By many accounts, it is a terrible time to be a Millennial in the work place right now. Underemployment and unemployment remain especially high amongst 20-somethings, and some sources estimate that we could end up earning 10% less than those who entered the workforce just a few years before us.With statistics as daunting as these, is there any hope for Generation Y? Or should we just scrap it all and move to Bali? Believe it or not, there is good news on the horizon for us Millennials if we have the courage to take action. Of all the articles I’ve read about Gen Y in the workplace, my favorite stereotype comes from this recent Time Magazine piece: Millennials aren’t all about the money. We want to be passionate about our jobs and we want our work to make an impact. We are a generation that values giving back to our communities, and civic engagement. In fact, when much of our nation’s suffering can be traced back to runaway consumerism and a slavish devotion to profit, perhaps there is no better time for our generation to have come of age.
Now the question becomes, how do we enact this change? In her column for Forbes Woman, Lisa Curtis says what is necessary is “a transition from climbing the ladder of non-fulfilling societal expectations and consumerism, to blazing a trail with a life guided by a holistic focus on well-being, community and sustainability.” In other words, happiness is the new success!
Already, members of Gen Y are answering this call. Chicago-based entreprenuers Jill Felska and Jenn Korducki Krenn have even gone so far as to make it their job to help you find your dream job. Guided by their mantra “Life’s too short to do work you hate,” these two women abandoned steady 9 to 5 careers to co-found the website DreamChamps.com. Part job search engine, part blog, the site inspires Millennials to abandon traditional ideas about the work place in favor of pursuing their passion.
Currently, DreamChamps limits its job source resources to the Chicago area, but is looking to expand nationally. And I highly recommend the site’s uplifting blog. It inspired me to pursue my dream of becoming a writer, and gave me the confidence I needed to apply to write for The Zesty Digest. Come on, ladies of Gen Y, let’s carpe diem!
By
