Top Challenges for "MILLENNIAL JOB HUNTERS"

If you are the parent of a Millennial, you probably know how difficult it can be for recent college graduates to navigate the potentially stormy waters between graduation and establishing themselves in an initial career path. Millennial's are simultaneously excited and overwhelmed by the possibilities before them but can become discouraged when they don’t land their dream job immediately upon graduating from college or grad school.

Below are the seven biggest challenges they face looking for jobs and how to empower your Millennial kids to create their own unique path forward toward their dreams and goals:

Challenge No. 1: Holding on to beliefs that no longer serve them. Often, twenty somethings think it is too late for them to change direction or believe that if they do something different, then everything that they have done up until now has been a waste. Help them to see that their past experience and education is not only valuable but also a necessary step along the way to where they are going. Explain that their first (or second or third) job will not be their last and only job; it is OK to use the next job as a stepping stone to bring them closer to their ideal job.

Challenge No. 2: Not recognizing their own strengths and values. A critical aspect to a successful job search is having a clear understanding of one’s values and how they connect to finding meaningful work. You can help your Millennial identify and prioritize his or her values. There are many free values assessment tools online. Assessing values can be especially helpful for people who do not enjoy the work they are currently doing or are not sure what kind of work or work environment they would enjoy.

Challenge No. 3: Not knowing what they want. Our educational system provides a clear, step-by-step road map through college or graduate school, but after that, graduates often feel lost — especially if they are not following a more traditionally defined professional career path such as medicine or law.

Try to help your Millennial home in on the exact elements of his or her work or work environment that are not a good fit, so your child can be clear about what he or she is looking for in a new job.

Guiding questions: What do you like most about your current position? What do you like least about your current position? What would an ideal day look like? What skills do you want to gain/develop in your next position? What kind of an impact do you want to have through the work that you do?

Challenge No. 4: Having no clear strategy. This pitfall results from a combination of Challenges No. 2 and 3. It is easy to fall into this trap if you lack self-awareness around your strengths and values and don’t know what you want. By not being discerning in their search, graduates find themselves feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, frustrated and fed up with their job hunt. In addition, they may not be considering positions that are a bit of a stretch or may be somewhat outside their field but might be good stepping stones to build skills to get to their dream job.

Challenge No. 5: Feeling isolated. Looking for a job, especially while living at home, can be very isolating. Graduates go from being surrounded by the support of their peers to being in environments where they may be the only person their age, and thus often feel like no one understands what they are going through. In addition, graduates are used to receiving a lot of external reinforcement in college, and without that, they can feel discouraged and unmotivated.

It can be helpful for graduates to seek the support of someone their age that is going through the same process they are, which can be incredibly validating and motivating.

Help your child figure out if the time he or she is spending on social media is supportive or destructive to his or her confidence and self-esteem. Help your Millennial find outlets where your child can connect with peers in similar situations.

Challenge No. 6: “All or nothing” thinking. Young adults tend to think in terms of black and white: all or nothing. Affirm your child’s courage in taking steps toward his or her goal and reinforce the actions that are producing necessary steps on the path to landing a meaningful job. By reinforcing appropriate and effective job search activities, you can help build confidence that the steps your child is taking are the “right” steps, even if they do not produce an interview or a job offer every time.

Challenge No. 7: Over reliance on technology and lack of attention to detail. Millennial's are extremely comfortable using technology, and while it can be an incredible tool to use in their job search, it should not be the only tool they are using.

You can help your Millennial figure out what his or her network looks like; your child may be surprised at how big it actually is. When Millennial's see the value in networking and have confidence in their ability to network, they will not only feel more empowered in their job search but also start to see some concrete results.

Another challenge I see some Millennial's face is a lack of attention to detail in their cover letter and resumé. While much of their digital lives do not require perfect spelling or grammar, proofreading cover letters and resumés is absolutely critical for a successful job search. Make sure your child has clean, clear, error-free resumés and cover letters.

In addition, make sure your son or daughter has sanitized his or her social media profiles. Many employers screen applicants by doing an online search for them, and if they come across anything questionable, they will eliminate those applicants from the process.

As young adults, Millennial's are still figuring out who they are, what they value and what success means to them. You have an incredible opportunity to support and guide yours to help create a successful, repeatable process for finding the next job opportunity that is the right fit.

For Additional Information

http://www.newhopechurchpa.org...

Contact

Len Deane Jr

DeaneL70@verizon.net