Recession isn't only thing holding millennials back; basic skill sets missing

[NRSKarenRN]

Recession isn't only thing holding millennials back

Pittsburgh Business Times by Jordan Markley, Editorial Intern

Date: Friday, June 29, 2012

..."I'm hearing that a lot of the millennials that are entering into the workforce are struggling with some basic skill sets," she said. "The basics of grammar and writing have been taken over by texting."

She said the millennial generation's penchant for electronic communication has also created a more relaxed, short-form style of communication that doesn't always sit well with older managers.

"Because of the relaxed nature of shortened communication like texting and the casual nature of email, the biggest complaint about millennials today is that they've taken (a) casual demeanor into the work environment instead of graduating to a professional level," Dietrich said....

..."They have to understand their audience. The millennial needs to understand things like wearing a suit and tie, turning off your cellphone, not texting in the lobby while waiting for the interview," Bender said. "Focusing on face-to-face interaction and doing that well will really make them stand out from the crowd."...

[nursel56]

I don't wear suit jackets to interviews because it's often to hot for it but I do take one with me and decide when I get there.

I was flat broke when I went job-hunting so I picked up a few dark colored A-line skirts with a couple of light colored blouses and a tasteful sweater set at the Goodwill. I haven't worn a full suit ever. I don't know what the other applicants were wearing because there was no crowd waiting to be interviewed.

[VICEDRN, BSN, RN]

And in terms of interviews, I'm guessing interviewers have seen similar things where someone is waiting for an interview, doing whatever on their phone but they don't put the phone away as soon as they are called. That is a bad sign and would definitely count again someone. If you keep seeing something like that, then you will of course have a knee-jerk reaction if you see someone on their phone while waiting.

Sad to say that this is my point exactly. If the manager has a lot of baggage that causes her to judge everyone she or he meets negatively based off of previously bad experiences, then I want another manager.

The job is negative enough and the manager is the unit leader. I want someone upbeat, positive and who wants to hear someone out before they leap over tall buildings to silly conclusions.

[HM-8404, BSN, RN]

The job is negative enough and the manager is the unit leader. I want someone upbeat, positive and who wants to hear someone out before they leap over tall buildings to silly conclusions.

You go into a job interview with the attitude that the job is negative? How can you present a positive attitude when you go into the interview with that attitude? Why even apply for a job like that?

When the job market is saturated it is a buyers market. It is not up to HR to convince you this is where you need to work. It is up to the person being interviewed that they are the right person for the job.

Not to mention it is the hiring managers job to judge if the person being interviewed is right for the job. They do this based on their past experiences. What else can they go by?

[leenak]

Sad to say that this is my point exactly. If the manager has a lot of baggage that causes her to judge everyone she or he meets negatively based off of previously bad experiences, then I want another manager.

The job is negative enough and the manager is the unit leader. I want someone upbeat, positive and who wants to hear someone out before they leap over tall buildings to silly conclusions.

And that is your choice but you should also realize that you may not even be interviewed by the manager first. You may be interviewed by an HR person.

For the company I worth with now, my initial interviews were with HR. After HR vetted me and thought I was a good candidate, I didn't even have an interview, I had a discussion with a few managers about their open positions. Now I'm in a different industry but being interviewed by HR seems pretty standard. Basically, HR will set a criteria and if you don't meet that criteria, you may never meet the manager.

[VICEDRN, BSN, RN]

You go into a job interview with the attitude that the job is negative? How can you present a positive attitude when you go into the interview with that attitude? Why even apply for a job like that?

When the job market is saturated it is a buyers market. It is not up to HR to convince you this is where you need to work. It is up to the person being interviewed that they are the right person for the job.

Not to mention it is the hiring managers job to judge if the person being interviewed is right for the job. They do this based on their past experiences. What else can they go by?

I didn't say that I go into a job interview with a negative attitude. Do I look for signs that the hiring manager is judgment, negative minded and not supportive of employees? You are darn right I do.

The "Buyers market" depends on where you are and how much experience you have. I may have had to suck it up as a new grad two plus years ago but I certainly don't have to now.

You are right. It is up to me if I am "right for the job." I assure you, I am not right for a job where the boss pre-judges me based on her one time bad experiences with another person on topics unrelated to job performance. Managers should hire people based on a collective of their previous experiences with people, skill mix on the unit and a variety of other things including personality.

[HM-8404, BSN, RN]

Your first 5 words were..."The job is negative enough." That is pretty much a negative attitude toward the job. If you spot the signs that the hiring manager is judgmental I hope you stop the interview process immediately and walk out with your two years of experience.

