The Hiring Game and Overcoming Millennial Stereotypes
You’ve read the headlines: Millennials Are Entitled, Millennials Are Job Hoppers, or the infamous Millennials Are Lazy. The common perception of millennials, those who are born from 1981-1996, is that they are not loyal or hard working employees. Their dependence on technological automation and instant gratification makes them appear to be unable to commit to arduous assignments and long hours.
As many millennials know– this is not the case at all! Every generation has had their share of sweeping generalizations, but millennials truly have it the worst. So what can you do to convince recruiters that these stereotypes don’t include yourself? I have a few ideas in mind.
Emphasize Your Thirst For Knowledge & Experience
A major misconception about millennials is that they are entitled. They believe that their degree should equate to a great position along with a great salary- when the truth is they just want to make enough money to pay off their student loans. In order to obtain your dream position and be at a point where you’re the one being hunted down by an executive search firm, it is often necessary for you to work your way up the corporate ladder. The first step is obtaining the first position in your desired company. Convince the interviewer that you are thirsty to learn the ropes and gain experience in their firm. By emphasizing your focus on professional growth as opposed to financial growth, you are sure to be memorable.
To be frank, highlighting your prior experience won’t make you stand out. Why? A majority of your competitors have the same or better experience. By proving yourself to be a driven and committed employee, you can truly get an edge on other candidates. Long story short, show them you are ready to hustle and do what it takes to succeed.
Highlight What Attracts You To Their Company
A major distinction statistics fail to differentiate is the difference between millennials and age groups. Given that a millennial can range anywhere from the age of 22-37, the generalization that these individuals are most likely to job hop is inaccurate. Young people across all generations are more likely to switch employers because of a range of reasons like a promotion, more competitive pay, location benefits, and more. Moreover the Pew Research Center conducted a study that showed, among the college-educated, Millennials have longer track records with their employers than Generation X workers did in 2000 when they were the same age as today’s Millennials. Based off this data, it is easy to conclude that this stereotype is inaccurate.
Now I am not suggesting that you walk into an interview ready to recite these statistics! Instead, I think the best course of action is to explain what makes the company you are interviewing for attractive. Highlight aspects about their culture that resonate with you. By doing so, recruiters can tell that you are truly passionate about their business and that you aren’t simply using them as a stepping stone.
With millennial stereotypes being believed in so deeply, it can be hard to navigate interviews and recruiting. I believe that by emphasizing your thirst for knowledge and experience along with highlight what is attractive about a company, you can overcome the major downfalls recruiters associate with the millennial generation. Of course, the most important part to any great interview is to be yourself and not put up a facade. If you are unable to speak passionately about the two topics, chances are the company you are interviewing for isn’t the place for you.