A Millennial Survival Guide

Years of higher education could not have prepared anyone enough for this adulting lifestyle. The pain of waking up daily to be told that you’re not working hard enough and that you should be ‘grateful’ for the opportunity can feel insulting. The recently graduated and underpaid individuals, you call millennials, struggle continuously to understand exactly what it is to be an ‘ideal candidate’ Yet, when trying to obtain that title, the workplace has tried to find fault in your work and squander your spirit through overzealous supervision and instilled doubt in your ability to perform. This is not to say that every workplace is horrible, but I think we can all agree that corporations have the ability to stifle even the most creative employee. So how do we navigate through the workplace before losing our minds and positivity?

Take accountability for your actions. Whether it be part time or full time employment, you spend a lot of hours in one place. So wanting to take pride in the work you contribute should be of importance. But let's keep it a buck, we're human and mistakes are inevitable. Just be ready to recognize your shortcomings when it impedes on your performance. Your employers would rather know that you can professionally take control of situations when communicating that something is wrong, and coming up with a plan to fix it. This will highlight your basic problem-solving skills. Assuming the work you do goes through many hands before completion, let's not make it harder for your peers. Documentation is EVERYTHING.Make sure to cover your bases and track everything for your own security. This helps you stay organized and possibly make your job much easier down the line when trying to find conversations and documents that you’ll need to reference in the future. Even if you think it’s not important, document it anyways.

Pick your battles. Not everything deserves a response nor your energy. Protect your peace whenever possible but remember that disrespect is not welcomed. If you feel like there is something or someone who hinders productivity or job duties then find a professional way to approach the situation. Now, if it becomes beyond your comfortability, seek guidance from a third party mediator. Just make sure it's not your homegirl from accounting. Feel empowered!, ask your supervisor for assistance, or reach out to H.R. Again, you spend way too much time dedicating your life and hard work to a company that makes you feel incapable to speak up – use all your resources. Always ask questions. Clarification is necessary, valued, and can really set you apart from your peers. This shows a keen sense of passion and enthusiasm for the subject in regards to your overall success.

Working a 8-5 as a millennial is becoming scarce these days due to growing opportunity in entrepreneurship. So for all the dolls who still work with a more. . . seasoned crowd, use these tips as the starting point to navigate within corporate workspaces. Allow yourself to discover your weaknesses, strengths, and passions so that you can better position yourself to be the best that you could possibly be.