Where Are The Jobs For Millennials?

Tru Pettigrew, Founder of Tru Access

Many millennials are struggling to find jobs upon graduation. Even more are struggling to find jobs in their field. There are a host of reasons that have been discussed and explored as to why this is the case. Why are so many driven young men and women armed with Bachelors and Masters degrees finding themselves unemployed or underemployed?

I have heard reasons for millennials not landing jobs range from just not being properly prepared, to performing poorly or inappropriately in the interview. I read an article the other day on workforce.com that cited a study where 66% of hiring managers said that they don’t think that college graduates are prepared for the workplace. It went on to say that 58% of hiring managers don’t plan on hiring entry-level college graduates this year. Many organizations are still reacting to the recession and looking to hire talent that is already experienced and skilled in the positions where the company has a need. The thinking behind this approach is to start gaining immediate return on their investment and avoid incurring training and development costs. This is an approach that I believe will hurt these organizations in the long run.

There is a phrase that I used to always hear my mom use when I was growing up that I never really understood until I got older. That phrase was “don’t be penny-wise and pound foolish”. I think this is just what many of these companies are doing by passing over millennial talent to avoid the recruiting, training and development costs. This may save a few bucks in the short term, but these companies will find themselves at a major disadvantage in the long run by not having the cultural and generational diversity and technologically relevant talent to drive their organizations forward.

Part of the issue regarding job placement may also be that the marketplace has just gotten much more competitive. The workforce landscape has changed in this global economy. It used to be that the professions that were associated with high paying, successful careers were doctors and lawyers. I was a lawyer once during a trip to Vegas but that’s another story.

But getting back to the real professions, in this globally competitive economy, doctors and lawyers are still awesome, but it’s the STEM skills that shine brightest today. According to our President and numerous studies to support this, America has a low participation of talent in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). The participation numbers are even lower for women, African Americans and Hispanics.

This is one answer to the question in the title of this post.  Careers in STEM fields are where many of the jobs are. These career choices will not only help the individual, but they will also help America to better compete as a global leader.

Here are my brief responses to the question of where are the jobs for millennials…

1.      STEM Fields – There is a high demand for more talent in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. Especially for women, African American and Hispanics.

2.      Entrepreneurship – Identify a need that is in line with your gifts and passion and fill that need yourself. Entrepreneurship isn’t for everyone, but it is a great way to build and sustain a future for those that are built for it.

Invest in yourself – Agree to an internship or register somewhere for additional training. Consider the fact that there may be some validity to the suggestion that you are not properly prepared to land or thrive in that job you want. Invest in yourself by agreeing to intern for a period of time. Hire a career development coach. Attend a skills development boot camp. I can’t think of a better investment than to invest in yourself.

By Tru Pettigrew founder of Tru Access (www.tru-access.com)

Tru Pettigrew is the founder of Tru Access (www.tru-access.com), the nation’s fastest growing Inspiration and Empowerment resource for Multicultural Millennials and the brands looking to employ and connect with them. Pettigrew spent 20 years  making it in Corporate America as a high level marketing executive at advertising and marketing agencies helping brands understand how to make money off of the millennial generation. He now help brands understand how to make money with this generation. Tru Access bridges the cultural and generational gaps that exist between corporate America and the millennial generation through Culturational Chemistry – aka blending of multicultural and generational gaps in the workplace and in life.