Millenials: A job-hopping generation

Full-time De Anza College student and part-time comic book store clerk Kady Le uses both avenues to pave the way to becoming a television show runner, her dream job.

“In a way, my job has helped me gain connections with film and other filmmakers,” said the 20-year-old film major.

Le is only one of the many millennials who expect their career to be a passion, not just a paycheck, according to a 2016 Gallup Poll.

The poll suggests that a lack of purpose in a job is a main reason that millennials, children born between 1980 and 1996, job-hop more than any previous generation.

Le said the first thing she looks for in a job is “whether that job will help me succeed in my field.”

Jay Serrano, 22, journalism major, said that comfortability is more important than money in determining a job choice.

Starting at De Anza with a job as an EMT, Serrano said he changed career ideas after an injury, seeking a less straining job atmosphere.

“Something with creative writing but a relaxed schedule,” said Serrano, when describing his dream career, “where I could work on my own timeline but still turn around and work fast enough to support myself.”

Chairman and CEO of Gallup Jim Clifton wrote, in an introduction to the study, that the purpose of the poll is to determine how millennials differ from previous generations and determine how companies can adapt to utilize millennials in the workplace.

Gallup 2016

“Defined by their lack of attachment to institutions and traditions, millennials change jobs more than any other generation,” wrote Clifton. “More than half say they’re currently looking for a new job.”

            Adrian Discipulo, 23, journalism major, said he feels loyal to his job as a retail associate for a camping supply store, having kept the same position for six years.

            Discipulo attributes his staying for so long to a good work atmosphere and love of the product, though he admits that it is a lower paying job.

            “I really love my job and as long as I’m making enough money to pay rent or buy blinds or whatever adults spend       money on, I will be fine,” Discipulo said.

According to the poll, millennials do not value the paycheck; they are more focused on finding a purpose in their job.

Gallup 2016

Catherine Ha, 21, communications major, has had three jobs in the past four years and said she would not work someplace that did not have a good, healthy environment, no matter the pay.

“Health is very important to me, so I would never work somewhere that they do not offer healthy food choices and a lax schedule because I need to exercise and be out in the world, not sitting at a desk,” Ha said.

Gallup shows an increase in millennials’ need to feel healthy and active in their life to feel happy in their job.

Jasmine Remram, 19, communications major, describes a constant need to be on the move in her career, not staying in one place for too long.

       

   “My job definitely needs to intersect with my life, I need to feel like it’s an extension of how I live my life in order to be happy,” Remram said.

According to the poll, millennials crave jobs that are more a reflection of their lifestyle, catering to their strengths, not trying to improve their weaknesses.

The poll suggests changing hiring strategies by allowing millennials to focus on their strengths and needs in the workplace as opposed to simply working for the paycheck.