Lots of people are buzzing about the recent New York Times Magazine cover story, “What is it About 20-Somethings?” The article focuses on the fact that today’s 20-somethings are “delaying adulthood” by moving back in with their parents, marrying later and hopping from career to career.

The article speculates about whether these shifts are happening because of the current economy, a fundamental change in the definition of adulthood or — as many of the article’s more negative commenters believe — the “entitled” nature of the Generation Y.

Personally, I believe that 20-somethings are simply reflecting the reality of our current times. But I have seen evidence that many Millennials aren’t aware of the way they are perceived, particularly in the workplace. I frequently hear recruiters and employers complain that today’s young people have a sense of entitlement — a belief that they deserve jobs, high salaries and advanced responsibilities even when they don’t have much experience.

Whether you personally feel this way or not, it’s important to understand that this perception of 20-somethings is out there. In many companies, the older generations are still in charge, so when you’re looking for a job or wanting to advance in your career, you’ll have a better chance of success if you avoid the “entitled” label. Here are some tips for overcoming the “e” word…

Read these tips on my “College to Career” blog at MyPath.com…

TAGS: emerging adulthood, Generation Y, Millennials, New York Times Magazine

Students are certainly tech savvy these days.  They tweet and text and surf with great confidence, secure in their know-how about the joys of connectivity.  But how secure is their knowledge about being safely connected when it comes to online money management? 

For example, what would your student do if they received an email from their bank asking them to update their account information?  Would they confidently click on the attached link and update their records?  Wrong decision!  They would be giving identify thieves direct access to their money.  But if they’d played a new, interactive financial literacy board game called Wi$eMoney – they would know that banks don’t ask customers for account information via e-mail. 

Wi$eMoney teaches students about banking, credit, investing, budgeting and identify theft.  It was created by The Learning Key, a company that creates games to transform learning into action (www.thelearningkey.com) .  It has been tested with students and teachers in nearly two dozen states and complies with school board approved curricula. 

The information that’s shared while playing Wi$eMoney is priceless. And, it’s desperately needed because U.S. students are graduating without basic financial education.  They’re graduating without the ability to manage their money.  In fact, in a recent survey of educators across the country who belong to the Business Professionals of America teachers said:

• only a third of students who graduate from high school are financially literate
• 93% need education on how to manage a budget 

But the other disturbing fact that was identified in the survey is that more than half of the teachers (51%) said they are only somewhat qualified to even teach students in financial matters. 

That’s why parents and teachers must find ways to make learning about money fundamental and help students understand the importance of the mindset:  It’s your money so take it personally ™.

How better to do that than with a game that makes become financially smart fun and mental?

Here’s to your health and wealth. 

TAGS: Generation Y, Women and Money

Dear Lindsey,

I’m an engineer at a leading tech company, and for the most part I love my job. At 29, I’m one of the younger people in the office. One of the most frustrating things for me is working with much older people who are a lot slower with new technologies — even my superiors who are in technical roles can’t work as quickly as the younger crew can.

And I don’t blame them — I don’t think I’ll be able to keep up in such a rapidly-changing field when I’m in my 60s. Still, it’s hard to watch (or wait for) them to figure something out that I could have done myself in half the time.

How do I show respect to my older, less tech-savvy coworkers without losing my mind?

Thanks,
Young and Speedy

Read my answer to this question on my new “Ask the Gen Y Expert” column at Excelle.com…

TAGS: Generation Y, managing generational differences, technology

 Is your child money smart when they graduate from high school? 

Being financially literate is not the grade most teachers give the nation’s high school students.  More than half say today’s kids have not been adequately educated about money matters by the time they receive their high school diploma. 

According to a recent survey of teachers nationwide who are members of Business Professionals of America, 51% said students are either somewhat or very illiterate when it comes to money matters regarding managing a budget, saving and investing money, credit cards and paying bills.  Only 2% of these educators felt that graduating seniors were very well-versed in financial matters. 

