Comments on: How Not to Hire A Generation Y Person http://thelostjacket.com/corporate-structure/how-to-not-hire-generation-y Community, Creativity and Marketing Wed, 07 Dec 2011 00:05:54 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Michele Goetz http://thelostjacket.com/corporate-structure/how-to-not-hire-generation-y/comment-page-1#comment-3594 Michele Goetz Fri, 01 May 2009 00:09:51 +0000 http://thelostjacket.com/?p=1565#comment-3594 As a GenXer I can't say that our experience was too different than what GenYers are dealing with today. Although, in hindsight as I look at my first job, I may have been at the bottom and only $27K a year, but I I learned HOW to get things done on time, within budget, and exceed expectations. I may not have liked playing a back seat and thought I could do it better myself. Though, learning discipline in a work environment was invaluable. It is very different than the discipline in school or b-school. I now have GenYers as employees and interns. I don't hesitate to let them spread their wings. I want them to. My issue is getting them to work things through with less brute force and realize that you can't always jump steps. I'll pay a top dollar salary, and have, to those that are innovative, strategic, and help drive business goals. But, GenYers have to prove themselves to me outside of education, resume, blog, and professor recommendations. I will mentor to a point. But, I'm not going to mentor like a professor would. I have a job to do too and GenYers need to figure things out for yourselves. This is the biggest issue I've had with entry level and interns. You have to do it before you are rewarded. Its just a tough life lesson. As a GenXer I can't say that our experience was too different than what GenYers are dealing with today. Although, in hindsight as I look at my first job, I may have been at the bottom and only $27K a year, but I I learned HOW to get things done on time, within budget, and exceed expectations. I may not have liked playing a back seat and thought I could do it better myself. Though, learning discipline in a work environment was invaluable. It is very different than the discipline in school or b-school. I now have GenYers as employees and interns. I don't hesitate to let them spread their wings. I want them to. My issue is getting them to work things through with less brute force and realize that you can't always jump steps. I'll pay a top dollar salary, and have, to those that are innovative, strategic, and help drive business goals. But, GenYers have to prove themselves to me outside of education, resume, blog, and professor recommendations. I will mentor to a point. But, I'm not going to mentor like a professor would. I have a job to do too and GenYers need to figure things out for yourselves. This is the biggest issue I've had with entry level and interns. You have to do it before you are rewarded. Its just a tough life lesson.

]]> By: Michele Goetz http://thelostjacket.com/corporate-structure/how-to-not-hire-generation-y/comment-page-1#comment-2878 Michele Goetz Thu, 30 Apr 2009 21:09:51 +0000 http://thelostjacket.com/?p=1565#comment-2878 As a GenXer I can't say that our experience was too different than what GenYers are dealing with today. Although, in hindsight as I look at my first job, I may have been at the bottom and only $27K a year, but I I learned HOW to get things done on time, within budget, and exceed expectations. I may not have liked playing a back seat and thought I could do it better myself. Though, learning discipline in a work environment was invaluable. It is very different than the discipline in school or b-school. I now have GenYers as employees and interns. I don't hesitate to let them spread their wings. I want them to. My issue is getting them to work things through with less brute force and realize that you can't always jump steps. I'll pay a top dollar salary, and have, to those that are innovative, strategic, and help drive business goals. But, GenYers have to prove themselves to me outside of education, resume, blog, and professor recommendations. I will mentor to a point. But, I'm not going to mentor like a professor would. I have a job to do too and GenYers need to figure things out for yourselves. This is the biggest issue I've had with entry level and interns. You have to do it before you are rewarded. Its just a tough life lesson. As a GenXer I can't say that our experience was too different than what GenYers are dealing with today. Although, in hindsight as I look at my first job, I may have been at the bottom and only $27K a year, but I I learned HOW to get things done on time, within budget, and exceed expectations. I may not have liked playing a back seat and thought I could do it better myself. Though, learning discipline in a work environment was invaluable. It is very different than the discipline in school or b-school. I now have GenYers as employees and interns. I don't hesitate to let them spread their wings. I want them to. My issue is getting them to work things through with less brute force and realize that you can't always jump steps. I'll pay a top dollar salary, and have, to those that are innovative, strategic, and help drive business goals. But, GenYers have to prove themselves to me outside of education, resume, blog, and professor recommendations. I will mentor to a point. But, I'm not going to mentor like a professor would. I have a job to do too and GenYers need to figure things out for yourselves. This is the biggest issue I've had with entry level and interns. You have to do it before you are rewarded. Its just a tough life lesson.

