8. find the perfect job
I’ve talked about things to consider when you’re choosing an overall career direction—what you love, what you prefer, the place where you’re likely to find those, and the practical realities of what you are prepared to take on in time and money. Now you have another set of choices. Now, let’s find your perfect job!1
When you select a specific job, you are committing to four things:
- ✓ The location where you will live
- ✓ The company you will be associated with—its practices, policies, and reputation
- ✓ The colleagues you will work with day-to-day, particularly your boss
- ✓ The actual assignment you will be performing
Let’s begin the search.
location, location, location: choosing where you live
Three out of four Americans under the age of twenty-eight say that a cool community is more important than a good job. Two-thirds of college-educated twenty-five- to thirty-four-year-olds say they will first decide where to live and then will look for work. In the United Kingdom, job seekers aren’t after the positions that will net them the most money. Instead, their top priority is location (47 percent).2
From your perspective, what makes for a great location? Here are some of the types of things that many Y’s say are important.
- ✓ Porosity: Is it possible to “get in” to the community?
Some places are much more receptive to newcomers than others. Is the community you are considering run by the same few people who have always run it? Are they looking for new blood, or do they like it the way it is? Chances are you don’t want to live in a place where, after nearly ten years, people still consider you new to town!
- ✓ Public spaces: Are there places and spaces for social interactions—areas where you can be out and about, such as coffeehouses, streets that are friendly for walking, and parks? Is the quality of life in these spaces high—are they clean, attractive, safe, and green? Where do the people of the community spend their time when not at work? If the answer is “almost always in their homes,” it will be hard to feel connected to the community. Starbucks has used the phrase “third place” to describe the increasingly important space that is neither home nor work where people can meet and hang out.
- ✓ Professional: Will it be possible to meet your ongoing professional and economic aspirations in this city? Are there growth opportunities, multiple employers, places for learning?
- ✓ People: What are the chances that you will come in contact with people you enjoy being with in this community ? How easy will it be to make connections? Are the people interesting and diverse? How close is this place to your family?
For many Y’s, the last criterion—being close to family—trumps all other location considerations.
By the way, the importance of location to Y’s has not been lost on potential employers or communities. You represent a popular target for city planners; individuals between the ages of twenty-five and thirty-four are considered the dream demographic of a fast-growing economy.
finding the right company
Finding a company you feel good about is an essential step. Even if you’re on a career path that you love, the company you’re with can make or break the entire deal. Even with the best assignments and terrific colleagues, you won’t have a great job if the company’s policies and practices get in the way.
The reasons given by young employees for preferring one company over another run a wide gamut. Culture, learning opportunities, team-based work environments, fancy amenities, and time off are only some of the reasons that companies have made it to lists of top employers.
Later in this chapter I discuss the nature of assignments given to new employees. For now, let’s turn to some of the other features you’ll want to consider.
learning opportunities
Strong learning environments are one of the major reasons that companies are listed among the “Best Places to Launch a Career” in BusinessWeek’s annual survey of career counselors, employers, and Gen Y’s.3 One of your most important objectives in assessing new work opportunities should be to discover whether the organization is committed to building your knowledge, expertise, and reputation. Look for companies that offer strong leadership programs, respected in-house training capabilities, and significant financial commitments to development. After you’ve asked whether there is an investment in learning, check out the type of learning. Look for clear evidence of the following.
- ✓ On-the-job learning experiences: Look at whether other recent hires are doing work they find challenging and whether other workers freely share what they know.
- ✓ Executives who create a “gift culture”: Ask your interviewers to talk about the executives’ involvement in informal mentoring. Is it the norm that leaders provide lots of feedback, career advice, and frequent coaching?4
- ✓ Formal development programs: These include a variety of learning approaches (classroom, online, coaching, mentoring), all clearly communicated and easily accessible.
culture
The term corporate culture covers a broad range of characteristics and can be one of the hardest aspects of a job for you to gauge going in—and one of the most demoralizing
- –The company invests in people and makes an effort to provide opportunities for new roles ... This sends the message that people are of value. if you find yourself in a corporate culture you really don’t like. There are a lot of positives that may initially catch your eye.
- ✓ A sense of creativity: For example, Disney is known for an unabashed sense of creativity, optimism, and decency; Google, for the policy of letting all employees devote one day a week to developing new ideas.
- ✓ A spirit of collaboration and commitment to team players: For example, the extensive interview process at Goldman Sachs is designed largely to judge candidates’ potential fit with the existing team.
- ✓ Special amenities: Abbott Laboratories offers on-site fitness centers and a “sports and activities” program. Google provides free gourmet lunches and on-site massages.
Even with these kinds of eye-catching extras, frustration with basic work practices is among the greatest complaints of Y’s after they’ve spent a year or two in the corporate world. For many Y’s already in the workplace, the cultural issues they wish they’d probed more closely before joining their current firms
- –In general, things move way too slowly.