The survey was done for an interactive financial literacy board game called Wi$eMoney – a product of the Learning Key – a company that designs learning tools (http://www.thelearningkey.com/index.php).  I provided content for this board game and focused on challenging juniors and seniors to test their money skills and knowledge.  Wi$eMoney helps them understand early on why It’s your money so take it personally ™ should be their mindset. Wi$eMoney’s goal is to stimulate student awareness of their financial responsibilities and make the process fun! 

Many of the nation’s teachers – in fact, one in five of those asked –  who felt that students are very financially illiterate – don’t think their schools are doing enough to prepare students for the real world of money – how to make it, spend it, save it and invest it. 

Elizabeth Treher is founder, president and CEO of The Learning Key.  She says:  “Teachers, in general, are concerned that students are not aware of the financial responsibilities they will encounter when they become independent of their parents.”  Treher adds:  “Many educators feel that basic financial education should be introduced to students as soon as they enter high school and become involved until they graduate”. 

Financial education like reading should be fundamental as well as fun and mental.  What better way to engage students in learning to become money savvy than to make a game of it?   

Here’s to your health and wealth. 

If you’re interested in learning more about the Wi$eMoney board game and/or sponsoring financial education in your local school district, go to http://www.thelearningkey.com/PDF/Sponsorship_Promo_06092010.pdf.

TAGS: Generation Y, Women and Money

While it’s incredibly important to do the right things in a job search, you also need to make sure you avoid doing the wrong things.

One of my favorite questions to ask recruiters is, “What are your biggest pet peeves about entry-level job candidates?” Below are some of the answers I’ve received. Hopefully this list will save you from committing any major faux pas!

1. “Creative” resumes. I know you want to stand out from the crowd, but a perfumed, purple or paper airplane-shaped resume is not the way to do it.

2. Not doing your homework. We live in the Information Age, so there is no excuse for not learning as much information about a company as possible before meeting a representative of that company at a job fair, information session or other recruiting event. You should already know the organization’s lines of business, competitors, current news and other facts you can easily discover from a website or a quick Google search. Asking a recruiter to tell you about his organization or asking what the company does is a quick way to strike out.

Read the rest of this post on my “College to Career” blog at MyPath.com…

TAGS: career advice, Generation Y, Job Search, mistakes to avoid, Recruiting

Last Tuesday night I attended a dinner hosted by the Atlantic Media Company in Washington, DC, to discuss the results of the brand new Allstate-National JournalHeartland Monitor Poll, which offers a look at the economic experience of the Millennial generation.

There were about 20 of us at the table, including representatives from government, think tanks, media outlets and labor unions.  The discussion was moderated by Ron Brownstein, who is not only a well-respected journalist and father of a Millennial, but, I learned, is also a fellow fan of Lost. (Yes, he was careful to end the dinner before Tuesday night’s episode.)

Here are some of my main takeaways from the discussion and the poll:

Job security is trendy. One of the more surprising findings of the poll is that 55% of Millennials say their goal is long-term employment with a single employer. And, when asked to rank their most important workplace priorities, job security was number one (with money a close number two). Personally, I believe this will change as the economy improves. I just don’t see Gen Y-ers sticking with traditional career paths with all of the options and portable benefits available in the new economy. In fact, many of the dinner attendees joked that they don’t even want to work for their current employers for the rest of their careers.

The current recession will have lasting effects. This is seriously concerning (and was also the topic ofBusinessWeek’s cover story, “The Lost Generation”). Recent research has shown that young people who graduate in recession years are at a disadvantage for a very long time. According to the National Journal, Yale economist Lisa Kahn has found that even at midcareer, people who graduated in tough economic times are more likely to work in low-pay, low-status positions. However, at the dinner we discussed a possible upside — that recession-era graduates might become more entrepreneurial given that they have little to lose by starting their own businesses.

Millennials believe in themselves. Despite the recession, the Allstate-National Journal Heartland Monitor Pollfound that 62% of Millennials believe that their own actions (more than events outside their control) are responsible for the their economic well-being. This reminds me of other research findings I hear often: that American students trail many other countries in academic achievement, but lead in one area: confidence. The question is: does reality match Millennials’ confidence? Hmm.

