Are new college and marketing grads ready for the ‘real world’?
I’m in the PR world and we use a lot of interns. For the most part, my experience has been a bit strange since I started Wax Marketing. At first, I thought maybe I had lost my touch…I used to manage a fairly large number of people and was known for spotting the best and brightest of the entry-level candidates. Maybe communications majors were just, well not as bright? (Sorry, I come from the technology industry. They think everyone is dumber, no offense!) Maybe I should have hired on more individuals with a marketing degree background. Or maybe I’d lost some of my interviewing skills? Whatever it was, I was going through interns and new hires faster than cherry pie at a pie-eating contest.
I started to realize a few things had changed. For example, a pro bike race I worked on had a kids’ fun race. The race promoter insisted that everyone get a medal…a practice I had never heard of. A job candidate’s father accompanied him to his interview. Again, this blew me away. However, not as much as the intern who could not stop emailing her mother…127 emails in two days to be exact. Or the intern who locked herself in the office for two hours because I told her that her work had to be re-done. Worse of all probably, I had a client who was late to an incredibly important meeting because her son wasn’t happy with what he was wearing to school that day. He was 15 at the time.
These occurrences and others like them have happened on a regular basis lately, and it helped me realize…maybe it’s not just about me. There is something going on with the education system and with parents that has changed in the last ten years. I found Dr. Jean Twenge’s book Generation Me and others like it that explained our society’s determination to help kids know they’re truly “special” has turned them into a group ill-prepared to take on the competitiveness and, I have to say, at times unfair culture, of business today.
Think what you might of publicists but I have to really dig the subject matter of something I’m pitching or it never works. And after my experiences – which played a huge part in me using only contractors, no interns and no employees in my business now – I was really excited to get a new book project from Tim Elmore Generation iY: Our Last Chance to Save Their Future
College doesn’t seem to be helping create that ‘new adult’ either. Most of my friends who are parents are heavily involved in their kids’ college lives, from filling out their college applications to picking their classes each quarter. Instead of creating the emotional separation for their children, they’re simply continuing to direct rather than guide on a long distance basis. in 2007, Valerie Strauss of the AnswerSheet at Washingtonpost.com says, “Student-parent contact is almost constant, and parents are very present in the life of their kids, often pitching in to solve problems without a real understanding of college life today.” Again, if parents are solving problems when does the kid learn how to deal with problems in the ‘real world’? I learn much more from my mistakes than my successes.
Please don’t think I haven’t had some real superstars working for me in the past few years, because that’s not the case. In fact, a young college grad and daughter of a business associate contacted me recently…she was lightning fast at emailing me (I’ve stopped setting things up through the parents. If they want an informational interview they have to contact me directly.) She called and followed up with the contacts I gave her immediately and guess what, she probably got a job out of it.
Of course I’m generalizing based on a small sample…but experts like Twenge, Elmore and Mark Bauerlein, author of The Dumbest Generation
We can’t all win. We can’t all be special and sometimes, a job is just a way to pay the bills, not find your true meaning in life. And that’s just life – no parent can protect their kid from ultimately finding these kinds of things out. Not knowing is hurting them more than the truth.
More about Dr. Tim Elmore and Generation iY at www.savetheirfuturenow.com More about Dr. Jean Twenge at www.jeantwenge.com
Please join our fellow bloggers below and read their take. And don’t forget we all love a good comment if you the time:
| Paul Anater | @paul_anater | kitchenandresidentialdesign.com |
| Rufus Dogg | @dogwalkblog | DogWalkBlog |
| Becky Shankle | @ecomod | eco-modernism.com |
| Bob Borson | @bobborson | lifeofanarchitect.com |
| Veronkia Miller | @modenus | modenus.com |
| Tim Elmore | @TimElmore | growingleaders.com |
| Nick Lovelady | @cupboards | cupboardsonline.com |
| Tamara Dalton | @tammyjdalton | tamaradalton.net |
| Sean Lintow, Sr. | @SLSconstruction | sls-construction.com |
Tags: Bonnie Harris, college grads, communications majors, generation iY, jean twenge, lets blog off, Marketing, parenting styles, Public Relations
August 24th, 2010 at 6:07 am
“College doesn’t seem to be helping create that ‘new adult’ either” …it’s not about the college, it’s all about the individual.. can’t blame anyone but individual.Each individual has to know exactly what he/she expects to do in life, an take actions at a certain moments in life, in so order, that they will have the best influence overt their life in the future.
August 24th, 2010 at 6:57 am
When I was in college, my parents were lucky to hear form me once a semester. Kids definitely rely on their parents way too much these days to fix problems that come along, or possibly even grades. And I think this idea of everyone is a winner is not helping either. Kids need a reality check at some point.
