To Be Employed or Not To Be Employed, That Is the Question
As the newly minted Class of 2010 walks across the stage to receive their diplomas over the next few weeks, they walk off the stage facing one of the most difficult climates in which to find a job. On this blog, we’ve discussed how to reach out and connect with Gen Y job candidates. However, I want to turn the tables a bit and talk about a debate Gen Y is having now that the graduation caps have flown off their heads:
Is any job better than no job?
It sounds crazy to most of us, right? Why would someone want to even ask this questions in this time of economic uncertainty? Doesn’t health insurance and a 401K plan mean anything, even if it isn’t in the ideal job situation?
To Gen Y’ers, this is an internal struggle. They have a strong desire to make an impact on the world around them instead of become a cubicle worker without a purpose. They crave flexibility in their work environment instead of being chained to a desk for 12 hour days. It isn’t that they don’t want to pay their dues — they don’t mind staying late if they know that their dedication will be noticed in the long-term.
The Room for Debate blog on The New York Times website addressed this conflict and asked advice from many credible sources and advice was split down the middle. Hara Estroff Marano, author of “A Nation of Wimps,” said graduates should take the job to learn valuable skills about the workplace. Edwin W. Koc of the National Association of Colleges and Employers believed graduates should make that decision based upon their individual financial situation. Princeton University Katherine S. Newman stated that the situation is worse for poorly educated people than it is for college graduates and called for a public works program.
What was an even more confusing statistic was that 41 percent of high school graduates have turned down jobs, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers and Judith Warner’s New York Times piece.
What does that mean for us employers? Should we ramp up what we offer for jobs to attract top talent? Do we need to have more reasonable expectations of what Gen Y believes they will find in a job? Or do we anticipate a high job turnover rate as Gen Y’ers leave for their “dream job” as it opens up?
About the Author
Amy Liz Martin is a PR professional whose work centers on social media, media relations, corporate relations, publicity and cause-related PR campaigns. Amy was a fundraiser and event communications chair for the American Cancer Society, ran small development and communications campaigns for the International Center for Journalists, and led social media publicity efforts for artists at EMI CMG Label Group. She earned her master's degree in mass communications/public relations at Louisiana State University and is a member of the Public Relations Society of America.
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