]]> By: Michele Goetz http://thelostjacket.com/corporate-structure/how-to-not-hire-generation-y/comment-page-1#comment-2655 Michele Goetz Thu, 30 Apr 2009 20:09:51 +0000 http://thelostjacket.com/?p=1565#comment-2655 As a GenXer I can't say that our experience was too different than what GenYers are dealing with today. Although, in hindsight as I look at my first job, I may have been at the bottom and only $27K a year, but I I learned HOW to get things done on time, within budget, and exceed expectations. I may not have liked playing a back seat and thought I could do it better myself. Though, learning discipline in a work environment was invaluable. It is very different than the discipline in school or b-school. I now have GenYers as employees and interns. I don't hesitate to let them spread their wings. I want them to. My issue is getting them to work things through with less brute force and realize that you can't always jump steps. I'll pay a top dollar salary, and have, to those that are innovative, strategic, and help drive business goals. But, GenYers have to prove themselves to me outside of education, resume, blog, and professor recommendations. I will mentor to a point. But, I'm not going to mentor like a professor would. I have a job to do too and GenYers need to figure things out for yourselves. This is the biggest issue I've had with entry level and interns. You have to do it before you are rewarded. Its just a tough life lesson. As a GenXer I can't say that our experience was too different than what GenYers are dealing with today. Although, in hindsight as I look at my first job, I may have been at the bottom and only $27K a year, but I I learned HOW to get things done on time, within budget, and exceed expectations. I may not have liked playing a back seat and thought I could do it better myself. Though, learning discipline in a work environment was invaluable. It is very different than the discipline in school or b-school. I now have GenYers as employees and interns. I don't hesitate to let them spread their wings. I want them to. My issue is getting them to work things through with less brute force and realize that you can't always jump steps. I'll pay a top dollar salary, and have, to those that are innovative, strategic, and help drive business goals. But, GenYers have to prove themselves to me outside of education, resume, blog, and professor recommendations. I will mentor to a point. But, I'm not going to mentor like a professor would. I have a job to do too and GenYers need to figure things out for yourselves. This is the biggest issue I've had with entry level and interns. You have to do it before you are rewarded. Its just a tough life lesson.

]]> By: Michele Goetz http://thelostjacket.com/corporate-structure/how-to-not-hire-generation-y/comment-page-1#comment-1284 Michele Goetz Thu, 30 Apr 2009 17:09:51 +0000 http://thelostjacket.com/?p=1565#comment-1284 As a GenXer I can't say that our experience was too different than what GenYers are dealing with today. Although, in hindsight as I look at my first job, I may have been at the bottom and only $27K a year, but I I learned HOW to get things done on time, within budget, and exceed expectations. I may not have liked playing a back seat and thought I could do it better myself. Though, learning discipline in a work environment was invaluable. It is very different than the discipline in school or b-school. I now have GenYers as employees and interns. I don't hesitate to let them spread their wings. I want them to. My issue is getting them to work things through with less brute force and realize that you can't always jump steps. I'll pay a top dollar salary, and have, to those that are innovative, strategic, and help drive business goals. But, GenYers have to prove themselves to me outside of education, resume, blog, and professor recommendations. I will mentor to a point. But, I'm not going to mentor like a professor would. I have a job to do too and GenYers need to figure things out for yourselves. This is the biggest issue I've had with entry level and interns. You have to do it before you are rewarded. Its just a tough life lesson. As a GenXer I can't say that our experience was too different than what GenYers are dealing with today. Although, in hindsight as I look at my first job, I may have been at the bottom and only $27K a year, but I I learned HOW to get things done on time, within budget, and exceed expectations. I may not have liked playing a back seat and thought I could do it better myself. Though, learning discipline in a work environment was invaluable. It is very different than the discipline in school or b-school. I now have GenYers as employees and interns. I don't hesitate to let them spread their wings. I want them to. My issue is getting them to work things through with less brute force and realize that you can't always jump steps. I'll pay a top dollar salary, and have, to those that are innovative, strategic, and help drive business goals. But, GenYers have to prove themselves to me outside of education, resume, blog, and professor recommendations. I will mentor to a point. But, I'm not going to mentor like a professor would. I have a job to do too and GenYers need to figure things out for yourselves. This is the biggest issue I've had with entry level and interns. You have to do it before you are rewarded. Its just a tough life lesson.