August 24th, 2010 at 7:02 am
Josh I agree. Its really hard for them when they get a boss and have to learn through constructive criticism. They either crumble or get mad. (Again thats not all of them just a subset)
August 24th, 2010 at 7:14 am
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August 24th, 2010 at 7:31 am
That’s a great, insightful post, Bonnie. I’ve observed some of the situations you’ve described, even in my own family, as there is a 15 year span between my sister and I. When I was in college (in the late 80′s-early 90′s)there was no such thing as personal cell phones. I knew it took approximately 8 days of me not calling home for my mother to start calling hospitals & the highway patrol, but I liked to push it, because I wanted to be untethered. My sister & my mother do not have that kind of distance between them, and I think both would benefit from a little less “connection.” Sometimes I think all this connective technology we’ve created for ourselves has backfired a bit in unforeseen ways.
August 24th, 2010 at 7:58 am
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August 24th, 2010 at 8:12 am
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August 24th, 2010 at 8:13 am
That’s a really interesting perspective with the big difference in ages.
August 24th, 2010 at 8:38 am
OHHHH, you must read my post about same….I sooo agree and could list so many similiar examples! I had a parent yesterday come in ( who happens to be one of my closest friends too) to tell her daugher, my new hire, something about her tailoring! COME ON. We are a really really busy shop and have to be focused! It is just the same as enabling your kids through college…my teens get up in the morning, get breakfast, pack lunch, remember their belongings and get to school at 7. No help here…heck I am just rolling out of bed! perks of teens driving! But I have friends who do it “all” for their kids and this amazes me. GREAT post!~~~Cheryl
August 24th, 2010 at 8:41 am
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August 24th, 2010 at 9:49 am
If my kids emailed me 127 time in any one calendar day, I’d be filling up a tube sock with wood screws (not really for all you child protectionists out there reading this. Besides, they are both adults so it’s just simple assault.) I’m lucky to hear from my kids once a week and that is ok with all of us. They have their lives and sometimes it involves me and sometimes it doesn’t. That is part of the parent deal you signed up for or could you not see 18 years down the road?
The sad sorry fact is I don’t think many parents could and they grew up as their kids grew. They could not see themselves out of the role of not being a “mommy” or a “daddy” and they took pains to engineer themselves into their kids lives. It will be interesting to see what happens to all these “mommyblogger” brands whose entire focus and purpose of their blog is their kids. While Bart Simpson will always be 10 years-old, their kids will not. http://www.dogwalkblog.com/bart-simpson-will-always-be-10-years-old.html
College has gotten firmly into the food and housing business and pushed away from the education business. It does them no good to educate students to think for themselves as it removes that level of dependance from them. Most colleges now REQUIRE freshmen and sophomores to room in the dorms, not only to fill up dorm space, but also “contain” the kids and “protect” them from things that I hear rumors about that goes on at college. Sadly, parents just pay and it feeds their needs for control as well.
Ah, well. Looking forward to reading Tim’s book!
August 24th, 2010 at 10:09 am
This is absolutely a great post. I’ve seen this in my business also and have wondered if it was just me or what. The parents are afraid to let their children fail, when it’s really a part of success. If you look at our government todya that is exactly the message they are sending to everyone, don’t let anything fail it’s too big. This is good stuff to discuss.
August 24th, 2010 at 11:28 am
I think you’re right…I also know, after having been raised by parents who rarely allowed us to be “wimps” that there’s a happy medium somewhere in there between acknowledging feelings, and not enabling them. But it does make many of us raised by parents who grew up during the depression-era WWII , not so sympathetic to this generation’s plight. But I’ll leave that discussion to the therapists!
August 24th, 2010 at 2:12 pm
Wow, those are some horror stories. I know so many recent college graduates that are still living with their parents and depend on them to keep them going, but at the same time they demand independence. I’ve never seen the sort of behavior come out in the office, but we have very few interns, and most are from business programs (fostering entrepreneurial spirit). I can’t imagine someone pitching a fit and locking themselves in the office. It would be hilarious if it wasn’t a business.
August 24th, 2010 at 6:17 pm
Now I remember why I don’t hire people anymore. Those sound a lot like the experiences that I’ve had during my time evaluating college CS degree holders. If that’s what is following us, we’re in for a very rough ride when these kids lose their puppetmasters, I mean parents.
August 24th, 2010 at 6:29 pm
I don’t hire people either, I use contractors that are mainly moms. They treat me like they treat their kids, which for me works well as I can be quite distracted sometimes!
August 24th, 2010 at 8:55 pm
I have been away from home ever since 17 years old and I am so glad that my parents send me away, I have been to the roughest time and happiest time in my life, all by myself. And looking back, comparing myself to my friends back in my hometown, where they have been overly protected by their parents throughout their lives, they act like baby to me, and are still living in a fairy tale(though some of them have already been working full time for a year).
They just whine about everything, and will be emotionally affected with the tiniest thing on the planet.
I thought I was the weird one, apparently these people really needs some reality check.
I’m 22 and is about to be graduating from masters in australia.