Parents’ basements are crowded. According to the poll, 52% of post-high school Millennials receive financial support from their parents to meet their daily needs, and one-third of 20-something Millennials live at home. This is not surprising, considering the average Gen Y-er carrying debt owes over $37,000, mostly in school loans.  What are the consequences of this debt? Here’s one: I spoke with a man from the National Association of Homebuilders who told me that in the future we’ll likely see more multigenerational households, which means more new houses will feature multiple master bedroom suites for the different generations.

Higher education is in trouble. As with most discussions about Millennials in the workplace, our conversation ended up on questions about education: Should everyone go to college? Does college adequately prepare young people for the real world? Is college loan debt worth it? One of the more disappointing findings of the poll is that 51% of Millennials believe they could perform their job responsibilities just as well without a college education. This may not be all that surprising given the fact that economists say the break-even point for a college education occurs around age 33. Of course, as one dinner guest pointed out, college is about more than job preparation. But should we be concerned that college doesn’t feel all that relevant to many young people? For more on this topic, I highly recommend the new book DIY U by Anya Kamenetz.

As with many good discussions, I left the dinner with more questions than answers. But it’s gratifying to know that many smart, thoughtful people are working on these big issues.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on all of these topics. Check out the Allstate-National Journal Heartland Monitor Polland the National Journal’s special report, and share your thoughts in the Comments section!

Note: This post originally appeared on the Lindsey Pollak Blog.

TAGS: Generation Y, Millennials, recession

I was recently invited to attend a volunteer event for which the host asked everyone to bring books to donate to a domestic violence shelter. Donating books is a wonderful thing to do, and I enjoyed going through my shelves deciding what to give away.

The process also reminded me which books I couldn’t bear to part with. While many favorite novels and memoirs top this list (A Farewell to Arms, Bird by Bird, Netherland), it won’t surprise you that my career books are very important to me. As I went through my collection, I came up with this list of my 10 favorite career books for young professionals. Here they are, in alphabetical order by title:

A Whole New Mind by Dan Pink
Essential reading about the skills that will dominate in the new economy

Finding Your Own North Star by Martha Beck
My favorite book on figuring out what to do with your life

Getting from College to Career by…me!
Of course I had to include my own book! I wrote the guide I wish I’d had when I was in your shoes. It includes everything I’ve learned along my professional path so far.

Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing by Mignon Fogarty
How you write is how you are perceived. This book is the best modern writing primer I’ve seen.

Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi
The best book on networking at any age, in any profession

Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office by Lois Frankel
Like having your own personal career coach

Roadtrip Nation by Mike Marriner and Nathan Gebhard with Joanne Gordon
A fun, insightful look into a wide variety of career paths

The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron
An absolute must-read for anyone who wants a creative career

They Don’t Teach Corporate In College by Alexandra Levit
The best book on thriving as a young professional in the corporate world

Your Best Year Yet by Jinny Ditzler
The ultimate guide to setting and reaching your goals over the next 12 months

There are many other fantastic books I could have listed here. What are your favorite career books? Please share in the comments!

Note: This blog post originally appeared on my “College to Career” blog at MyPath.com.

TAGS: Generation Y, recommended books

Have you ever wanted to know what goes on inside the mind of a campus recruiter? Here’s your chance!

Listen in on my conversation with Joy Schwartz, a former campus recruiter who is now a university career counselor. She’ll share the inside scoop from the other side of the job fair booth, answering such questions as:

• What are some of the biggest mistakes students make in the campus recruiting process?
• What can students do to stand out in the recruiting process?
• What is the most important question in a job interview?
• What is the best way for candidates to follow up with recruiters?

Click here to listen to the interview on my MyPath.com “College to Career” podcast, and please share your thoughts in the Comments section below. You can also check out Joy’s blog at JoySchwartz.com.

