11/21/2017

Millennials Want to Chase Their Passions

But they can’t communicate what they are

“I’m not sure what I want,” are probably the six most common words I hear from working professionals in programming I do with companies or whom I meet with as prospective clients.

Many of us have been raised being told we have agency in our lives, in our choices, and that we can be and do whatever we want. However, in most corporate worlds, there is a path pretty clearly laid out, at least through university age. After university, a job happens (perhaps through connections made from an internship, a campus recruiter, or family connections). The job establishes independence, necessary for rent and student debt. It may even be exciting at first, we may be affirmed by salary growth and title bumps and increased flexibility. And, then one day, we look up and wonder why we are here, if we want to keep going, and what does life even mean.

When I hear these words often what I’m hearing is, “Tell me the answer. Tell me what I want or what to do next.” Often, people are seeking instruction that they are used to, like when they were told to go to school and get a job. The other thing I hear often laid in there is that we don’t get enough time to process, to talk through what it is that we like and to work on a process of self-discovery. This is particularly challenging for millennials. A recent INC article quoted research that suggests 75 percent of millennials prefer texting to actually talking. Text-based communication is often preferred when it comes to work-related topics or even relaying intimate details, like a break-up. The upside of this is a tendency for more “to the point” communication. The downside is limited communication over time can translate to a limited ability to communicate well. 

Please click here to read the complete article from LinkedIn.