generation y.pdf

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Allie E. JaccardEnglish 1102Professor Ashlyn Walden15 October 2013

The Corporate World and Generation Y

In the Bank of America Corporate Center I was able to observe lunchtime

meetings, body language, and employee relationships. Specifically focusing on young

professionals, I began to notice a pattern in their behavior and body language. For

instance, young professionals would mainly eat lunch with someone in their age group.

Other noticeable references included walking through the building with same age

employees, or conversing with their same generation. What can we learn from these

observations? Maybe those different generations feel uncomfortable around each other,

or find nothing in common to talk about. Or is this a common misconception between

generations that neither respect each other nor even enjoy each others company. This

narrative research will provide research, statistical information, and a story into

generations working together in the workforce.

Observing the corporate center for Bank of America gave much insight to

employee relationships. More specifically, I narrowed my research to young

professionals, or Generation Y. Generation Y, or Gen Y are people born in or after

1982. With estimates of over 70 million, Generation Y will have a bigger and louder

impact than previous generations, due to our huge quantity in people. Now this tech-

savvy and proficient generation has many stereotypes, and observing in the corporate

world helped me to determine factual information. As apart of Gen Y myself, I believe

the future is bright. With current baby boomers going into retirement, Generation Y will

need to challenge themselves to develop their career and become workplace leaders. I

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Comment [1]: Great job explaining youpaper! It definitely sucked the reader in i

they are a generation Y baby.


Comment [2]: Maybe add a little moredetail on the generation gap so that thereader can better understand theseparation before the questions.


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fit into this figured world, because this is my world, and my generation. As I am about to

enter the workforce, it is extremely important and valuable information to understand the

working relationship between Gen Y and previous generations. Other members of this

figured world include Generation X and Baby Boomers. Historically, Generation Y is

known to have little respect or show authority to these generations. However, after

countless articles and research, the evidence is astounding. Throughout the paper, I will

be asking four very important questions about Generation Y, and also the importance of

taking advantage of the workplace in your 20s.

Who is Gen Y? Generation Y believes in changing the world through social

causes and awareness (Jacobs). As a passionate and ambitious generation, we seek to

be successful and in the top 1% of a competitive career. We are also changing

economic and social rules- waiting for marriage to further pursue individualistic goals

(Wieczner). On the National Public Radio, Allison Keyes interviewed Ryan Healy. He

stated that Generation Y is best known for negotiating grades, always receiving a

trophy for good effort, and being called lazy (Keyes). But in reality, Gen Y is focused on

a high quality of life, which sometimes may be seen as self-entitlement. We are the

most educated generation, and curious to learn, grow, and innovate in a team oriented

setting. As I began to understand who is Gen Y and what are they striving to be, I found

my observations much more valuable. I was able to finally notice these aspects of

young professionals, those who would read the paper with their morning coffee, shake

hands with their colleagues, arrive to work early, be professionally dressed, and the look

of determination of truly changing the world. In my observation one paper, I interviewed

Taylor, a young professional woman working as an associate. Taylor graduated from


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Chapel Hill, interned with Bank of America, and was offered a full time position. Those 3

accomplishments were not easy to acquire. Taylors focus and drive as a Gen Y, or

Millennial, allowed her to surpass previous Generations, as today she is now managing

people in the ages of 25-45. Also, an interesting fact is that Taylor walks to work each

morning from her Uptown loft, or apartment building. In 2009, Gen Y drove 23% fewer

miles, most likely due to city living. Generation Y is attracted to the urban lifestyle and

big city life (Wieczner).

How is Generation Y changing economic and social traditions? Corporations are

undergoing major reconstruction for their recruitment process. They are transforming to

meet the unique needs and desires of Generation Y. For instance, Gen Y wants to

choose their work schedule, where they work, and how they work. All of these desires

are influenced by technology and globalization enhancements (Dhawan). In the Bank of

America Center, I saw Matt, a 26-year-old marketing analyst. Matt was sitting down in a

cozy swivel chair. Matt prefers to work in a relaxed environment, rather than at a desk.

He says that his boss, Scott, allows him to work here, only if his work is done on time.