TAGS: Generation Y, Job Search

Come listen in on my conversation with Pete Kistler, the founder of Brand-Yourself.com, who was named one of Entrepreneur magazine’s Top 5 College Entrepreneur of 2009. He joins me to talk about personal branding as it relates to college students and young professionals.

In this podcast, we define personal branding, talk about Pete’s own personal branding process and explain why students and young professionals need to think about your personal brand — especially the image you’re projecting online.

For more on this topic, here are two great new resources that can help you create and enhance all aspects of your personal brand:

PricewaterhouseCoopers Personal Brand Week – a terrific collection of downloadable worksheets to help you create an elevator pitch, express your passion, build a network, promote yourself online and more. PwC has also collected free personal branding advice on Twitter with the hashtag #pwcpbw.

Student Branding Blog – a new resource expressly designed to help college students with personal branding. This site was created by Dan Schawbel, who also launched the Personal Branding Blog.

Click here to listen to this week’s podcast.

How have you approached personal branding in your career? As always, I welcome your comments below!

TAGS: career advice, Generation Y, personal branding

There is a Facebook group called “I Judge You When You Use Poor Grammar.” It currently has over 460,000 members.

I am one of them.

Perhaps because I’m the daughter of an English teacher, I believe in the importance of proper spelling and grammar. Employers of recent college grads agree with me. In a 2007 survey, outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas asked executives, “What skill do entry-level job seekers lack the most?” The number one answer by far was written communication.

This means that good writing skills can really help you stand out from the crowd. Good grammar is a competitive advantage. If your writing skills need some improvement, here are 7 quick tips to help you:

1. Lead with your main point. In professional writing, you are communicating in order to accomplish something, so get to the point. For instance, when you’re writing an email, state the purpose of your email in the first paragraph. When you’re writing a cover letter, state the exact job you’re applying for in the first sentence or two. Don’t make people wade through loads of details before they understand why you’re writing in the first place.

2. Be concise. Speaking of getting to the point, do it quickly and then wrap up. We live in a world of multi-taskers, so conciseness is the only way to keep people’s attention (140 characters is quickly becoming our average attention span). When I review resumes, cover letters and networking emails, my first piece of advice to the writer is almost always, “make it shorter.” When you write concise, powerful sentences and paragraphs, people are more likely to pay attention. Long, rambling communications get deleted.

3. Don’t trust spell check. Because you’re a generation that’s grown up with spell check, you tend to rely on it way too much. Spell check doesn’t catch errors like confusing “effect” and “affect” or “there,” “their” and “they’re.” And it never catches misspellings of the names of people, products or companies. When in doubt, have a human being check your work, not a computer.

4. Use proper capitalization and punctuation. my biggest pet peeve when it comes to emails i receive from college students is when everything is in lower case and there is very little punctuation if any at all trust me its not cute its really unprofessional so please dont do it thnx. AND NOTE THAT ALL CAPS MAKES IT LOOK LIKE YOU ARE YELLING.

5. Limit those exclamation points! This is another big pet peeve among the older professionals I meet!! Young people use way too many exclamation points!!!

6. Consult a writing manual. What do you do when you are unsure of a grammar or punctuation usage? If you’re like most people, you shrug your shoulders and say, “Well, hope I got that right!” This is not a wise strategy. Instead, consult a writing website or manual such as The Chicago Manual of Style or the Associated Press Style Guide. Taking a few extra seconds to look up a rule can land you a job or a promotion — it’s more than worth it.

7. Don’t hide behind your keyboard. Finally, don’t write when you should pick up the phone or talk to someone in person. Remember that the written word — especially in the form of an email — doesn’t always correctly convey the tone you intend. And, in situations like giving bad news, quitting a job or criticizing someone’s work, writing is simply a cop-out. Although it’s hard to have difficult conversations in person, you’ll thank yourself for doing the right thing.

What are your best writing tips? Please share!

Note: This blog post originally appeared on my “College to Career” blog on MyPath.com.

TAGS: Communication Skills, Generation Y