Why employers say millennials can’t get a job

KCRA-TV ^ | February 10, 2014 | Claire Doan

[2ndDivisionVet]

A class that teaches you how to eat or even the basic social skills to get a job – is it really necessary?

Some companies think so, particularly for the generation of twenty-somethings and younger dubbed millennials.

While they are undoubtedly social-media savvy, living their lives online in 140 characters or fewer, many of the younger potential workers lack very basic skills because of it, according to some employers.

“Writing skills -- people don’t write as much as they used to. They’re texting, so they forget to write in complete sentences and articulate their written skills professionally,” said Jeff Dunn, an Intel campus relations manager.

Even if a cover letter scores the millennial an interview, many still flunk their face-to-face meetings because they aren’t being professional, according to the HR Policy Association.

According to many hiring managers, a small number of millennials during an interview use slang or overly casual language, respond to a text message, pick up a phone call, or even have their parents or pets accompany them.

“Everything about you shows. If your email address is screwloose dot com or tequilagirl, that shows (you’re) unprofessional,” said Gina Snyder, a business etiquette trainer.

The need for professionalism at all times is why Sacramento State students attended an event at the college recently, to learn proper dining etiquette from Snyder.

“What should I order? What knife should I use? Where do my solids go? Where do my liquids go? That’s something I’m interested in learning,” student Melissa Aguirre said.

Employers are also calling the attitudes of younger people alarming.

In a recent annual survey by the Center for Professional Excellence, many of the 400 human resources executives surveyed said young employees often appear arrogant in interviews and appear at the office with a sense of entitlement.

“Recruiters want to know: Are you ready to cross the line? Are you ready to cross the line to become a professional, to step into my company?” Snyder said.

More than half the employers surveyed also said millennials are spending too much time on social networks such as Facebook and Twitter.

[Lumper20]

Perhaps families rarely have formal sit down meals any more?
My family ate breakfast and dinner ever day together from 1945- 1963 plus all meals Sat and Sunday, except during Korea and my fathers first tour in RVN as an advisor. We always were expected to use proper table manners plus Sundays and holidays were times for those special forks, glasses, plates, etc. My sister and I had best know how Irma set the table or get the cook book out and set the table.

[Tax-chick]

Perhaps families rarely have formal sit down meals any more?

My kids complain that they have to come in for supper, while their friends don't. More than once I've asked, "Don't these people eat supper?" Maybe not.

[octex]

700+ welding jobs in TX right now.
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Fantastic! Thank you so much for the url! I’ll be sending that to my grandson! ...You’re appreciated

[superfries]

glad I could help

[IDontLikeToPayTaxes]

How bout a link to jobs like this.

Job listings in newspapers, monster.com, and just my and my friends' personal experiences over the past few decades in the job market.

[IDontLikeToPayTaxes]

The premises you posted are ridiculous, like with the MBA thing and $9/hour.

My premise is accurate and reflects the reality of job hunting/employment in America for at least the last 10 years. There are people out there with MBAs and years of experience that are sweeping floors and serving coffee.

My brother is an example. MBA and CPA. Many years of professional experience. After about 10 years of absolutely busting his ass and never making more than $50K a year and no luck finding a better paying job within 1000 miles, he said "screw it" and became a government contractor.

Now he has a cake job as an intel analyst for a government contractor and makes almost double what he made as a highly educated accountant working 12 hours a day 6 days a week.

My employment experiences are very similar. I finally decided "to heck with this" and went back into the Army. I now have a 6 figure income and work 40 hours a week, 30 days vacation, every federal holiday (I have a 4 day weekend this weekend, actually), all the healthcare anybody could want, and retirement in 8 more years. Yes, I have deployed to Afghanistan a few times, but that's a minor tradeoff.

The private sector economy has been jacked up for years; it wasn't that great even before Obama.

Real wages have been stagnant for decades.

[thirst4truth]

A little late to answer, one child went into the Navy right out of high school, served on a boomer as a cook and now works at the local VA hospital as a cook.

Daughter did finish college in 4 years, worked in Alaska her first summer of college and worked part time and did paid and unpaid internships all four years.

The entrepreneur in the family, the youngest went three years to college, working summers only and quit to start his chimney sweep business and he is good at it. He is so smart but choose to work with his hands in manual labor, but its his own company so that is super challenging for him.