{"id":48075,"date":"2012-05-10T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2012-05-10T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/millennials-and-tech-jobs-a-match-made-in-heaven\/"},"modified":"2012-05-10T09:22:53","modified_gmt":"2012-05-10T09:22:53","slug":"millennials-and-tech-jobs-a-match-made-in-heaven","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/2\/28528\/it-business\/it-careers\/millennials-and-tech-jobs-a-match-made-in-heaven","title":{"rendered":"Millennials and Tech Jobs: A Match Made in Heaven?"},"content":{"rendered":"
Millennials. It’s that group of people born between 1980 and 1995 (give or take), and the first truly tech-savvy generation. They grew up with computers in their homes and classrooms and had cellphone before they finished puberty. Generally, they’re seen as technophiles – especially by their boomer parents. But this generation is also believed to be driving the shift toward radical ideas and new ways of doing things, especially in tech startups, where there are few clear rules besides the one that says leave old-school business at the door. (Uncover some of the background that allowed the millennials to become so connected in A History of the Internet<\/a>.)<\/p>\n A 2010 Pew Research Center study provides a complete profile of the millennial generation:<\/p>\n \n Pew researchers also found that millennials:<\/p>\n \nMedia culture expert Jenny Braudaway writes that millennials are more likely to care for influence rather than affluence. That means that they would rather become a superstar blogger<\/a> with thousands of followers or a YouTube sensation with a million video views than be a highly paid doctor or lawyer. What\u2019s more, millennials also love creating content. They blog about their thoughts and feelings, and they rant or rave about products and services. The Pew study also noted that this generation’s affinity for technology is not just limited to their gadgets, but the way they have fused their social lives with their gadgets. (Learn more about social media in Jedi Strategies for Social Media Management<\/a>.)<\/p>\n What does this add up to? A group of people who are inspired, engaged and very connected. <\/p>\n As it turns out, the millennials’ strengths make them a great fit for startups – whether they’re working for one or starting one themselves. A tech startup needs talented, tech savvy workers that can relate to an up-and-coming generation of new digital users. More than their skills, it’s millennials attitudes that set them apart.<\/p>\n Because millennials are often open to working for less money, cash-strapped startups don’t necessarily need to dangle cash as an incentive to get top talent. Engaging work can be a recruiting tool in and of itself.<\/p>\n Millennials also want more flexibility and freedom in their jobs and workplaces. In Cisco’s Connected World Technology Report<\/a>, millennials said that they would would be more likely to choose a company that allowed them to work remotely or have a flexible work schedule. Staying connected shouldn’t be a problem: Most said they’d rather lose their wallets than their smartphones. That may also explain why Cisco found that more than half of those they interviewed would shun – or find ways to circumvent – companies that prohibit access to social media sites. <\/p>\n A fleet of workers that would rather not have office space and knows how to work some of the most important online business channels? For startups, this sounds like a match made in heaven.<\/p>\n Even if millennial workers are not charged with manning a company or buying its products, companies can often rely on them for one more thing: Getting the word out about their products or services. Just give them something they can rave about, and they’ll spread the message on Twitter, Facebook, blogs – and beyond. There’s no need for big fat marketing budgets. This group is best found where they hang out: online.<\/p>\n Most millennials believe new technology makes life easier, and because many faced a recession upon hitting the workforce, they may have a different perspective on career and work. It’s this group that’s stepping up and launching many of the recently successful tech startups, or they’re working at throwing out the old way of doing business in favor of using tech to complete business tasks. And whether they’re working in a startup, a large company or on their own, they’ve had a hand in major trends, ranging from bring your own technology<\/a> (BYOT) to social media marketing<\/a>. The millennials may be over-hyped, but despite all the buzz, it isn’t just lip service: This generation has different attitudes, beliefs and skills than those that came before. Millennials. It’s that group of people born between 1980 and 1995 (give or take), and the first truly tech-savvy generation. They grew up with computers in their homes and classrooms and had cellphone before they finished puberty. Generally, they’re seen as technophiles – especially by their boomer parents. But this generation is also believed to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7475,"featured_media":48076,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[561,607,577],"tags":[],"category_partsoff":[],"class_list":["post-48075","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-it-business-alignment","category-career-paths","category-it-careers"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWho are the Millennials?<\/span><\/h2>\n
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Millennials and Tech Startups<\/span><\/h2>\n
Getting the Word Out<\/span><\/h2>\n
Talking About this Generation<\/span><\/h2>\n
\n <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"