7/06/2010

Study: Millennials jump from job to job seeking change

Study: Millennials jump from job to job seeking change

BY HILLARY HAENES, Californian staff writer
hhaenes@bakersfield.com | Saturday, Jul 03 2010 12:00 PM

Last Updated Saturday, Jul 03 2010 12:00 PM

Reasons why millennials sought out their last job

Just needed a change: 37 percent

Better salary: 27 percent

Appeal of industry/position: 16 percent

More senior position: 9 percent

Benefits/perks: 12 percent

Source: Mr Youth and Intrepid. See the study at www.millennialinc.com

 

Interesting information about millennials

There's been a lot of change in the field of career education in the 20 years Jane Evarian has been in it.

What used to be about placing students in jobs is now about teaching a lifelong career education, the director of Cal State Bakersfield's Center for Community Engagement & Career Education said.

A college degree no longer means career success; students need experience, too. The new strategy is to network students, improve their skills and communication and encourage critical thinking.

During the dot-com phase, Evarian worked with college seniors and found them jobs they would start after graduation. A lot of students had work months before graduation and didn't have to worry about sending resumes and applying to multiple places.

"They didn't write strong resumes. They never learned to promote themselves professionally," Evarian said.

After the dot-com phase died out, she received call after call and e-mail after e-mail from students who were clueless about how to find work.

"I lost my job. I don't know what to do. I don't know how to write a resume," were messages from panicked students now out of a job.

Evarian said the millennial generation is so different because people watched both parents work hard and not relax. This is also the generation of people who have been given awards for a multitude of reasons, and millennials have the idea they are special. Another major difference is millennials do not like to be told what to do; instead, they prefer guidance and look to their boss as a mentor.

"Baby boomers need to recognize that and not feel threatened. ... Managers should provide consistent feedback to new hires," Evarian said.

 

The Career Services Center provides free services for job seekers. The center offers applicant recruiting and screening, on-the-job training incentives, testing and interviewing facilities and layoff aversion as well as guidance on how to craft a resume and select professional attire. For information, call 325-HIRE.

Ulises Sandoval started working right after high school. His first job was landscaping, which lasted two years.

Sandoval is now 30 and has already worked nine jobs.

"I wanted to do something different and get more experience," Sandoval said.

Like Sandoval, others who are part of the millennial generation have held several jobs in a short time.

In a recent study conducted to show what future businesses will look like when millennials take over, Intrepid, a market research consultancy, and Mr Youth, a New York-based social marketing agency, discovered the No. 1 reason this generation switches jobs often is their need for continual change. Over a six-month period that ended in April, more than 800 millennials from the United States and United Kingdom were surveyed.

"We really wanted to do the study because so many changes have been made in our world of business," said Brandon Evans, Mr Youth managing partner and chief strategy officer.

Millennials are people born from 1977 to 1996. They seek work they consider stimulating and interesting.

"It's taking longer to figure out what that is," Evans said.

He found the main reason for frequent job moves a little surprising -- he expected it to be the quest for a better salary.

Sandoval hopped jobs because he needed a change, more money and better hours.

He can now list getting laid off as a reason, too. Last week Sandoval was let go from a temporary construction job.

"I'm tired of jumping from here to there. I just want to find a job forever," Sandoval said Thursday morning after the weekly announcement of job openings at the Career Services Center, which offers free job-search services.

Even though his resume lists jobs he worked for two years and others for four months, he sees positive aspects of working various jobs.

"I've learned a lot of skills from different jobs and from different people," said Sandoval, who wants to prove to himself and family that he is a hard worker.

Career Services Center marketing supervisor Danette Scarry said the younger generation has been pampered and is not always reliable, responsible or loyal.

"When we train, we try to emphasize employers already have that stigma in their mind," Scarry said.

The market is flooded with job seekers and it's more difficult for recent college graduates to find work. Scarry gave the scenario of two people applying for the same position -- a mature 55-year-old man with experience who will stick around or a new college grad with fresh ideas.

It's become tough competition for millennials because they are known to job hop if something better comes along.

"It was a lot easier to get a job back then. I kind of jumped from job to job," said Chris Melbihess, 31, about getting a job several years ago. He has been unemployed for a year and a half.

He worked two jobs after high school and during college. After he got out of the Army, it took six months to find work. Melbihess landed a job as a host at Mimi's Café where he stayed a year and four months before leaving for a better paying job that only lasted six months.

"I needed to change. I needed to move on," Melbihess said of leaving the cafe.

Change is key for millennials, and this generation is used to being a part of a variety of activities, said Jane Evarian, director of Cal State Bakersfield's Center for Community Engagement & Career Education.

Millennials like Ashley Baxter are familiar with working two or more jobs at once.

Her first job was a two-year stint as a nanny in high school and during each holiday season, she worked a three-month part-time job.

Baxter, 21, celebrated her third year working at Starbucks in March and has been employed at a supportive living services facility since December.

"It's difficult to balance a relationship, school and finding the time to do homework. I'm also the type of person who likes to keep busy," Baxter said.

The millennial generation strives for a balanced work life and personal life. They enjoy leisure time, but they also like to work hard, Evarian said.

via bakersfield.com

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