Class of 2016 Prepares for Evolving Job Market
Shortly after Commencement, many UA graduates will seek employment that puts them on a path toward their desired career. But as this generation enters the job market, they'll be navigating unprecedented change in the needs of employers while redefining the core tenets of professional life.

By Nick Prevenas, University Relations - Communications
April 22, 2016

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(Photo: Patrick McArdle/UANews)


According to the Pew Research Center, the millennial generation  — defined as those born between 1981 and 1996 — surpassed Generation X to become the largest share of the American workforce in 2015, with 53.5 million millennials either holding jobs or seeking them.

The University of Arizona's Class of 2016 is at the tail end of this generation. As such, it finds itself in a position to permanently shape the future of American employment.

"I believe that the millennial generation brings a consumer ideology to the workplace," said UA retailing and consumer sciences professor Anita Bhappu. "They've grown up as their family's digital retail expert, which has created this well-tuned consumer lens that they use in all facets of their life, particularly when it comes to finding a career."

Bhappu believes that this "consumer lens" is a major difference between how this generation views its career prospects versus previous generations. While their parents sought security and reliability in their career decisions, Bhappu argues that millennials are more interested in weaving together a set of experiences that engage them on a deeper level.

"They grew up in a world where there are always new experiences, and they aren't about to give that up to do the same job for 30 to 40 years," Bhappu said.

She adds that the misconception of the "lazy, entitled millennial" stems from a generational shift in the concept of loyalty. On average, members of the millennial generation stay in a position for roughly three years before moving on to something new, but it generally isn't because of a poor work ethic. Instead, members of this generation are constantly exploring their options, often seeking creatively fulfilling unpaid or low-paid positions, while living with roommates or family members to cut down on expenses.

"The top priority for most millennials is family relationships," Bhappu said. "The number one thing they want to do is be a good parent and a good member of their family. That social engagement is key when it comes to how they evaluate their employment opportunities."

But how do recent college graduates go about finding these thrilling challenges without any real-world employment experience?

It's the chicken-or-egg scenario Eileen McGarry, executive director of UA Career Services & Student Engagement, helps recent or impending college graduates solve.

"We stress to our students that the kinds of engagement experiences you collect during your undergraduate years matter more to employers than anything else," McGarry said, adding that the UA's 100% Engagement initiative emphasizes the variety of ways a student can hone leadership skills and other desirable attributes for employers.

As recent graduates polish their resumés and prepare for those first job interviews, McGarry points out the importance of "show, don't tell."

"A more qualitative explanation of your skills and experiences is far more valuable than a simple bulleted list of competencies," McGarry said. "It's an incredibly competitive marketplace, so the more effective an individual can be at expressing his or her talents is going to have a leg up on the competition."

A person's online profile is often just as important, if not more so, than one's resumé. If a job seeker's social media profiles don't project professionalism or competency, the search can screech to a halt before it even gets started.

"We are placing more and more importance on how to present oneself online," McGarry said. "We encourage all of our students to participate in LinkedIn and connect with experienced alumni, and we stress that their Twitter and Facebook profiles, for all intents and purposes, become their brand when searching for employment."

In a recent lecture on the UA campus, Kerry Litzenberg, a Regents' Professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics at Texas A&M University, said that millennials don't view their professional lives in a standard 8-to-5 context.

"This is a generation that makes use of all 24 hours in the day," Litzenberg said. "Students will send me emails at 3:30 a.m., and another one at 9 a.m. when I didn't answer the one from 3:30."

In other words, flexibility is key.

"Millennials deliver higher-quality work when they feel as if it is a part of their lives and not a completely separate entity," Bhappu said. "So with this generation, we often see the lines blur between work life and home life in a way we didn't see in previous generations."

Extra info

Hundreds of graduating undergraduate students have contributed to the Senior Class Gift, a new UA tradition unifying each graduating class and recognizing its unique contribution to UA. This year’s Senior Class Gift will support Counseling and Psychological Services, expanding access to students for much-needed services. A senior is recognized as any student graduating in May, August or December of the current academic year. All gifts made by the Class of 2016 will be recognized on the Arizona Stadium video screen during the Commencement ceremony and in the Commencement edition of the Arizona Daily Wildcat. To give, click here

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