Ways to Advance Your Career if You’re a Millennial

Ways to Advance Your Career if You're a Millennial PPT Template

Different generations in western countries have been placed in demographic cohorts to describe the characteristics of that generation, including; habits, social and economic conditions, and developments that revolutionized that era. In globalization times, these characteristics have become more common on a global scale. Millennials or Gen Y have been blessed with the opportunity to experience the intersection between two different eras, including the old analog and the new digital age. This provides them with various career opportunities. If you’re a Millennial looking to climb the career ladder, we have some tips that will show you ways to advance your career if you’re a Millennial.

Who are Millennials?

Before discussing Millennials’ career opportunities and pitfalls, let’s first define Millennials and what makes them unique? Millennials are the generation born between the 80s to mid-90s or, specifically, between 1981-1996. The estimated number of Millennials currently stands at 1.8 billion, with the youngest in their early 20s and the older ones in their late 30s. Also called Generation Y or Gen Y, they are the generation that came after Generation X. Millennials were born in an era that allowed them to see the transition from traditional banking, commerce, trade, and technology to rapidly changing trends led by the Internet. They have seen the era before and after introducing social media, the smartphone revolution, and an unprecedented rise in globalization.

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What Sets Millennials Apart from Baby Boomers and Other Generations?

Generation X was a generation born before the Millennials and after the Baby Boomers. It is now losing influence to the Millennials. To understand various generations, let’s look at a few of the demographic cohorts from different generations.

1883 to 1900 – Lost Generation: This generation was born between 1883 and 1900 and came of age during the difficult era of World War I. The term “lost generation” is attributed to Ernest Hemingway, who used this term for this generation in a novel titled “The Sun Also Rises.”

1901 to 1927 – The Greatest Generation: This term is used for people born between 1901-1927. The era of this generation is marked by The Great Depression and World War II.

1928 to 1945 – Silent Generation: This generation was marred by global authoritarian regimes, where freedom of speech was considered “dangerous.” The era of this generation was also the post-World War II era, where many nations made significant progress in rebuilding their countries and economies.

1946 to 1964 – Baby Boomers: This generation was born between 1946-1964. The term Baby Boomers describes the rapid rise in the population after World War II, particularly in western countries of Europe and North America. This generation is considered to have been born under conditions of prosperity and enjoyed better health and access to facilities that preceding generations did not have.

1965 to 1980 – Generation X: This was a generation when there was an increased workforce by both men and women, resulting in the need for more child care services and, a result of less supervision. The generation is credited with entrepreneurial tendencies and a rise in independent art and music.

1981 to 1996 – Millennials: As mentioned earlier, the Millennials were born between the intersection of the analog and digital age, with a rise in digital technology, globalization, and the Internet. This had a significant effect on Generation Z.

1997 – Unknown – Generation Z: While there is no clear consensus as to if and when the Generation Z era ends, the generally accepted timeline lies between the mid-90s as the era when Generation Z or Gen Z were born. Also called Gen Zers, the generation was born and brought up during the digital age, with the Internet, social media, and the development of new technology that is likely to revolutionize life for the next generation, ranging from self-driving cars to robots performing household chores.

How can Millennials Advance their Careers?

Millennials are uniquely positioned to advance their careers as they are familiar with a lifestyle similar to Generation X and Generation Z. Furthermore, access to technology, which evolved as the Millennials came of age, allowed them to experience the evolution firsthand. They have experienced both the pre-Internet era and the digital age. Millennials understand both an old-school life and the technology-driven world, making them uniquely placed for entrepreneurial ventures, better job opportunities, and introducing ideas. 

Make the Best use of Technology.

If you’re a Millennial, you have probably performed some research without using a search engine, even if it was something you did as a hobby. Moreover, Generation Y also understands search engines and how they can be inaccurate in delivering good information. Using technology accurately can help Millennials advance their careers, ranging from planning effective social media marketing campaigns to using technology for finding better jobs. For example, many job portals charge a premium fee for highlighting your CV when applying for a job. If you’re a Millennial looking for a new job, you can use such platforms for hunting for better-paid jobs. You can also see our Executive’s Guide for Digital Transformation to get ideas regarding the use of digital technology in your career. Technology helps automate tasks, schedule emails, use project management and online collaboration web apps such as Microsoft Teams, Google Drive, and Asana can help you improve productivity, manage teams, achieve your KPIs, and improve your chances for career advancement. 

Millenials Advance your Career with Technology PPT Template
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Aim for that Work-Life Balance

One of the most common things that plague Millennials is fatigue, overwork, or inability to achieve work-life balance. This can result in depression, lack of concentration, sleep deprivation, and other issues which might affect your career prospects. Numerous studies have shown that Millennials are prone to depression and burning out, attributed to work-related stress. For example, according to the IPSOS Public Affairs e-Nation survey conducted in 2019, an estimated 9 million Americans were diagnosed with depression. Therefore, achieving a work-life balance is essential for Millennials: even if this means turning off digital devices now and then, saying No at the workplace when you’re overworked, switching to less stressful jobs, managing sleep to prevent sleep deprivation, and adopting healthy habits. 

