and our spirit of adventure inspired Sir Ed to summit the tallest peak on earth.

More recently, Sam Morgan and Trademe introduced us to a new world of buying and selling online and Stephen Tindall and the Warehouse forced us to reconsider our need for plastic bags. History proves, we are an innovative nation.

Present, Our Entrepreneurial Nation

Entrepreneurship is one of our economic strengths. In 2008 Auckland was voted the most entrepreneurial city of the OECD. The same research in 2006 identified Maori as the third most entrepreneurial people in the OECD yet we still promote the fallacy that entrepreneurship is too “high risk” without qualifying or highlighting any of the benefits of risk vs reward.

Future of Entrepreneurship

Gen Y demographic research shows that more than any previous generation Gen Y has a more flexible and entrepreneurial approach to work.  The traditional dependency on employers has begun to weaken as more and more young people recognise the potential we have to connect with others in order to create our own forms of work.

While our entrepreneurial and flexible approach to work demands of us greater self-reliance in return we reap the ability to shape our own future rather than “comply” or “conform” to the expectations of a workforce that often fails to utilise our talent or understand our work ethic.

Inspire Encourage & Support Change

Rather than bemoaning the generational differences we suggest it is time to inspire and encourage a more entrepreneurial culture to support the development and growth of talented “business owners & teams” rather than just “employees” .

1. Educate and promote the economic, lifestyle and personal benefits of a more entrepreneurial culture
2. Encourage and support entrepreneurship as a viable alternative to the traditional “professions”
3. Celebrate the  success’ of our talent people

Worknow, Aotearoa NZ

• We encourage and support a more flexible and entrepreneurial work ethic.
• We work to connect all that share this philosophy so that together we can build a more entrepreneurial culture for Aotearoa NZ.

Better Work Options

Fact is, recession leads us to change the way we accomplish, commit to and think about work. Options being considered here in New Zealand include, a nine day fortnight, reduced hours, and an increased interest in contract work.

At the moment, these strategies are a way to deal with the reality that there’s simply not enough work to keep people in “full-time employment” but more importantly the change leads us to question our traditional forms of work organisation.

“…The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them…” Albert Einstein

To question long standing assumptions about the way we work; 40 hours, 9 – 5, five days a week at a set location. Most importantly it sets the stage to move towards a more entrepreneurial and flexible way of working that will be better suited to workers in our knowledge economy.

The future of entrepreneurial and flexible work

Our mission is to inspire, encourage and support a more entrepreneurial work ethic by helping people connect with each other to create solutions and new knowledge, intiatives and work opportunities.

The Problem of Generation Y

It irks me that people and media feel justified in deriding our generation. Almost daily I read about how lazy, fickle, disloyal and demanding generation Y is yet so rarely is voice given to the truth that we Gen Y have different attitudes, and workplace expectations to the existing generations.

Gen Y are disloyal

If you lead, we may follow. But keep in mind our concept of leadership 2.0 involves asking questions, connecting and collaborating not the archaic methods of power and control that ruled 80’s management theory.

“…For leaders who have the privilege of ushering the new generation into the workforce recognise immediately that traditional approaches to leading, communicating and delegating are likely to be met with passive or active resistance by Gen Y.

As a leader it is time for you to adapt your style by offering ideas and inviting feedback instead of issuing commands. Emphasize group work and encourage brainstorming. Forget the ‘we’ve always done it this way’ approach and encourage individuals and teams to find new and improved ways to conduct the work of your business…” Source

We saw Silence of the Lambs. Quid pro quo. We understand that employers need us as much as we need them.We  move on when there is little or no sense of mutual benefit or when it appears that our values and goals diverge.

• We seek leaders that inspire, support and encourage our personal growth and development.
• We want to feel that we work to contribute to something meaningful.
• We will find new and improved ways to increase  effectiveness, efficiency and productivity in business.

Gen Y are unrealistic about pay expectations

Yes, I can see that to those that did not have to pay for an education our pay expectations may seem disproportionate. Yet, education has burdened our generation with billions of dollars worth of student debt. Is it unrealistic of us to aspire to be debt free within the next 15 years?

Gen Y workers are demanding & always wanting something different.

Gen Y seek challenge and variety in the workplace. Why? well let’s consider the education system. Not only does it offer us a myriad of choices, it’s an environment where variety, challenge and change are the status quo. Where performance expectations are established at the outset and tested, measured and rewarded.

Is it unrealistic to expect that work might present a greater opportunity for such variety and challenge? or that work expectations be established at the beginning for us to work towards. Or does our education system simply fail to prepare us for the realities of today’s working world?

Gen Y workers are self-focused and lazy

The reality for us is that, unlike earlier generations, work is not our life. Work is important to us but we’ve been taught that it is better, for our health, to work to live, rather than live to work.

In addition to work we may also be juggling study, friends, family, sport, other paid and unpaid work commitments. Hence the need for flexibility. Remember: if there’s a clash in the work-life balance, life inevitably wins.

Gen Y Entrepreneurs

Love us or hate us 10 years from now we will represent almost 40% of the New Zealand workforce. Maybe it’s time to accept that aspects of our work ethic, our ability to adapt quickly and easily to change for instance, are more suited to modern living.

Our entrepreneurial spirit makes us increasingly willing and able to take risks, our education has armed us with knowledge and insight and today’s technology allows us to connect,  share and collaborate in new, more effective ways.

To those that expect us to be so desperate for employment, during this recession, that we will just come into line and act more like you, you may be disappointed to find we are indeed well equipped to adapt and not as dependent on traditional “employment” as previous generations have been.

Today we recognise that we always have the option of working for ourselves. With the right team building a company need not be as risky as it has been made to look. And anyway, what do we really have to lose at this point except, of course, our massive student debt.

Next Generation Work

At Worknow we encourage entrepreneurship, knowing it to an effective, efficient and productive work model with which to drive our knowledge economy. Create your talent profile today