There's an interesting debate raging in the current issue of The Strategist (far and away, the best PR trade publication in this blogger's opinion). The subject is millennials and the debate is whether they are slackers or simply an updated version of the average, hard-working American of the past.
Ed Cafasso, a Manning, Selvage & Lee executive, posited the former view, describing them with such well-worn criticisms as 'self-centered,' 'possessing poor writing skills' and 'having a definite sense of entitlement.' He tarnished millennials as doing little more then holding out their hands in expectation of immediate gratification.
Bob Kornecki, who teaches PR at Loyola University Chicago and Northern Illinois, disagreed, blaming indulgent, Baby Boomer parents for any millennial self indulgence, espousing millenials' work-life balance demands as being smart and healthy, and proclaiming them to be more techy-savvy, informed and realistic than their predecessors.
Stop. You're both right. I've met all types of millennials, both in the workplace and on the college lecture circuit. Some can't write. Others do expect the world handed to them on a silver platter (one job seeker, for example, asked me to research which public relations firms she should contact for employment). And, there are more than a few millennials who have no idea of any world history prior to 1990.
On the other hand, there are millennials like Sarah Gatling and Alexa Richards. Both are College of Charleston students. Both volunteered to staff the recent PRSA Counselors Academy Conference. And, both took the time to 'report' on the proceedings on the Counselors' blog.
These two millennials also mailed handwritten notes to me, thanking me for the opportunity to experience the Academy conference and sharing some of their learnings from the event.
Alexa and Sarah are the types of millennials who dispel the conventional wisdom about their generation. They're also the types of millennials who will one day be leading PR firms and departments.
Bottom line: like every generation that preceded them, all millennials are not created equal.
