Sexism or Pack of Professionalism?

[Sciencewoman]

I'd probably cut her a bit of slack on the outfit (but the large run would indicate sloppiness/lack of attention to detail), due to her age. Honestly, some actives' chapter meeting outfits look like get ups we would have worn to a certain theme party back in the day, and they don't see it. This skirt was better than the tight tube skirts and stacked pumps you see. This is why our Sorority gives explicit guidelines for dress at Convention.

Her attitude is indicative of the Millenials...they have a lot of confidence that they will change the world, they dislike the authority held by older generations, they expect instant success, etc. So she hits FB with a profanity-laced tirade instead of waiting a day, cooling down, and thinking about the advice they gave her...brutal, but honest. She's shot herself in the foot, because now anytime a prospective employer Googles her name, this will pop up and any company is going to be very nervous about her lack of discretion, her attitude, and her reaction to constructive criticism.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally Posted by Sciencewoman

I'd probably cut her a bit of slack on the outfit (but the large run would indicate sloppiness/lack of attention to detail), due to her age. Honestly, some actives' chapter meeting outfits look like get ups we would have worn to a certain theme party back in the day, and they don't see it. This skirt was better than the tight tube skirts and stacked pumps you see. This is why our Sorority gives explicit guidelines for dress at Convention.

There's also a class element to this. I don't know about this specific situation, but in general, students who are first-generation college attendees don't have the level of guidance some of us did. Of course, career centers and the like have resources, but it's not the same as coming from a white-collar family.

[Sciencewoman]

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby

There's also a class element to this. I don't know about this specific situation, but in general, students who are first-generation college attendees don't have the level of guidance some of us did. Of course, career centers and the like have resources, but it's not the same as coming from a white-collar family.

Agreed. My university and my daughter's offer Etiquette Dinners, and mine even offers "Surviving a Golf Outing." Some of the difficulty is that students have to be open to this information, which many are. Someone who carries an attitude of "I look good already, I'm not conforming to the expectations of Big Business! They can conform to me!" is probably not going to be the first one to line up for these kinds of seminars.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby

There's also a class element to this. I don't know about this specific situation, but in general, students who are first-generation college attendees don't have the level of guidance some of us did. Of course, career centers and the like have resources, but it's not the same as coming from a white-collar family.

Oh, hellz no.

I was a first gen college student too, as were many of my classmates, and we all knew that you didn't go to an interview in a jersey knit dress with a sloppy sweater over it - even if it was for a job where you'd be wearing jeans every day. Don't college women read Glamour anymore? They always talked about this stuff.

[Munchkin03]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Oh, hellz no.

I was a first gen college student too, as were many of my classmates, and we all knew that you didn't go to an interview in a jersey knit dress with a sloppy sweater over it - even if it was for a job where you'd be wearing jeans every day. Don't college women read Glamour anymore? They always talked about this stuff.

EXACTLY. There's little to no class element to this, only an entitled special snowflake element. First-generation college students weren't raised in a barn--and they're not always working class or poor, either.

Also, can we please stop acting like Millenials are the source of all problems in this world? It's tired, trite, and incorrect. The issue is generational--the same complaints Boomers are making about Millenials, the Greatest Generation was making about Baby Boomers. People in their early 20s tend to be narcissistic. The Millenials aren't the first, nor are they the last, narcissistic group of adolescents and young adults.

One major thing that has changed is the level of formality expected in some job fields, even at the interview process. My partner interviewed for a position at one of the nation's top companies--a place that's notoriously laid-back and informal. He was told specifically by the company's recruiter NOT to wear a suit and tie. That's rare, however, and reflects the fact that this company is in a very laid-back area of the country, and tends to hire people with 20 years of experience, and not just kids out of college. Even if this was the case, she seriously misfired. Hopefully she's learned her lesson, fit of pique aside.

ETA: I read this pretty quickly and overlooked the fact that she went to Oberlin. This all makes sense now.

[Sciencewoman]

Originally Posted by Munchkin03

Also, can we please stop acting like Millenials are the source of all problems in this world? It's tired, trite, and incorrect. The issue is generational--the same complaints Boomers are making about Millenials, the Greatest Generation was making about Baby Boomers. People in their early 20s tend to be narcissistic. The Millenials aren't the first, nor are they the last, narcissistic group of adolescents and young adults

No generation is good or bad, but there are particular characteristics. One of the characteristics noted in Millenials is a confidence that they can change the world. Their parents tended to have children later, hovered over them more, and protected them from failure. I've participated in several "working with Milennials" workshops, for professors and one sponsored by Gamma Phi, and some of her comments struck me as spot-on stereotypical of how Millenials have been characterized by those who study generational commonalities. What she views as confidence, we view as "attitude."

[Munchkin03]

Originally Posted by Sciencewoman

No generation is good or bad, but there are particular characteristics. One of the characteristics noted in Millenials is a confidence that they can change the world. Their parents tended to have children later, hovered over them more, and protected them from failure. I've participated in several "working with Milennials" workshops, for professors and one sponsored by Gamma Phi, and some of her comments struck me as spot-on stereotypical of how Millenials have been characterized by those who study generational commonalities. What she views as confidence, we view as "attitude."

Yes, you're correct that there are particular characteristics of today's generation of adolescents and young adults. I believe David Brooks calls it "concerted cultivation," where a lot of energy is spent on children by adults. It will pose challenges as they continue to work with older people--but nothing so earth-shattering as the articles, seminars, and workshops that make money off this so-called divide would have you believe.

So in other words--yes, there is a generation gap. But this young woman is just an entitled brat who went to a college where everyone is a special snowflake!