At the moment, I thought to myself, Generation Y is doing something so unconventional

that no other previous generation has done before. We are creating a virtual workplace,

anytime and anywhere due to technology. Generation Y want to work on their own

schedule for most flexibility with hobbies, family, and friends. We are a generation that

value family relationships and connecting amongst friends. We are not interested in a

nine to five day job, but an interactive and learning career. Another way us Millienials

are changing conventional rules is by social media. Ryan Gibson writes an online blog

about Generation Y in the workforce. Gibson believes repressing the use of technology


Comment [3]: Possibly add a map ofuptown and show the distance between

the bank of America center and possibleapartments.


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in the office is a terrible mistake. Generation Y is proficient in social media and

technology, so older generations need to use this as a competitive edge to interact with

employees and customers (Gibson). In 2010, 96% of college undergraduates owned a

cell phone. Rather than shunning the use of technology, young professional could really

benefit from online tools, resources, and improve their productivity. Gen Y sends and

receives on average 88 texts per day. 60% play music on their phones and 83% use

their phones to take pictures. There is a negative side to allowing technology in the

workforce, such as distractions from texts or tweets. To prevent this, managers should

provide an incentive if you finish your work for the day, you are free to leave. Its a

simple way to ensure employees arent on playing games. Needless, there will be a few

texts and out going tweets, but micromanaging a Gen Y definitely wont solve the

problem.

Is Generation Y different from previous generations? According to the Center for

Creative Leadership, Generation Y may not be that much different from Generation X or

the Baby Boomers. In fact, Gen Y has very similar values and goals for their career

development, as did previous generations. As I was interviewing Gen Y for statistical

research, I asked Amanda what her personal goals were in the next 5 years. Amanda

was very optimistic in her career development, as well as in her family life. By the time

she was 29, she hopes to be married, and have kids in her thirties. Similar to

Generation X, Amanda values her family the most, and has dreams of living in a house

with her family. The Center for Creative Leadership also provided a podcast with 10

principles over their 10-year research study. This study denotes that older generations

and Generation Y are very similar. Among these principles, each generation put a high


Comment [4]: Consider going intofurther detail possibly backing up thisdebate with reasoning or examples


Comment [5]: Make sure to clarify thedifference between these two and maybegive an age or year of birth example so

that we can fully picture generation x


Comment [6]: Maybe add a timeline to

show the different generations


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emphasis on respect, trust, and innovation. For example, Ryan a 24-year-old financial

manager at Bank of America believes older employees dont respect him. As a very

young manager, he sometimes feels uncomfortable because he leads and delegates

people that are much older than him. But as a Gen Y, he is focused and determined on

his personal career goals. Ryan said, I know Im super young to be leading these

people, but with my technology skills in finance, I can provide a better understanding

and vision for Bank of Americas future. This statement shows the confidence of Gen Y

to lead older employees. We may be questioned of our ranking sometimes, but Ryan is

optimistic and believes in his own intellectual ability to lead.

What is the future for Generation Y? Baby boomers are retiring in huge quantities

right now, and according to big corporations, they are looking for young leaders with soft

skills such as communication, negotiation, and leadership (Deal). With a high focus on

efficiency and accessibility, Generation Y is quickly growing in the workforce, and as a

generation who likes to be independent its very important that managers dont

micromanage. Tine Fey, an actress and writer states, in most cases being a good boos

means hiring talented people and then getting out of their way (Gibson). The next five

years will be a defining moment for the career development of Gen Y as they are being

challenged during this critical time of economic turmoil, baby boomers retirement, and

personal growth.

Now that I have answered in detail the four crucial questions for Generation Y,

its time to focus on the importance of young professionals in their 20s. TED Radio

Hour interviewed Meg Jay, a psychologist who studies the developmental significance

of the brain (Jacobs). During our 20s, the brain will begin to rewire itself for adulthood,


Comment [7]: Maybe consider goingabove and beyond and adding the link tothe radio interview or add a youtube vide


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and produce thousands of new neurons. Meg Jay enthusiastically argues that this is the

most crucial time to make an impact in your career. The goals you accomplish in your