- –I didn’t see how bureaucratic it is. Our generation wants to do it now—not, “Can you approve this?” are ones related to how work actually gets done—the availability and use of current technology, the rigidity of the hierarchy, the way individuals are expected to spend their time, and, in general, what might be termed “bureaucracy.” Red tape is a major barrier to Y’s constant desire for speed in getting work done and decisions made, and it’s a key determinant of whether or not they enjoy the culture.
To avoid getting stuck in a slow-moving culture, ask questions and observe clues such as the ones I discuss next.
APPROVALS PROCESSES. Ask questions like, “What would the process be like to get one of my recommendations implemented ?” Ask your interviewers to walk you through specific examples of the decisions you will need to have made to get your work done and how that is likely to occur. Understanding the number of people involved and the nature of the process will give you more insight than just asking whether the culture is bureaucratic.
- –Gen X is really big on meetings—while I could have had a fifteenminute call with my group. Instead I come out of a long meeting and feel burned out ... and still have to do my job!
- –We don’t need all the meetings. Just give us the information!
MEETINGS. Ask people how much time they’ve spent in meetings and for what purposes. Are the meetings just “show-and-tell,” or are they working sessions, full of engaged discussion and opportunity for collaboration?
TECHNOLOGY. Most of you have high expectations for the technology you will use at work, but, because many companies are not as up to speed as you are, you may find old technology getting in the way of speed and effectiveness. Ask about the types of technology that will be available to you and about how technology is leveraged in the business. Watch how older colleagues are using technology. It can be frustrating to some of you if other employees are not comfortable using the technologies you’re adept at.
If you find a mismatch, consider that it may not be a dealkiller. You may be able to influence change. In fact, maybe you’re being recruited specifically to bring new perspectives, so don’t necessarily be discouraged by what you find. But do ask (polite) questions about the company’s openness to trying new approaches. One that is supportive of your initiatives in this area will give you room to grow (and grow the culture, too).
- –I got my own software through IT. I’m the only person in the unit who is using the software. Everyone is reaping the benefits of what I’ve learned and the reports I can run.
If your position will involve working remotely, inquire about the technology support you’ll have. Y’s are three times as likely as others to work off-site and, as a result, depend on technology for the necessary connections.5
COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION SHARING. Depending on the nature of the work you’ll be doing, you may need to access information from multiple sources. Ask whether the workplace uses collaborative tools, such as wikis, blogs, and social networking sites. Be alert to any restrictions or policies that the company may have that would prevent you from working in ways that you may be assuming will be possible.
practices related to time
Understanding the company’s practices related to time management is another important element of whether a company ultimately works for you.
Some of the policies will be readily apparent and undoubtedly carefully explained during the interview process. For example, policies related to flex-time and place are becoming increasingly common. Vacation policy can vary widely and is something you’re likely to hear about during the recruiting process. Take time to understand all of these: what is possible and when each option will be available to you (if it’s not at the time of hire).
- –Gen Y wants more of a work–life balance . . . Maybe we’re just more efficient.
- –Be more flexible with timing—if I work late one day, why can’t I leave earlier the next day? I need some time for life.
And then there’s the more straightforward issue of how many hours you are expected to put in. Be sure to ask questions to help you understand these important, and often unspoken, norms.
Think about time one other way: a great work environment will allow you to match the hours spent to those actually required to get the task done. The organization will recognize efficiency, measuring you on the tasks you do and not the hours you spend.
- –We are all working more than we want to.
- –Worst thing is the number of hours—sixty on average.
Not long ago, I spoke with the chief financial officer of a major New York–based corporation. Clearly frustrated, he explained that everyone in his department worked sixty or more hours a week. They always had, and, as far as he was concerned, they always would. But he was having no luck finding young employees willing to accept this schedule. “Everyone says that they’re willing to work thirty-five hours a week, maybe forty in a pinch,” he complained. “I need you to come in and talk to them.”
“Well, I could do that,” I responded, “but first, let me talk with you . . .”
I explained to the CFO that the Y’s he was trying to recruit were probably amazed that older workers require so much time to get their work done. In general, Y’s are happy to do the task required but are sure it would take a lot less than sixty hours if all or most of the nonessential face-to-face interactions were eliminated.
- –With so much technology, I feel like I should be able to work how I want, as long as I’m getting it done.
- –Give me a task, and I’ll come back to you with it when I’m done.
- –Older generations still gauge the quality of work by the number of hours put into it.
