Job snobs and silliness

BY DAMIEN STEPHENS

When Ruddy and the Opposition recently dispensed some advice to job-seekers, the PM warned Gen Y to align expectations with the tough times facing the nation.

Turnbull opined that his first proper job loading bananas at the markets was a very useful experience which taught him a lot about life, though I do have to wonder what could possibly be gleaned from a piece of fruit.

But is it fair to suggest most new recruits are fussy, self-absorbed layabouts?

I’m not ashamed to call myself a -˜job snob’. Give me a gig that makes me happy any day. You won’t catch me collecting trolleys at Coles any time soon. I guess my motto’s always been -˜work to live, not live to work’ and according to recent studies, it’s this very mantra new job-seekers are sniffing out.

It’s a bit of a no-brainer that a healthy work/life balance is conducive to career sustainability. If you’re happy at work, you’re apt to be more productive and less likely to -˜burn out’.

And employers have cottoned on, now spending serious dollars to cater to the needs of Generation Next. Just look at the lengths employers of choice like Google are going to -” massages, office pets, hammocks, and break-out rooms to escape the hype and chillax.

Flexibility, friendship and self-management are high on our list of priorities, and key values are trust, loyalty and honesty. The team we belong to and having a good boss are now more sought-after than the work we’re actually doing.

Often well-educated, tech-savvy and resourceful, expectations for personal growth in the workplace are high among most Millennials. Taking time off to travel, for example, used to be a resume red flag, whereas now it’s considered a learning curve.

For most Echo Boomers, the line between work and home doesn’t really exist. It feels perfectly normal these days to check in via BlackBerry all weekend as long as there’s some flexibility during the week, with more and more employees now working remotely.

Having grown up with the net, most of us know how to launch a viable online business. Facebook, for example, began in a college dorm room. Entrepreneurship and the online revolution now serve as safety nets for our professional lives.

And for the generational cynics out there, just remember that old adage -” the butt you kick today could well be the one you have to kiss tomorrow.