Mythical Millennial #4: work work work work work work
Thoughts about Rihanna and that certified 2k16 banger aside, work is actually something pretty difficult to talk about. It certainly was for me. Until I was [brag] invited to speak at a conference about the mythical millennial in the workplace last week [/brag] and came to a poignant conclusion.
Employers, they are just as scared of us as we are of them.
The fear manifests for us young ‘uns like this. We’ve Googled cover letter templates late into the night and freaked out over our lack of work experience. We’ve worn something just a touch too formal on our first day and twiddled our thumbs for three hours when your line manager forgets to give you, the new intern, another task to do. Some of us have gone through three or four years of university to come out knowing diddly squat as to what they want to do with their life. Some of us were terrified of that realisation. Work is scary.
It’s also scary for employers, who believe that we’re just going to sod off at the earliest opportunity. They are right to be nervous: 2 out of 3 young working adults expect to leave their jobs within 1–2 years according to Deloitte. Employers are now basically scrambling to figure out how to retain us. I mentioned Google earlier, so here’s an amazing statistic: when you Google the word ‘millennial’ you get 22 million hits. Gosh. It’s no wonder companies are pouring top dollar into generating huge reports about millennials at work.
The (healthy?) tension between employer and employee isn’t new. I just hope that the generational divide between baby boomers and us millennials won’t stop us from being able to relate to one another in the workplace. All you bosses and recruiters out there, listen up. Millennials don’t need your office to be Google 2.0. They really just want what you want: better pay, advancement opportunities and purposeful work. See? Not so different after all.
When I was researching for my ‘millennials in the workplace’ keynote I was alarmed to find that no one is talking about mental health at work. According to mental health charity Mind, 1 in 6 workers are dealing with a mental health issue, so it’s disappointing that this hasn’t been pulled into focus by more people.
Whilst employers (I hope), get their mental health shiz together, here’s a general self-care list I found years ago that still helps me today when I’m feeling particularly blue. Do you have mental health tips for the workplace? Would love to hear from you, and perhaps do a round-up of the best ones in the next newsletter!
A recommendation from Christine, who graduated last week. Congratulations, gal!
Girls Like Girls (Jenaux Remix) by Hayley Kiyoko
Say hello to our first ever Mythical Millennial contributor @charlubby who created this #relatable comic just for you. Check her awesome stuff out at Chuck Draws. Want to contribute some art to Mythical Millennial? Hit me up here to discuss rates. (Yes, all contributors get paid!)
I leave you with an excellent article: Where To Work (A manifesto). A reminder that when it comes to work, remember to “respect yourself, and expect respect from others.”
See you in two weeks lovely peeps,
B x
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Originally published on Mythical Millennial.