August 25th, 2010 at 12:38 pm
Bonnie: You made me laugh and groan about these dysfunctional people, both kids and parents. Terrible, silly, sad stories. Clearly, folks are growing up slower than we used to. Think about the difference between being raised on a farm (nope, not me, I’m pure city; just saying hypothetically) versus growing up in the Wii world. Huge change, the distraction level is deafening. Might actually slow emotional growth b/c there’s more to absorb with constant distractions, yes? It’s not an excuse, just a new reality. Now employers – and colleges no doubt — are seeing the change and have to figure out a way to adjust or risk losing an generation of future workers. Just imagine the social burden of an extra decade of youth dependency. Whats the solution?
Do you suppose in ten years the 20 somethings will overcome this dependency? They have the excuse of youth. But their parents, lawdy, they need to get a life! thanks for your thoughtful post, great variety of opinions in the blog off. Cindy @urbanverse
August 25th, 2010 at 1:08 pm
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August 25th, 2010 at 2:04 pm
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August 25th, 2010 at 8:19 pm
I think it’s a combination of parenting styles, the education system, and the general idea that it’s completely okay for new grads not to be able to stand on their own two feet (for years after). 50% of students move back home after they’re finished university and STAY THERE..that in alone says something huge. I was out of my parents’ house at 17. At any point, if I had tried to come back (which I wouldn’t have, being as determined as they were to see me succeed)it just wouldn’t have happened. Sure, maybe for a week or two until I found an apartment and a job, perhaps, but that would have been the limit.
I think it comes down to a combination of the support they’re being provided – parents that don’t push them to get lives and take care of themselves and the person they are. Unfortunately, I think there are a lot of people who need to be pushed to succeed, and if they’re not, they’re happy to coast. Those are the 50% still living with their parents while pushing 30. The other 50% either have the determination to make something of themselves, or life circumstances have said they had to.
I’m a little disappointed I missed out on participating in this!
August 26th, 2010 at 2:13 am
interesting post.
in my opinion the system of college doesn’t work as it should
August 26th, 2010 at 11:35 pm
Interesting views, although you fail to recognize both sides of the issue and also use personal experiences as examples, weakening your argument as it became more emotional and less factual. Internships are a joke and everyone in University knows that, it is a political move to force students into jobs that for the most part pay poorly and lead no where. Not all students care about the company, why should they? You underpay interns, get them to do work they didn’t sign up for and again, most don’t even remotely care about your company. It’s not the education system as there are many high quality universities, it’s the perception towards internships that have changed and that’s why problems come up.
August 27th, 2010 at 8:31 am
In marketing and PR, internships are a critical part of a career and most companies won’t hire an entry level person without one. I know that some interns are forced to do grunt work but for the most part, they are learning the business from the ground up and performing valuable tasks. I think if anyone doesn’t care about the work they’re doing or the entity they’re doing it for, it’s about that person, not about the person or company who is employing them. And again, your points about “not even remotely caring” proves many of the points about this being a more narcissistic generation than in previous years.
August 28th, 2010 at 2:20 am
Nowadays there are lots of college grads still lots of companies find it hard to hire the best because it seems that fresh graduates are not yet equipped with knowledge about the real world and the nature of the work. It is evident that fresh graduates who are not open to constructive criticisms are jumping from one job to another. It is really important that tertiary education students should learn how to act in the real world not just through academics the most important thing is that they are trained through experience.
August 29th, 2010 at 4:57 am
Every since the Federal guhment took over education a few decades ago, the entire educational complex has slowly trickled down dumber.
The government gets what the government pays for, they get what they want, a dumber citizenry.
August 30th, 2010 at 9:45 am
What college graduates often forget is that work experience makes you more marketable as a job candidate; it also gives you the opportunity to gain greater understanding about your chosen field. So when you’re in school, you need to be finding relevant experience! You will be able to find out in advance about many of the positives and negatives. Then you can truly enter your field with your eyes wide open. Or step back early from what might have been a major career mistake. Employers are not only looking for experience, but the right experience.
September 1st, 2010 at 1:40 pm
I am a recent college grad and in my opinion college did prepare me for the real world. I always thought of college as more than just going to class. It is a place to find out who you are and meet new people. These skills have definitely helped me in the real world.
September 30th, 2010 at 8:27 am
There are plenty of talented young individuals in the workforce today – in fact, they are easier to find because they stand out when compared to their weaker cohorts. Attracting young talent with proper incentives and motivation is the key.
November 4th, 2010 at 8:35 am
Very Insightful post. I think there are a lot of talented graduates out there who will make a perfect employee from the start but there are also many who don’t really know what they want to do in life yet. It takes internships and experience to get them there.
September 29th, 2011 at 1:35 pm
I find the whole system funny. You spend preschool preparing for elementary school, in which you prepare for high school. Junior high also prepares you for high school, which in turn prepares you for college. You think college will prepare you for the real world, but the trend is that once you get out there, you start realizing how much un-learning you have to do.