What I learned from my job search workshop

This fall, I’ve been conducting workshops with college students at a number of universities. Working with college students on creating effective job search plans, I have a good sense of the topics that needed to be covered. And so, I wrote the script, created slides and practiced and timed my delivery.

I like speaking to groups. It’s a talent I’ve developed. For many years I worked in marketing services agencies spearheading business development. And that’s what you do a lot of the time.  I also like being the expert by which I mean I like to deliver value. Conducting workshops for college students.  Totally in my wheelhouse.

The workshops have gone well.  There’s a good attendance and participation.  Each class from freshmen to seniors has been well represented.  And the attendees walk away with new learning. All as expected.  What I didn’t expect was how much I would learn from them. 

What I learned 

I’ve always felt that whatever I did, I owned it. I’m passionate about my work.  And they are too. That’s not what you read about concerning this generation.   Morgan told me that he hopes to be a chief operating officer. He’s in the business school working towards his CPA.  He’s also betting on (and he is 100% right on this) that technology is changing the workplace. And so, in addition to his BS in accounting he will graduate with a BS in computer engineering. This is a generation taking responsibility of everything they do.    

As a team lead I made taking initiative—going beyond what is expected—a key performance indicator (KPI) for everyone who worked with me.  The students I’ve met are doing just that.  Here’s Alison’s resume´ a student who attended a workshop.  Membership and education program director of her sorority.  A double major with a knock out GPA. Volunteers at the student workers alliance program writing lesson plans and teaching English to university employees. Works as a nanny during the school year. And she’s planning on an internship this summer. Twenty-somethings are very motivated. I expect they will be this way in the workplace and in their adult lives.

In the workshop I ask how many have grandparents that are living.  The majority do which is not surprising since studies have found we are living healthier and therefore longer lives.   I ask this question to make a point. This is the first generation to work with all four generations. The students I’ve met like the idea of working with multiple generations unlike Baby Boomers who proclaimed, don’t trust anyone over thirty.  As a student said the other night, “I know I’ll have a lot to learn in the working world. But if I’m working with people like my grandparents I know I’ll be teaching them too.” (He got a lot of knowing laughs.) This generation entering the workplace is accepting of diversity and flexibility in ways that will be vital for organizations.

For some of the students in the workshop college is a burdensome expense for their families. Sacrifices have been made by everyone in their family. A participant told me that because of a family situation she took a semester off. She was concerned about how that would look on her resume´. They have faced challenges in their lives and are well aware that there are more challenges to come. This generation understands adversity. They know how to handle situations when it all doesn’t go their way.

What I really learned from these workshops is that today’s twenty-somethings have goals and are very driven to achieving them on their own.  Goals are how we declare who we are and who we want to be. They are how we structure our years and our lives. Goals are the building blocks of adulthood.  

From my advantage point I see the next wave entering the workplace with the mindset and attitude employers value.