Generation Y Don't You Do Something About It - For Job Seekers

Just over a week ago I saw this article flying around the internet like an angry cat. To summarize it, Generation Y, of which I belong to, is described as GYPSYs - Gen Y Protagonists & Special Yuppies. It's based around a formula of Reality - Expectations = Happiness. Gen Y has some issues around the level of reality and expectations and is therefore unhappy. There's some chat about the Great Generation, Baby boomers in the background, working hard and hardly working, grass, flowers, unicorns and such. Just from connections I saw sharing this post, who are also mostly part of Gen Y, some were mad or offended and others were intrigued and impressed. External debater reviews that I've checked out have been similar. Questioning the intent of the writer, countering the facts presented. Are we more self-driven or group motivated? What about Millennials with Gen X parents? Every generation struggles. How much do you struggle with this article? Hah! Rather than taking sides and debating the validity, let's just take it's point and talk about recruiting and job search.

As a recruiter, a sourcer, and someone who is interested in matching careers with candidates, I care about those Gen Y candidates and what they are thinking as I recruit them. So, I'd like to jump to the advice that the article gives:

1. Stay wildly ambitious
2. Stop thinking that you're special
 3. Ignore everyone else

I agree with number one. Ambition has the definition of a desire to achieve, a goal, or an activity. Choosing to become passionate about anything is a great decision and will likely put a job seeker ahead of the crowd. A combination of the definitions will get you the farthest in your job search and your career - the goal, the desire, then the activity. Try to convey that passion with examples during the interview process. More than words like "I am dedicated, persistent, a quick learner." Explain a situation where you took initiative and how you will exceed expectations for the job to which you are applying.

Taking ownership of your mistakes and your successes. This should be your priority. Special or not, internal or external motivation, it's all relative. Everyone has to start somewhere and is given different opportunities and guidance. The article points out work ethic as a precedent over being special or that entitlement that Gen Y feels. When you are interviewing for a job or working to advance your career in your current company, it's okay to feel entitled if you can back it up with reliability.

Speaking of work ethic, I was talking with a baby boomer recently about the difference in work ethics of early Gen Ys to late Gen Ys and how technology may have affected that. I don't have statistics or great article links about this, so it's just one observation. But, you can't deny that the amount of social interaction online that Gen Y's and later have been exposed to will change the way they interact in the work place as well as their thought process to succeed. So the last point in the article might also be valid - ignore everyone and their Facebook image crafting. In professional networking terms - I'd say craft your own image. Put your best foot forward online with LinkedIn, brandyourself, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, everything. Dress your online presence for the job you want, not the job you have. Feeling as down in the dumps as the fictional Lucy from this article? Maybe creating your own image will turn out to be self-fulfilling prophesy.

The struggles for Gen Ys happiness in life and a career start with being self-aware. So, hooray for this viral article to get us all thinking about taking some direction.