The Voice of Job Seekers

Mark Anthony Dyson ★ Career Writer ★ Speaker ★ Thinker ★ Award-winning Blog & Podcast! ★ "The Job Scam Report" on Substack! ★ I hack and reimagine the modern job search!

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Today’s Millennials and Their Take on Careers with Hilary Sutton

Today’s Millennials and Their Take on Careers with Hilary Sutton

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For my Gen X and baby boomer listeners, it’s time to listen to millennials about their take on work. My guest, Hilary Sutton, speaks as a writer, a researcher, and a millennial.

Here are three ways you can let us know:

  • Call and leave a voicemail at 708-365-9822, or text your comments to the same number
  • Go to TheVoiceofJobSeekers.com, press the “Send Voicemail” button on the right side of your screen and leave a message
  • Send email feedback to [email protected]

Let me tell you a little bit about Hilary:

Hilary Sutton and she has a podcast “Hustle and Grace.” She contributes career advice for USA Today as well as other publications and an actress.
Earlier this year Hilary wrote a long-form report called “Marketing Hiring Trends” for McKinley Marketing Partners.

Highlights from our discussion:

  • Fewer millennials are actively on the job search than non-millennials. The numbers indicate greater job satisfaction.
  • Millennials are not as money motivated as you might think. In many cases, they would accept lower salaries if they come paired with other perks like a clear path for advancement or an open PTO policy
  • Millennials are by and large NOT drawn to perks that seem to make the workplace “cooler”: beer in the fridge or a ping pong table, etc. The more ‘perks’ an office has, often the more employees are expected to work long hours and not achieve a high value of millennials: work/life balance. Millennials like to keep their work and personal lives separate. If they value working from home, most likely they have already found a job to do that. It’s not a long-term career goal.
  • While they don’t care about those ‘office perks,’ millennials are hyper-aware of culture in the office, and it can make or break an experience for them. Taking the time to coach and congratulate millennials on job performance is huge and will impact their loyalty and retention. Regular team events (more than once a year) also builds bonds that mean a lot to millennials.
  • Millennials also value mentors and professional development and would welcome an optional mentor program in the workplace as well as professional development opportunities.
You can also sign up for my weekly newsletter at the top right of my page to be on the early list of my free e-Guide, “219 Modern Job Search Tips for 2019” to be sent to subscribers the third week of October!

About Mark Anthony Dyson

I am the "The Voice of Job Seekers!" I offer compassionate career and job search advice as I hack and re-imagine the job search process. You need to be "the prescription to an employer's job description." You must be solution-oriented and work in positions in companies where you are the remedy. Your job search must be a lifestyle, and your career must be in front of you constantly. You can no longer shed your aspirations at the change seasons. There are strengths you have that need constant use and development. Be sure you sign up to download my E-Book, "421 Modern Job Search Tips 2021!" You can find my career advice and work in media outlets such as Forbes, Inc., Fast Company, Harvard Business Review, Glassdoor, and many other outlets.

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5 Lessons on Career Success I Learned in College

5 Lessons on Career Success I Learned in College

 

For mass communications majors at college, getting a television or radio reporting gig was a major career stepping stone. I was not one of those mass communications majors, but when I saw a job posting for a reporter position with a radio program, I decided to apply.

I knew the competition would be substantial, and that I would be at a disadvantage. I was a communications major, but not a mass communications major. Most of those students had experience writing copy and talking in front of cameras. Even if they had only practiced in simulations, they still had more experience than I had.

But I knew I had a few things going for me: gumption, a recorder, and a profound sense of curiosity. I also paid attention to detail. The application process required candidates to submit sample interviews, which I did. An associate dean at my university was kind enough to give me 20 minutes of his time to discuss his enthusiastic study of ghosts. I knew I had nailed a topic no one else would think of.

I got the job, beating out the dozens of mass communication majors who applied. Anne, the news director at the program, told me I was the only candidate to submit an interview. She said she kept telling applicants, “You have to go and talk to people!”

Being compensated for doing something I loved was a dream come true. That job had everything: flexibility, fun, and adventure. It also taught me a few valuable life lessons that I still carry with me:

1. Your Job Search Won’t Be Comfortable

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The associate dean gave me an impressive interview, despite my fear and anxiety. The collaboration accomplished precisely what the employer wanted to see — but it was still a harrowing experience.

Don’t expect to operate from your comfort zone during your job search.

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2. Treat People Extraordinarily Well

I eventually got a chance to work with the dean of the college for a week, and it set up some other related job opportunities. I only had this chance because I treated people well and focused on my relationships at work.

Don’t view jobs as one-off events. See how they can have long-tail effects on your life and career. Build your relationships.

