Everyone wants to know about millennials. They want to know why we take photos of our food, why our dating culture is in shambles and why we take photos of ourselves. Most importantly, people want to know how to market to us. How to win us over. Because as much as they can call us "narcisstic," "lazy," or "apathetic" (wholeheartedly untrue, I may add) in the end they still want to learn how to win over our minds and most importantly, our wallets.
But I'm hear to tell you that is simply not going to happen.
Let me be clear here: I realize I don't speak for everyone when I say that for millennials, money is not our priority. But I can say with confidence that I speak for most.
You see, we all, millennials and non-millennials, know we are the generation being saddled with college debt. We all know that our degrees are just not what they used to be. We know in order to succeed financially we need to hustle real hard. Listen up everyone, the hustle is here, but we have a different goal in mind.
We want to be fulfilled. We want to be making a difference. We want to be learning, growing and contributing all along the way. We want to be happy.
Yes, a paycheck does matter. Hell yes I want to be making more than my yearly tuition costs! But I'm not looking to go into a field that has the most money; that is secondary. When I say I'm interested in non-profits, when my cousin wants to be a social worker, when my friends say they want to be teachers, we are insulted with the response, "There's no money there."
I just don't quite understand. I mean, huge kudos to those students who are headed towards lucrative fields because their passions align with their profession, but how does that mean they are sucking the well dry for the rest of us? Surely, there has to be some money. How else would hundreds of charities be organized? How else would thousands of cases be handled? How else would millions of children receive their education?
There is money.
It just might not be up to your standards.
And yes, yes, a thousand times yes, I want a big house. I want a nice wedding and an even nicer honeymoon. I want to take my children to Disney and send them off to school. I want all the things that - guess what - you need money for. But are these things worth slaving over for? Are they worth being miserable from nine to five? Surely, my parents and others made sacrifices for their children, and I am not trying to undermine, discredit, or disrespect that. I know I will have to make sacrifices too, but I will try my best to not do so at an outrageous expense of my own happiness, sanity and purpose.
Millennials find value in different things. We find value in ourselves and our work. We want to commit ourselves to something we truly, truly believe in. We want to see more and own less. We buy tiny houses and try to conserve for our planet. There is even a whole comprehensive research project entitled “The Millennial Impact Project” that looks at how millennials interact with causes, and it says we want to change the world.
And if you don't believe me (because you still are stereotyping me as some selfie-stick wielding maniac) maybe you'll take it from the findings of a non-millennial. Chairman and CEO of Gallup, Jim Clifton recently surmised a recent Gallup poll that found six major findings on millennials, how we work and live. It really is quite insightful and I have to agree with all of it. He acknowledges the ways that millennials have, and will continue to, shatter the world.
Shatter on millennials, shatter on.
