Sexism or Pack of Professionalism?

[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!