Millennials: How to Get Off the Sofa and Into the Job Market

Millennials got gypped. They did what they were told.

They played by the rules, went to school, did well, accumulated lots of student debt with the assumption that their educational investment would pay off in terms of a good job.

Only there are no jobs. It’s so unfair.

Well, there are jobs, but if you look at the job creation statistics, you’ll see that the majority of jobs being created are in retail, health care (and we’re not talking doctors) and food service. Pretty much low-paying jobs.

Is it any wonder that lots of millennials are sleeping on their parents’ sofa?

There is a solution. You see, the problem is that the millennials are playing the job game by the old rules.

Millennials – these rules don’t work anymore…

So, make up some new ones. Here are some suggestions:

1. Stop waiting for the job market to get better.

It’s not going to get better. It’s breaking apart into little pieces. Jobs are disappearing…as a form of work. Jobs are turning into projects. When you think about work, I want you to think in terms of “projects.” Go look for those.

2. Stop waiting for someone to notice you and offer you a job.

Unlike other generations who, as they were about to graduate, had companies come onto campus to recruit for jobs, they didn't. Companies don’t recruit for jobs, and the ones that do, offer jobs you don’t really want…unless you want to work 100 hour workweeks for the next two years.

Create your own work. Figure out who is doing something cool and find a way to help them. Create value in the marketplace. Know what you are good at doing.

3. Get some help.

And, if you don’t know what you have to offer the marketplace, get your parents to pay for you to work with a psychologist who can help you find your talents quickly by administering assessments and feedback. (I did this years after I graduated and it was SO useful in helping me to chart my course.)

Then, hire a coach like me to help you create the strategy to get you where you want to go. (I am always working with a coach!) Sure, it’s investment, but it will yield a better return than your education. And, you’ll get to where you want to go much faster…isn’t that what you want?

BOTTOM-LINE: You are going to have to make your own way in today’s fluid marketplace, and if you do, you’ll find that the rewards are great.