Curb that Attention Seeking Tendency

In recent years, there has been much debate regarding social media notifications and dopamine, a chemical (neurotransmitter and hormone) found in the human body associated with movement and emotional response. Dopamine works as a pleasure and reward system. There has been debate in recent years that social media platforms use notifications to trigger a dopamine response. But is it only social media that tend to want to be liked, appreciated, and valued? Many digital products and platforms use this mechanism, which has marred recent generations with a need to crave attention. Researchers Melissa Hunt, Courtney Lipson, Jordyn Young, and Rachel Marx concluded that Millennials were experiencing depression due to spending more time on social media. This tendency can also affect your relationship with colleagues and ruin your chances of success at the workplace. So, cutting back on social media, digital devices and not oversharing your life online can help you improve your mood and relationship with colleagues and advance your career.

Use Feedback to Constantly Seek Improvement

Millennials are often described as a generation that is more open to new ideas, discussing taboo topics by older generations. This also makes them more receptive to feedback. Using feedback from peers, family members, and friends about career and work-related content can help improve your skills. Seeking advice for a presentation, seeking help regarding your quality of work, and learning new things from others can help you improve your skillset and social skills and improve your career prospects. 

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Don’t be Afraid to Hop to a Better Opportunity.

What separates Millennials from older generations is also their tendency to take risks. Many Baby Boomers decided to spend decades in a single career, whereas the rapid change in technology and trends makes it necessary for Millennials to adapt to new skills. This also includes switching to a new job. Millennials have a reputation for quickly changing jobs. A Gallup survey published in 2016 estimated that 6 in 10 millennials in the United States were open to new job opportunities, whereas 21% switched their job over a year. The survey mentioned that Generation Y worked not only for a paycheck but for a purpose. Many organizations now offer flexible time, freelancing opportunities, and better-paid consultancies than conventional jobs. Therefore, Millennials tend to look for better opportunities with more purpose, which can help them improve their financial standing and achieve job satisfaction. This tendency can be helpful for Millenials in advancing their career.

Improve Your Network

Networking has become easier than ever before. A strong network of contacts can help you seek a better job and entrepreneurial opportunities, job references, and initiatives that might help your career. People engaged with a strong network can also improve their standing within a specific sector and gain a reputation to open new avenues for career advancement. Since Millennials are familiar with digital and old-fashioned networking methods, this can be a plus for them to have a strong network consisting of Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, and Generation Z.

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Work on Your Online Presence

It is no hidden secret that employers nowadays review social media profiles before hiring employees. Many Millennials made Facebook and Twitter accounts at a time these services were first introduced. This gives them the necessary know-how of using these networks to their optimum potential. However, online presence is a two-edged sword that can result in a positive network of people who can help you in your career or people looking to bring you down. You might want to avoid controversial content and keep certain parts of your profile limited while publicly displaying content that might make you appear professional and non-controversial. 

There are many apps and websites where you can use personal Resume presentations or slides to showcase who you are professional on the bright side. This can also lead to creating business presentations if you seek to become an entrepreneur and reach more people than what your real-life network has for you. Social media outlets like LinkedIn or even freelancing networks like Upwork will allow you to find opportunities with a different mindset. 

Don’t Be Afraid to Explore Beyond Conventional Limitations.

The opportunities for new generations such as Millennials and Generation Z are endless. They are familiar with changing socio-economic trends and lack resistance to change, unlike previous generations, opening up opportunities for innovation. Many Millennials are not only seeking jobs within their countries of origin but also abroad. Furthermore, digital technology has now made it possible to link people worldwide to collaborate and execute projects. If you’re a Millennial who wants to advance his career, it might be time to look beyond conventional limitations.

There is Always More to Life than Material Gains

Millennials look for purpose and are open to new ideas, which makes them uniquely placed for achieving more satisfaction at the workplace and in life in general. Numerous studies, such as the 2018 Mayflower Mover Insights Study, revealed that many Millennials prefer a minimalist lifestyle as a generation and aim to live with fewer possessions. The study noted that Millennials are 25% more likely to claim to have a minimalist lifestyle than 14% of Generation X and 9% of Baby Boomers. A more minimalist lifestyle and lack of interest in material gains alone can reduce stress and give more purpose to Millennials. While the era of Baby Boomers and Generation X was marred by consumerism, many Millennials seem to break free from this trend. This can arguably help improve finances by avoiding excessive spending, reducing debt, improving satisfaction, and enabling Millennials to unlock their true potential to live a life that gives them purpose and meaning. This mindset is bound to help people advance their careers and develop ideas and innovations that strike a chord with people looking to live better lives.

Final Words

Unlike previous generations, which were raised amidst the great global upheaval, rising consumerism, and materialism, Millennials were born and raised at a time of changing values, rapid technological advancement, and global integration leading to more people-to-people contact on a global scale. This gives Millennials a unique opportunity to look beyond traditional jobs, material gains and add more purpose to their lives and others. While many of this might appear idealistic, Millennials tend to challenge conventional norms and aim to acquire more satisfaction in life. Numerous studies have shown Millennials to be more charitable, with a more minimalist lifestyle and a need for achieving something that gives their lives purpose. These traits place Millennials at a unique juncture of history, where they can understand and cater to the needs of their generation and offer skills that can attract older generations.

If you’re a Millennial looking to unlock your true potential, you need to keep your skills sharp, not be afraid to look for new opportunities. It would help if you aimed for work-life balance to use your optimum potential to advance your career and ensure a healthy lifestyle.

1. Generations: Boomers, Gen X and Gen Z PowerPoint Template

Learn more about the segmenting of the different generations who are shaping the world. Use this presentation template to profile, understand, educate and document. 

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Career Growth, Millenials, Resume, Self-Growth, Self-Improvement
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