What is a Millennial?

The term Millennial has been thrown around a lot. Mainly Millennial’s have a bad reputation for being the “me” generation. A generation that is often focused on personal gain versus the greater good. While I’m not here to debate in either direction, I will provide the most solid definitions I have found for identifying a Millennial.

Common core definition:

• People born between 1982 – early 2000s. The preceding generation is referred to as Generation X. I personally was born in 1981, so technically I am a Generation X, however, the start date of the Millennial Generation has been noted to be as early as 1978.

Common characteristics:

• Lydia Abbott said it best in her LinkedIn Talent Blog post

A lot of people seem to think that we are, well, a pain. The week I graduated from college, Time Magazine released an article titled “Millennials: the Me Me Me Generation,” which called us lazy, entitled, self-obsessed narcissists. Ouch! On the other hand, we’ve been called open-minded, liberal, self-expressive, upbeat, and overtly passionate about equality. Naturally, I’d prefer to believe this description over the former (how Millennial of me). But, the truth is both arguments hold some grounds for belief. The reality must fall somewhere in between.

• Pros noted in Lydia’s post include: multitasking, tech savviness, and the continuous ability to connect (on social media).
• Cons noted in Lydia’s post and in Business Insider include: the need for instant gratification, lower work ethic, lack of a team player attitude, and being less interested in being a productive part of an organization.

Millennial’s have a lot of pros and cons. What my hope with this blog is to provide a viewpoint from an upper cusp Millennial to other Millennial’s on work, people, and career management that I hope will be helpful. I have some great topics lined up on career picking, management styles, using your skills, and much more. If there are Millennial management centered topics that you’d like to see, please leave a comment and I’ll do my best in providing the information.