A flexible organization will not only allow you to adjust your hours of coming and going, but also will recognize efficiency, measuring you on the tasks you do and not the hours you spend.
money
As I mentioned in chapter 3, Gen Y’s views on money vary widely. For some of you, it is a crucial consideration as you choose a job. Others—in fact, 70 percent of you—say you would rather work for smaller growth companies that offer competitive benefits and emphasize a balance between work activities and your personal lives, than larger companies that may offer high salaries at the expense of longer, more rigid hours and less-exciting job assignments.6 The key, of course, is to find a compensation package that matches your needs and priorities.
Consider not only the amount of money offered but also the breadth of rewards, including greater opportunities and formal recognition. Ask potential peers you meet about their feelings regarding the level and type of recognition they receive.
- –There are other, higherpaying jobs, but location, work environment, and the actual work here is better.
- –The opportunity to work abroad is a big reward.
Of course, the money itself counts, and, at least in recent years, pay has been increasing at top firms as talent shortages grow. In 2006, only nine companies in the top fifty in the BusinessWeek “Best Places to Launch a Career” survey offered starting salaries of at least $55,000. In 2007, twice that many were offering big money, among them the brand-name tech companies.
Benefit packages are an important part of the overall package, too. Among Y’s in the United States, medical and dental benefits and tuition reimbursement are most valued. And, particularly when it comes to complex benefit packages, you should make sure you are clear about what’s being offered; many of you have not sorted through benefits options before.
- –It’s all about the money. Well, the schedule matters, too.
- –If I could get paid more for doing the work, that would be a huge thing.
honest feedback
Most of you have high expectations for success at work: you are willing to work hard when it makes sense (to you), but you expect to see a goal and to understand the meaning and value of your work. You want feedback.
- –I got a big book with words I didn’t recognize, couldn’t weed through, so I threw it aside.
- –We didn’t learn about money management in high school. Explain the benefits!
How does the organization you’re considering evaluate and recognize performance ? During the interview process, ask questions about the following:
- ✓ The frequency and formality of the feedback you can expect to receive; constructive criticism and informal reviews that point you in the right direction
- ✓ The criteria that will be used to measure your performance, including the amount of subjectivity built into the evaluation
- ✓ Other employees’ perception of the fairness of the evaluation process
- ✓ The philosophy behind the evaluation system—is it a forced rating, so that some have to “lose” if others “win”?
- ✓ The organization’s reputation for follow-up on any promises or suggestions made during the review
Companies are beginning to pay more attention to developing performance management and feedback approaches that work well for Y’s—in many cases, making feedback more frank, constructive, and direct. Boeing, for example, encourages managers to provide honest appraisals of new employees’ work. The aerospace giant teaches managers how to deliver criticism—harsh, if necessary—along with praise.
- –My issue is forced ratings (1–5). In order to achieve excellent or outstanding, someone has to hit 3 . . . So there can’t be a win/win.
- –I’d rather my boss was more involved—was more aware of what I’m working on, and stepped in where needed to provide feedback, positive or negative.
career advice
Most of you want to know on the day you are hired how and where you can advance. You like career paths that include process clarity and options for high variety and personalization. What do you need to do to get to each level? What’s the top level you can reach? To avoid disappointment with career path experiences, remember the importance of asking about each of the following before joining any organization:
- ✓ Rotational development programs, what I would call lateral career moves: the opportunity to take on new challenges by moving sideways in the organization when promotion slots are not available, as well as the frequency with which these moves are possible
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- –There is a two-year rule here, meaning that you need to stay in your job for two years before you can move. We don’t like it. The two-year rule gets in the way of my ability to move into the job that I really want.
- ✓ Opportunities for management and leadership training, including chances to hear from senior staff about their career experiences
- –I just wish I knew what I had to do . . . There’s no career path, no career guide. What certification do I need? What client group do I need to support? It’s just doing and hoping here.
- ✓ Regular, informal and formal development discussions with your manager or supervisor—conversations focused not on work that you have done, but rather on where you might go and how to get there
Top employers are working to meet Y’s career path preferences.
- ✓ Abbott Laboratories recently began an extended orientation that includes goals for the first, second, and third months on the job, as well as the promise of consistent dialogue with managers.
- ✓ PricewaterhouseCoopers lets employees themselves decide when, during their first ninety days, they will sit down with their bosses for a performance review.
- ✓ KPMG has launched a Web-based training program to better prepare young employees and their managers to talk about career building. In the first two months, more than ninety-three hundred employees logged on. Some twenty-five hundred created their own (ideal) career paths.
first impressions
First impressions count—both the one you make and the one the company makes on you. In the case of the company, first impressions include the way it attracts your attention and provides initial information, as well as the process it uses for hiring and on-boarding.