20s will significantly change the outcome out your salary, personal goals, career

development, and intelligence. According to Meg Jay, if you want to make a change,

now is the time! I found this nine minute podcast the most inspiring and informative

because waiting till your 30s to pick a city to live in, or begin searching for that career

will cause too much anxiety and stress. Rather, one should choose a city and jumpstart

their career after college. I have two personal examples of young professionals

beginning their lives after college. My cousin, Lindsay graduated from a very prestigious

college, with a bachelor of science in International Business. She moved to New York

City after graduation, and began working for Johnson & Johnson. For two years, she

devoted her focus and career goals to this firm. Shortly after, she was promoted to

manager, and then Director. I asked Lindsay what was her key to success and living her

dream in the big city of New York. She said to me, Allie, I stayed after work almost

everyday to finish projects and client paperwork. Without that extra hour of work each

day, I wouldnt be this successful. I was still able to enjoy the city of New York, but I

prioritized my career goal and focused on my developmental growth. I knew people

wanted my job, and to keep that from happening, I sacrificed my personal time. Also, I

knew once I was successful I could have the money and resources to enjoy a high

quality of life. Lindsay knew the sacrifice of working long weeks, but she began with the

end in mind, by setting a career goal. As she reached that goal, she found there were

more opportunities in personal and career growth. Rather than waiting till her 30s to

strive for career success, she started in her 20s, allowing her to grow quickly in the


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most crucial stages of brain development. A second example is with my neighbor,

Lauren, who graduated college with a marketing degree. Now, Lauren did not have the

same success, partly because she didnt become serious about her career until her

thirties. Lauren was 24 and was working at a restaurant full time. It made her a lot of

money during the summer, and she had a lot of good memories with friends, however,

she was lacking career and personal growth during the crucial part of her brain

development stage. At age 27, Lauren decided to move to New York City to work at a

marketing firm. For months, she lived off noodles, and turkey sandwiches, due to high

cost of living. Within the next year, Lauren moved to Colorado, unsatisfied with her

results in New York City. I believe if Lauren made the initial move to New York City at

age 21, after her college graduation, that her outcome would have been dramatically

different. Would her brain told her to continue working harder, as it produced more

neurons? Jumpstarting a career, beginning a mature relationship, and living in an

apartment are three crucial steps during this very important time of brain development

and creation of new neurons.

Generation Y is making huge strides in our corporations and small businesses. In

the next five to ten years, we will be over 75% of the workforce. Corporations are

already changing business structures in order to meet the needs and desires of

Millenials. Tech savvy, short-term focus, and known for receiving too many trophies are

Generation Ys stereotypes. We are engaged in our work and want to enhance our

careers as fast as possible. We strive to learn and develop emotional, personally, and in

our careers. A high quality of life, wealth, and morals are very important to Gen Y.

Though we arent much different than previous generations, we are however, changing


Comment [8]: We recommend addinganother paragraph before your conclusiojust to reiterate how you specifically fee l

on the topic just to make your pointstronger.


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social and economic traditions by waiting to get married, choosing our own work

schedule, and putting a higher emphasis on technology and globalization. Gen Y is the

first generation to openly accept major diversity. Sexual orientation, race, religion, and

other forms of diversity are very accepted amongst people in the workforce. Finally, the

importance of brain development during the 20s is most crucial. I would suggest further

research on this topic, and specific studies showing the relationship between successful

careers and new neurons in the brain. I find it most fascinating that after college is the

time to jumpstart ones career rather than taking a break and relaxing. Its the complete

opposite, and this significant timing of this couldnt be more imperative. I am most

excited about seeing the workforce change to a Generation Ys perspective. In the

future, I envision an untraditional workforce, working at home in a virtual setting, or

working in a coffee shop, or arriving to work in a very high technology setting.

Everything will be done through technology and the knowledge we acquire with data is

becoming so vast. As a Millenial myself, I see a bright future for not only business but

also personal growth. Millenials truly want to see a change in the world, and bring

awareness to specific causes. Generation X may be stereotypical towards us young

professionals, but maybe because they too are scared for what this group of 70 million

people can do with the enhancement of technology and globalization.desktop support 10/15/13 10:16 AM

Comment [9]: Dont forget the citationpage but amazing paper ! J

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