Best of the Web: All Things Gen Y

Posted by: Lindsey Gerdes on October 23

Are you a young job seeker or professional who feels intimidated and overwhelmed by the many competing sources of information out there on the web? Here’s a tri-weekly rundown of some of my favorite bloggers and blog topics currently populating the web:

For this week’s early-careers blog roundup, we’ll take a look at Gen Y-focused workplace items; mainly those discussing how the workplace’s youngest employees interact with their colleagues in other generations.

In her Harvard Business Publishing blog, career strategy writer Tammy Erickson discusses “When Boomers Work for Gen X and Gen Y”, describing various instances of generational differences in the workplace, including the schedule-related example below:

One friend told me this story: his wife, a Boomer, decided to go back to work recently and found a great job in what looked to be a very interesting company. On her first morning, she called her husband in a panic - she was in the office (at 8:30 am) and the place was deserted - not a soul in sight! Turns out her new colleagues were mostly Gen Ys - who, as I've written in the past, often operate under the "what is it with you people and 8:30 am" rule. Get over it.

Over at 3 Gen—tagline ‘three perspectives from three generations in today’s workplace”--one Gen Yer shares her thoughts on a new label she’s been hearing to describe the work habits of today’s twenty somethings: bursty. Apparently this describes employees who may not look like they’re getting a lot done (they might be surfing the web, checking their blackberry, etc. while supposedly working) but they have highly productive spurts and are actually quite effective in many cases. Blogger Tasha’s thoughts:

When I first read that Gen Yers (like myself) may now be reffered to as “bursty” workers, I wasn’t sure whether to feel proud or offended? The term still makes me raise an eyebrow, while at the same time feel explosive..like I’m BURSTING on to the work scene (or perhaps it could be the Red Bull that I’m currently enjoying.)

Are you a “bursty” worker? This writer is (although she just thought it was her ADD!)

Over at Brazen Careerist, Penelope Trunk discusses three ways work will change when Gen Y is in charge...and they might surprise you. Particularly number two: "Entry-level employees will avoid technological complexity". Isn’t this the tech-savvy, gadget-obsessed generation? Maybe, but Trunk says they will instead opt for simplicity.

The generation after Gen Y will rebel against customization. The next generation will focus on simplicity and the simplicity will express itself in technology. People will use the same things, they will use them in largely the same ways, and there will be a common vernacular about technology tools that we are missing in today's culture.

Of course we've got to include at least one Gen Y-related post on the upcoming election. Experience.com blogger Mark Kaefer thinks Gen Y will be big factor in choosing our next president. He breaks down the issues that matter most to young voters in his recent post and also discusses why they'll come out in record numbers:

If you’re like me, you’ve probably caught the hint that the young vote is going to play a major role in the presidential election. Case in point: according to “An informed Gen Y may decide this election” from the Denver Post, youth turnout increased drastically in almost every state holding a primary or caucus on Super Tuesday – doubling, tripling and even quadrupling the turnouts in 2004. The paper argues young voters will have an even greater impact in the general election, because attempts to ‘get out the youth vote’ have finally been coupled with a real effort to ‘inform young voters.’

Pongo Resume blogger Julie O’Malley discusses “Dumbass Mistakes New Grads Make in Interviews,” based on a CareerBuilder.com poll of more than 3,000 hiring managers and HR professionals. Number one? Acting bored or cocky:

1. Acting bored or cocky (69%) This sounds familiar. We had someone interviewing at Pongo recently who seemed pretty good, but two or three people used the word "cocky" to describe the person's attitude. (Our managers, like those at many companies, solicit opinions from everybody who comes in contact with a job candidate, not just those in the interview room – hint, hint.) If you're a new grad, it's important to realize that you may have been the coolest kid on campus a few months ago, but today you’re an unproven beginner. A positive, respectful attitude is one way to set yourself apart. Confident = good. Cocky = bad.

Although Alexandra Levit’s Water Cooler Wisdom blog on “When you Should Work for Free—and When You Shouldn’t" isn’t a generationally-focused piece, it is particularly relevant to young people just starting their careers. Alexandra speaks from a writer’s perspective:

When You Should: If you’re trying to get experience in a new field so that you have something to put on your resume, then yes, you might have to take an internship or volunteer position for no pay. Similarly, if you need to prove yourself in an extremely competitive field in which you’ve never worked professionally (like writing), you may need to, temporarily, put yourself out there free of charge. You can also justify working for free if it allows you to support a cause that’s personally important to you. Make sure, though, that your unpaid position doesn’t compromise your efforts to pay your bills. The last thing any of us need is more debt. When You Shouldn’t: If you’ve already established yourself in a field and have a reputation of doing good work for pay, then you shouldn’t get too caught up in this whole “pay for exposure” thing. Not only does it diminish your credibility and undermine your professional expertise to accept these offers, but it hurts the people that make an often precarious living doing these tasks. After all, if an organization can get a service for free, why pay for it?