Money driven or money conscious? Egotistical or self-confident? The Millennials are often criticized for having unrealistic expectations when it comes to our careers. But for a group inundated by stories about overnight successes like Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg, are our expectations so out of whack?
Millennial employees are just a product of our time, says Karyn Gordon, a leading North American authority on understanding and motivating the Millennials. A youth consultant, motivational speaker and author, Dr. Karyn calls us ambitious. They have high expectations of themselves and their parents have high expectations of them as well, Gordon says. And because of the culture they've been raised in, they tend to want things quickly. People may perceive this as impatience, but their timing is just off. A lot of them will still want to be vice-president, but they want to be vice-president by next week.
Millennials are the generation that's been raised on the idea of instant gratification, she continues. That mind set has been transferred into the workplace. In terms of their expectations, a lot of times they might not be as realistic in terms of acquiring greater pay and a more senior position  If you've been told you can have things right away all the time, naturally when you enter the workplace you're going to expect the same thing.
According to the Canadian Association of Career Educators and Employers (CACEE) 2008 Campus Hire Salary Survey, new graduates with honours degrees are offered $48,885 on average, with investment bankers peaking in at the higher end of the bell curve at $60,000. And grads are accepting these offers, even though only 15 percent of employers offer signing bonuses to new recruits, according to the survey. We're remaining loyal as well, with 97 percent of new grads remaining with their company after one year.
There is a bit of the 'grass is always greener' with new graduates in their first professional job, says Max Valiquette, youth culture expert and president of Youthography, a youth marketing consulting agency based in Toronto. Typically, introductory salary range is between $30,000 and $40,000. Graduates tell themselves they've just started and are maybe not 100 percent aware of how to adjust their expectations. It has less to do with any sense of entitlement than it does with a lack of real workplace experience.
So if it's not about salary, what do we want? A little respect, says Gordon. We have to change our attitude and ask what we can learn from them and vice-versa. They did not choose to be born in this time. They are simply a product of the environment that they have been raised in. We should realize they are ambitious with fantastic goals, but one of the highest values they seek is respect'not just from their friends but also work colleagues and employers.
Ryan Healy, co-founder of Brazen Careerist, a social networking site for Millennial job seekers, says a good team environment is also essential. We are team players and grew up playing on sports teams and learned how to be in groups while in school. We were taught teamwork our entire lives, says Healy. He says young careerists aren't just after salaries and promotions; we're after feeling good about what we do. In general, the media says we're selfish and want to move up the ladder fast, but really we are just looking for a job that we enjoy. We do not feel like we should have to endure a job that doesn't match our needs or goals. We were brought up being told by our parents that there is some merit to doing anything we want while loving what we do. We are making our voices heard, more so than previous generations and we're just asking for something everybody wants: a good job.
But a good job alone isn't enough. New hires want feedback too, adds Healy. Every time I speak to employers about the Millennials, my main message is constant feedback. We want to know how we're doing. It's not because we're needy or need attention.
Young workers have lots to offer, despite our differences, adds Valiquette. They're certainly a group that's grown up with very different work habits from their parent's generation. They are very self-directed and prefer to do their thing on their own schedule although they will always come back to a group environment, collaborate, and connect with other people whether in real or virtual time, he says.
In reality, this generation is simply trying to choose what they think is the right path to financial and personal success, says Healy. They want to know they're doing the right thing and going down the right path. People recognize if they're bringing value to the table and typically know whether or not they deserve to be rewarded.
Lincoln Lo is a case in point. A successful market analyst at a leading development firm in Toronto, Lo believes his expectations are realistic. We think a lot about money, Lo says. I think as part of the generation we like a challenge and want value in our careers. Lo was hired out of university into his current job just over two years ago. With an honours degree in urban planning, he believes his job and salary meet his qualifications, not because he feels entitled, but because of his dedicated work ethic. It's definitely my hard work that has allowed me to rise within the company. I do a good job because I care about what I do and also want to do a good job for myself.
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