[VICEDRN, BSN, RN]

Your first 5 words were..."The job is negative enough." That is pretty much a negative attitude toward the job. If you spot the signs that the hiring manager is judgmental I hope you stop the interview process immediately and walk out with your two years of experience.

Its not the same thing. Sorry. There are sad and stressful things in nursing. I think we can all acknowledge that and admit that being kinder and less judgmental to one another is a good idea in the environment we work in.

I am not some rude impolite nutcase like the ones that would refuse to hire someone they saw "playing" with their phone in the lobby. I wouldn't simply walk out of an interview even if I spotted the signs of the judgmental negative hiring manager. I would keep smiling, give it my best anyway and simply decline the position later on but frankly, in this geographic area, two years in the ER is plenty that I can keep on shopping for a job that doesn't...completely suck because the manager is awful.

[tothepointeLVN, LVN]

The "Buyers market" depends on where you are and how much experience you have. I may have had to suck it up as a new grad two plus years ago but I certainly don't have to now.

Wow wee 2 plus years of experience I bet all the managers are just drooling over so they don't care what you do.

[VICEDRN, BSN, RN]

Wow wee 2 plus years of experience I bet all the managers are just drooling over so they don't care what you do.

Nursing really is full of the nastiest nastiest people, isn't it?

Its going a little far to equate reading on your phone while you wait to "not caring what you do."

And its a little silly to act like 2 years experience isn't enough to pick and choose what job you apply for and are hired for depending on what area in the country you are in. In this area, yes, two years is enough that you can be a bit choosy.

Dichotomy is boring and its dichotomous attitudes like yours that are the first sign that an workplace environment is toxic. One of the things I look for when I am interviewed for a position is the type of dichotomy exemplified in your post.

[tothepointeLVN, LVN]

honey your the one that came on here tooting your own horn. you said i quote.

i am hardworking, experienced er/trauma nurse with excellent job reviews: a fierce patient advocate, assessment skills above my experience level, hardworking, knowledgeable, and professional.

and then we find out your experience is only a year or two above having no experience at all. yes a small amount of experience gives you some choice but it's relative and not enough to pick and choose which managers you want to work with. maybe you live in a small rural area i don't know but i live in the second most populous city in the us and i can tell you that attitude will get you nowhere.

everyone seems to want to able to do what the heck they like. if your going into the interview you need to present yourself in the most respectful way possible that means keeping your phone in your pocket.

[tothepointeLVN, LVN]

Your first 5 words were..."The job is negative enough." That is pretty much a negative attitude toward the job. If you spot the signs that the hiring manager is judgmental I hope you stop the interview process immediately and walk out with your two years of experience.

I'm glad I'm not the only one that didn't think two years was all that special. I'm not that much more experience myself but I'm aware how how little my experience is worth yet.

[VICEDRN, BSN, RN]

honey your the one that came on here tooting your own horn. you said i quote.

and then we find out your experience is only a year or two above having no experience at all. yes a small amount of experience gives you some choice but it's relative and not enough to pick and choose which managers you want to work with. maybe you live in a small rural area i don't know but i live in the second most populous city in the us and i can tell you that attitude will get you nowhere.

everyone seems to want to able to do what the heck they like. if your going into the interview you need to present yourself in the most respectful way possible that means keeping your phone in your pocket. [/left]

i live in the atlanta metro area. if you were an rn with a bsn and two years of experience in er, icu or l&d, its really not that hard to get a job around here. its totally enough to pick and choose and at this point in my life, i am not dumb enough to take a bad job so that i can aggravate myself and end up hating my life because my manager is toxic regardless of the desperation. i don't know if you are an lvn or if you have advanced past that at this point but maybe the market's just a little different for you than it is for me, both geographically and based on different job titles. i was also plain here that i don't "throw off" that attitude regardless of what i think about the hiring manager.

also, you didn't "find out" i had "only a year or two above no experience at all." i clearly stated i have 2.5 years rn experience and you could have seen that off of my profile anyway (or looked at previous posts: i also have 4 years in ems). and you were responding to my opinion about amounts of experince required for a job, not about tooting my own horn as you say. but then...there's that dichotomy again...

i am sorry if that simple logic flies in the face of your own reality but this isn't the second most populous city in the us. its atlanta. getting a job really isn't that hard here depending on the qualifications and background you have.

i started out saying maybe i should keep my phone in my pocket but i also said i think it has nothing to do with being respectful in the waiting room.