How To Make 'Millennial' An Advantage

Millennials have unique qualities: learn to sell them!

If you type “Millennials are” into Google, the top autocompletes are lazy, stupid, idiots, entitled and (simply) screwed. This paints a bleak picture. But we know that this is a limited, backward view. Millennials have a lot of advantages to offer global businesses, and they’re starting to know it.

But how do you sell yourself as a millennial to a prospective employer? How do you lead them to see your age and generation as an overwhelmingly positive thing? Well, you have to sell them on some defining characteristics of our generation.

Technology oriented

Those of us lucky enough to be born between 1985 and 2000 have seen incredibly fast changes in technology. By the time our grandparents had mastered the VCR, we were trying to teach them to use 3D glasses. We have grown up comfortable with constant developments in technology. This not only means that we are ‘techy’ and able to employ technology to our advantage, but it also makes us highly adaptable. We find it easy to learn and get used to big changes in the world around us. We can roll with these changes, coming out on top long before those stuck on Microsoft Outlook 2010 even notice the change.

We are able to give companies insight into new trends. We bring a novel perspective, fresh ideas, and specialized strengths and skill sets.

Team players

We have grown up in the aftermath of 9/11, hearing stories of terrorist attacks. This has given us a stronger sense of patriotism, globalism and taking care of our neighbors. We have a heightened sense of community, peer-to-peer relationships, and teamwork. Our educations have been focused on fostering team spirit more than any other generation. We’ve been doing team projects and playing team games our whole lives. Companies pour money into developing the level of teamwork that comes naturally to us.

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Expressive

We have grown up sharing our lives. Our parents might roll their eyes at our tendency to over share, but this is a great quality when it comes to the work world. We have a high level of self confidence, and we are not afraid to share our point of view. We are not afraid to put our ideas out there, even when others disagree.

We are used to having to defend our arguments online. This means that we can add energy and perspective to brainstorming sessions. We are not afraid to challenge the status quo, which adds real value to meetings, conferences and teams.

Conscious of competition

Unfortunately, we are well aware that we are entering a market with many more applicants than places. We understand the importance of excelling in every opportunity afforded to us. That means we work hard to impress, whether we’re on an internship, in an entry level job, or if we’ve snagged a spot in a graduate program.

Armed with the ability to explain these millennial qualities, you’ll be able to sway even the most skeptical interviewer. Let’s change those Google auto-complete terms!