In Defense of (some) Millennials

If you happen to be somewhere between 22 and 37 years of age, you fall into the dubious and sometimes reviled category of “Millennial”. Now we are all aware that social media has raised Millennial-bashing to an art form, and in the spirit of full disclosure, I have been guilty of it from time to time myself. But recently, I have had experiences that have reminded me of the danger (and insensitivity) of painting with too broad a brush when drawing conclusions about generational characteristics.

In my line of work, I interview, coach and mentor individuals from all age groups and recently I interacted with two young men who fall squarely into the category of Millennial. Both were candidates for sales positions – one in the Southeastern US and one out West. What really caught my attention about these two was the way they handled our discussions. Here are some of my observations about these two “Millennials”.

• They were bright, articulate, engaging conversationalists. They answered my questions thoroughly, but in a concise manner. Both were obviously prepared for the discussion and had invested some time researching the hiring company and the industry.

• They both admitted to using social media but were clearly not addicted to it (imagine that!)

• They were appropriately inquisitive with an ability to display interest in someone other than themselves

• Each possessed strong ego without any hint of egotism. In other words, they were confident in themselves and their abilities without coming across as cocky.

• They embrace technology, but value human interaction – both feeling that phone contact and face to face meetings were much more valuable than emails and texts.

• They both make their coffee at home rather than running people down while trying to line up in the drive through at Starbucks to score their Triple, Venti, Half Sweet, Non-Fat, Caramel Macchiato. (OK, I might have made that one up. I just had to vent a little!).

• Both were clearly aware that they were entitled to nothing. They know that a college degree and the ability to fog a mirror does not qualify them for a 6-figure base salary. They must earn their way in life.

• Each of them possessed clear personal goals and had a plan for achieving them

• And thankfully, both made it through a 45-minute interview without once dropping the “F-bomb”, which is – all too often – incorporated into everyday lexicon these days. While I’ve been known to drop a few bunker-busters myself when irritated, it amazes me how so many feel that it’s OK to be free with colorful language in social media posts, in interviews and in public around children. Classless.

To be fair, all generations can fall short in the areas I have highlighted above, but to have such a positive interaction with members of the oft-maligned Millennial generation was a true breath of fresh air. These young men could teach us all some valuable lessons about proper business and social decorum.

Certainly, there are numerous examples of negative “Millennial behavior”, just as there are examples of bad “Generation X” and “Baby Boomer” behavior. I realize that two individuals is a very small sample size, but I can’t help feeling that there are many more Millennials out there who are strong, positive ambassadors for their generation. Let’s keep an eye out for them, because they are a pleasure to deal with – and they are the future!