]]> By: Brett Borders http://thelostjacket.com/corporate-structure/how-to-not-hire-generation-y/comment-page-1#comment-1271 Brett Borders Tue, 28 Apr 2009 21:18:57 +0000 http://thelostjacket.com/?p=1565#comment-1271 Stuart,<br><br>No doubt you can find some kind of corporate job soon - but it will most likely be the kind of job that you dissected in bullet lists. Jobs that are thoroughly satisfying and life-affirming for people like us are rare because we are before the prime-time of it. <br><br>When you get to that later point in time when greater corporate humanity will regard your skills and even desperately seek people who "really get" it and walk the walk.. not just posers with Masters of Social Media (MSM) degrees... you'll be rewarded for the tough passages you're making now. Stuart,

No doubt you can find some kind of corporate job soon – but it will most likely be the kind of job that you dissected in bullet lists. Jobs that are thoroughly satisfying and life-affirming for people like us are rare because we are before the prime-time of it.

When you get to that later point in time when greater corporate humanity will regard your skills and even desperately seek people who “really get” it and walk the walk.. not just posers with Masters of Social Media (MSM) degrees… you'll be rewarded for the tough passages you're making now.

]]> By: Brett Borders http://thelostjacket.com/corporate-structure/how-to-not-hire-generation-y/comment-page-1#comment-1270 Brett Borders Tue, 28 Apr 2009 21:09:19 +0000 http://thelostjacket.com/?p=1565#comment-1270 I really feel you on these points. I had a difficult time job-hunting when I graduated from school because it was hard to find an existing organization in my area that was "cutting-edge" or forward thinking in action... not just rhetoric. I got a lot of interviews but some people were baffled or intimidated about where I would fit into their corporate culture. I worked for an agency for a year after school and their clients were ASKING for social media help... but they just couldn't figure out how to "use me" and try a new trick that was different than what they'd been doing for the past 10 years.<br><br>My suggestion to you is to consider giving up the pipe-dream of a full-time corporate gig that is going to satisfy FOR NOW. It might not happen in your needed, financial time frame. Take some kind of work... even non-white-collar work that won't intellectually exhaust you - that will pay your basic bills and allow you to get going on doing independent social media contracts... and you'll be motivated to be successful with those and make it grow.<br><br>Then at some point, maybe 6 months from now... maybe 2 years from now... the perfect job opportunity will open up and you'll be able to bargain them into 6 figures, no discussion about 5. I am determined to build my skills and brand to the point that if I ever did take a job - my title would be "manager" or "director" and there would be high salary, travel budget, European vacation standards, etc.<br><br>What you deserve and what you are seeking is something that is very cutting edge and you're not likely to encounter it in most places you go looking - so it might be better to let it find you and you call the shots of it.<br><br>Just my thoughts... take them for whatever they're worth. I know you are really talented and hard working, and you're trying to get married and all... and the world seems like it wasn't built to value social media guys. I really feel you on these points. I had a difficult time job-hunting when I graduated from school because it was hard to find an existing organization in my area that was “cutting-edge” or forward thinking in action… not just rhetoric. I got a lot of interviews but some people were baffled or intimidated about where I would fit into their corporate culture. I worked for an agency for a year after school and their clients were ASKING for social media help… but they just couldn't figure out how to “use me” and try a new trick that was different than what they'd been doing for the past 10 years.

