Gen Y resume dilemma
Restless Gen Ys need to think about how they're going to explain their job-hopping ways as they climb the career ladder. So says author, speaker and change agent Peter Sheahan, the man who kicked off Australian employers' current obsession with everything Y.
Over the last couple of years a series of major research papers have been released on how to attract and retain Generation Y workers but little has been said directly to Generation Y as to how they are viewed by employers.
Mr Sheahan warned Gen Ys that companies wanted to promote those who not only had a track record of performance, but also a commitment to the organisation. That commitment might be hard to prove for a Gen Y, whose resume may list a stack of employers within just a few years.
"Our research shows that 51 per cent of Gen Ys believe they are not being taken seriously for leadership roles,'' Sheahan said. "The reason could be that they don't hang around anywhere long enough to have their good work recognised and to build some loyalty.'' A Gen Y himself, Mr Sheahan has written four books to help employers and marketers understand those born between 1978 and 1994. He has also given 1500 presentations on the topic and advises high-profile employers.
"Gen Y need to work on their `personal brand'. If you think of a pyramid, then in order of importance their personal brand comprises; reputation, expertise, style, capability and positioning,'' Sheahan said. He said "reputation'' involved getting "your name out there'', such as on presentations or projects. "Expertise'' involved developing knowledge and skills in a niche subject area.
"Style'' covers everything from personal grooming to behaviour. "Capability'' involved a person's broader skill set beyond their niche expertise, and "positioning'' is how Ys want to be viewed.
Peter Sheahan was NSW Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 2003. He now consults to ad, was the key speaker at a careers conference organised for university accounting students by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia. ICCA host a website for Gen Ys accounting cadets to grads trying to find part time jobs, holiday jobs and full time work called Fly Higher - http://www.flyhigher.com/.
Kate Southam is the editor of careerone.com.au
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