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Listen to Giving Women The Courage to Negotiate Salary

3. Be Ready to Prove Your Worth

Landing a job will require some evidence of your value — like the interview I did with the associate dean.

There are other ways to showcase your value, such as social proof on your website or LinkedIn profile. Online assessments and behavioral testing are becoming more common parts of the hiring process as well, so you must be ready to perform on demand in order to show employers you have what it takes to succeed.

Read Be a Consultant, Not a Job Seeker nor Anything Like Your Competition

4. Adopt a Consultant Mindset

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Unless you’re aiming for a contract job, you need to show you can do more than just fix a single problem.

You want to prove that you can collaborate with various partners in your organization in order to create new value.

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For example, the news director was impressed that I interviewed the associate dean for my demo tape. I learned later the dean was at the top of his field, and I was fortunate to get any time at all with him. The dean was also impressed: He thought my genuine interest in his studies offered a value rarely available to him.

Read 10 Ways to Stay in Demand for Your Work – And Career

5. Do Great Work t0 Stay in Demand

It takes time to master your profession or craft. You won’t immediately be the best, but you can build a portfolio of white papers, articles, videos, interviews, and other relevant projects that show off your skills. Without my interview with the dean, I probably would not have gotten the job. Regularly producing great work is how you stay in demand.

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Your road to job search success can be difficult at times, but it doesn’t have to be unproductive. Do great work and forge valuable relationships with like-minded people — even when you aren’t looking for a job. This is how you will stand out and get noticed before you even need to be.

About Mark Anthony Dyson

I am the "The Voice of Job Seekers!" I offer compassionate career and job search advice as I hack and re-imagine the job search process. You need to be "the prescription to an employer's job description." You must be solution-oriented and work in positions in companies where you are the remedy. Your job search must be a lifestyle, and your career must be in front of you constantly. You can no longer shed your aspirations at the change seasons. There are strengths you have that need constant use and development. Be sure you sign up to download my E-Book, "421 Modern Job Search Tips 2021!" You can find my career advice and work in media outlets such as Forbes, Inc., Fast Company, Harvard Business Review, Glassdoor, and many other outlets.

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Saying No Could Give Your Career Life

Saying No Could Give Your Career Life

Editor’s note: Be sure you pick up the updated, 118 Job Search Tips for the Modern Job Seeker in 2018!

Saying “Yes” to every single suggestion in finding a career, or handling conflict could drive you to failure. No one loves a people-pleaser, brown-noser, a suck-up, and just so darn dishonest. Being agreeable to everything does not add cash to your account, nor does it aggregate favors from everyone who has done right by you.

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You do not need inspiration from “Yes” every day, any day, any minute, every hour, or from everybody.

“Yes” will not bring you eternal happiness, or bring you internal pleasure in its entirety. It will not bring you philanthropic opportunities, and it will not bring press when you engage in charity. Not letting the right hand know what the left is doing is the blessing, and it’s between you, your conscience, and God.

Taking a job, you will fail at doing should be “NO!” Say it politely, tactfully, and respectfully, “No.”

If someone gives poor advice routinely, tell them “no,” and why,  so that they can have a chance to change course. Maybe they will stop giving everyone else unwelcome advice. If that is too much, then for you, say “No.”

Lawd knows you will have to tell your spousal and parental units “no” if the advice is redundant. They do not realize the mouse on the treadmill is tired. Unless you love misery, do not say “NO” hastily or prematurely. Administering the “drive-by” look will not be enough, you have to say “no.”

“No” has to be a part of the job search lifestyle. Without it, soundness of mind is impossibly unreachable.

“Yes” will not revolutionize television, nor will the revolution be televised (shout to Gil Scott Herron). YouTube, Vimeo, and Facebook revolutionized everything. Social media already has bought “Yes!” to its needs, made it a slave, and canonical. Check your email monthly, and you can make it your slave too.

“Yes” is so good, it will make you slap your mama. Only “No” will make you think twice. Bad advice, bad opportunities, and offers too good to be true life in the world of “Yes!” Sound judgment, preparedness, and discretion create a filter for stuff too good to be true.

“No” is a second consideration, part of the job game, use it to launch a successful revolution.

About Mark Anthony Dyson

I am the "The Voice of Job Seekers!" I offer compassionate career and job search advice as I hack and re-imagine the job search process. You need to be "the prescription to an employer's job description." You must be solution-oriented and work in positions in companies where you are the remedy. Your job search must be a lifestyle, and your career must be in front of you constantly. You can no longer shed your aspirations at the change seasons. There are strengths you have that need constant use and development. Be sure you sign up to download my E-Book, "421 Modern Job Search Tips 2021!" You can find my career advice and work in media outlets such as Forbes, Inc., Fast Company, Harvard Business Review, Glassdoor, and many other outlets.