My suggestion to you is to consider giving up the pipe-dream of a full-time corporate gig that is going to satisfy FOR NOW. It might not happen in your needed, financial time frame. Take some kind of work… even non-white-collar work that won't intellectually exhaust you – that will pay your basic bills and allow you to get going on doing independent social media contracts… and you'll be motivated to be successful with those and make it grow.

Then at some point, maybe 6 months from now… maybe 2 years from now… the perfect job opportunity will open up and you'll be able to bargain them into 6 figures, no discussion about 5. I am determined to build my skills and brand to the point that if I ever did take a job – my title would be “manager” or “director” and there would be high salary, travel budget, European vacation standards, etc.

What you deserve and what you are seeking is something that is very cutting edge and you're not likely to encounter it in most places you go looking – so it might be better to let it find you and you call the shots of it.

Just my thoughts… take them for whatever they're worth. I know you are really talented and hard working, and you're trying to get married and all… and the world seems like it wasn't built to value social media guys.

]]> By: Stuartfoster http://thelostjacket.com/corporate-structure/how-to-not-hire-generation-y/comment-page-1#comment-1268 Stuartfoster Tue, 28 Apr 2009 18:49:59 +0000 http://thelostjacket.com/?p=1565#comment-1268 Thanks for calling me out on confusing "then" and "than". I fail to see how that makes me grossly illiterate though? Thanks for calling me out on confusing “then” and “than”. I fail to see how that makes me grossly illiterate though?

]]> By: Steve C. http://thelostjacket.com/corporate-structure/how-to-not-hire-generation-y/comment-page-1#comment-1267 Steve C. Tue, 28 Apr 2009 17:34:22 +0000 http://thelostjacket.com/?p=1565#comment-1267 It's "we have had more....than any other generation," not "then any other generation..." If you "Gen-Yers" want to get any respect from other generations(the folks most likely to be hiring you), try brushing up on the use of the English(or for that matter, any other) language. The posts generated by your generation are grossly illiterate.<br>Steve C. It's “we have had more….than any other generation,” not “then any other generation…” If you “Gen-Yers” want to get any respect from other generations(the folks most likely to be hiring you), try brushing up on the use of the English(or for that matter, any other) language. The posts generated by your generation are grossly illiterate.
Steve C.

]]> By: Russpd http://thelostjacket.com/corporate-structure/how-to-not-hire-generation-y/comment-page-1#comment-1265 Russpd Tue, 28 Apr 2009 00:52:18 +0000 http://thelostjacket.com/?p=1565#comment-1265 Great post Stuart. I linked to this article as its a perfect supplement to the lessons we found out in hiring for Scribnia this year. <a href="http://scribnia.com/blog/?p=104" rel="nofollow">http://scribnia.com/blog/?p=104</a><br><br>However, I do think that one downside of our generation is that we tend to believe we deserve interesting work all the time. This is a good thing as people in our generation will push themselves to innovate because they don't want to be bored. The downside, though, is that we come across as sounding too spoiled. Great post Stuart. I linked to this article as its a perfect supplement to the lessons we found out in hiring for Scribnia this year. http://scribnia.com/blog/?p=104

However, I do think that one downside of our generation is that we tend to believe we deserve interesting work all the time. This is a good thing as people in our generation will push themselves to innovate because they don't want to be bored. The downside, though, is that we come across as sounding too spoiled.

]]> By: Stuartfoster http://thelostjacket.com/corporate-structure/how-to-not-hire-generation-y/comment-page-1#comment-1261 Stuartfoster Mon, 27 Apr 2009 11:59:56 +0000 http://thelostjacket.com/?p=1565#comment-1261 Thanks Jay, you pretty much knocked that one out of the park. I love Jason Falls' willingness to engage you and explain what he is thinking when writing. It's been extraordinarily beneficial for me to hear his input on his and my thinking. Thanks Jay, you pretty much knocked that one out of the park. I love Jason Falls' willingness to engage you and explain what he is thinking when writing. It's been extraordinarily beneficial for me to hear his input on his and my thinking.

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