10 Myths About Young Professionals That Need To Stop
Young pros are smart and connected. Thanks to IBM, there's plenty more information on millennials in the workplace.
1. They just work to live.
A common misconception about twentysomethings is that their jobs are just jobs to them, and therefore they make unreliable employees. In reality, they're staying put in their early-career jobs longer than Gen Xers did.
2. They're all single.
Although they get married later in their 20s than they used to, the average age men get married is 29, and for women it's 26.6. That means that twentysomethings are often still starting to build their families before their 30s!
3. They don't respect their parents.
In fact, this couldn't be further from the truth. 61% of millennials list their parents as their biggest influence when it comes to views on politics and social issues. Compare that to only 19% for public leaders and 12% for media figures.
4. They're all selfish and don't give back.
87% of employed millennials donated to a nonprofit in 2013. That's a ton!
5. They don't care about work ethic; they just want to be famous.
False! In fact, only 1% of them named "becoming famous" as a priority for themselves.
6. They don't value family.
7. They rarely have insurance, unless they're still on their parents'.
Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, the uninsured rate among 19–25-year-olds fell by 40% by the beginning of 2014.
8. They're not willing to do the work to get ahead.
Definitely not true. Right now, 15% of twentysomethings are in managerial positions, and 60% recognize their current position as a steppingstone to something greater.
9. They only care about salary and don't care about benefits or job security.
Actually, 63% of millennials say that benefits are an important reason to stay with an employer! Many millennials value a stable job.
10. They're not quite ready to really enter the workplace.
Definitely false. In fact, these young pros are the most educated group in history, with 23% having a bachelor's degree or higher.