You can learn a lot about a company by the way it reaches out to you. Does it use progressive approaches to attract candidates? Does it come across as open and honest about what it’s like to work there, and do its practices reflect the way Y’s operate? Look for rich Web sites that offer lots of information about the company, its history, what it does, and what the career opportunities are. It’s important that employee testimonials, stories, and experiences be posted, too; you can use them to make sure that the image painted by the company recruiter of what it’s like to work there is borne out in the comments of current and past employees. Top employers are beginning to use increasingly innovative, Y-oriented recruiting and retention practices, such as Facebook postings and videos—a sign that they are taking your interests and ways of communicating into their culture.
The way companies manage the hiring and on-boarding process will tell you a lot about how together they are and will give you important clues about the cultural norms. Companies that are sensitive to Gen Y:
- ✓ Don’t drag out the hiring process
- ✓ Maintain communication with you throughout the process, by phone, text messaging, IM, e-mail, or mail—whatever you tell them is best for you
- ✓ Have a clear process for on-boarding and induction (which they describe to you before you take the job) that will help you understand how the company is structured, how to get things done, and whom to go to with ideas and suggestions as well as information, along with providing opportunities to meet other new hires early in the process
reputation and values you are proud to be associated with
Most of you want to plug in to a company that reflects your values. Start by learning everything possible about how the company is viewed by others. Look for both the absence of negatives and the presence of positives. You don’t want to find that the company has, for example, environmental practices you aren’t comfortable with, investments in activities that you don’t support, or ethical lapses.
On the positive side, consider whether the company has a well-known brand name that will build your résumé through association, is known to have a culture that resonates with you, or supports philanthropic and community activities you care about.
Depending on your values, you may gravitate to corporations having various types of images. Stability and promotion from within are hallmarks of Raytheon. Commitment to social service is the core of Teach for America and the Peace Corps.
- –I was attracted to join because I had a good experience as a customer.
- –Reviews from past employees were good.
- –It’s never in the news for negative issues.
- –It’s known for having a family company and culture.
- –It’s known as a company that cares about employees.
choosing your colleagues
There’s an old saying in business that individuals join a company but leave a boss. This means that even though you may be attracted to the policies and practices of a company—and they are important—in the end, the individual to whom you report may be the biggest influence on your ultimate job experience. In your job hunt you need to consider the boss and colleagues you’ll be working with as much as you do the organization itself.
a boss who will bring out the best in you
Gen Y’s expect attention from managers. You have experienced frequent feedback from parents, teachers, coaches, scout leaders, and other adults all your lives, so it’s natural to expect a similar level of input, evaluation, and guidance at work. If you interview with the person who will be your immediate supervisor, look for someone who
A great manager is ...
- –Someone who listens to suggestions, and, even if the suggestions are not accepted, explains why.
- –Someone who gives me a task, explains the context, and then leaves me alone to figure it out.
- –Someone who lets me go—move on—after helping me get there.
seems genuinely interested in working with you, someone you feel you can learn from and whose style will give you room to grow.
In addition to forming your own impressions during the interview, try to request interviews with peers who also report to this individual. Ask them to talk about their day-to-day experience.
coworkers who are supportive and will help you learn
Evaluating your future coworkers is a valid and important part of the job search. What are the people like? Do you personally like them based on your interactions so far? Would you want to be friends with them? After all, you’ll be spending a lot of time with these people.
Look for evidence of collaboration—people helping each other and sharing information—and for relationships among colleagues that seem supportive.
Don’t be put off if many of your future coworkers are older than you. Many Y’s find they have developed wonderful relationships with older colleagues at work. Not all have been so fortunate, but for those who have, the relationship can be one of
- –I can ask my older colleagues any question and depend on their experience.
- –People who know what they are talking about—those are the ones I gravitate to. It’s not based on rank.
- –I’m always learning every day, and the guys are good at telling me what I need to pay attention to. mutual respect and tremendous learning.
Many Y’s have told us during our research that they really like working with Boomers. Mentoring relationships between Y’s and Boomers appear to be valued and productive. One hitch: many of you seem to turn to Boomer colleagues preferentially, rather than to your direct managers, for advice or opportunities to learn new skills. This can run against the grain in some highly structured hierarchies and, taken to the extreme, can create conflicts with less-experienced Gen X bosses.
Of course, not all older coworkers are going to welcome you with open arms. Some may feel threatened by your way of doing things, be unwilling to share knowledge with a newcomer from another generation, or just be slow to welcome you into an established group. You don’t necessarily need to cross the job off your list if you find this type of environment, but consider seriously how you will work with your new colleagues to create as favorable a win/win as possible.
- –When someone says, “We should try to use this,” some people will say no instantly—the generation gap comes up.
- –I had to spend a lot of time winning their favor, demonstrating I could do the job. It is hard to come out of college and convince them I could pick up and do the same job.
assignments: the nature of the work
Finally, a very important part of your search for a great job is to evaluate the nature of the work itself, to find an assignment that fits your interests and lets you use and expand your skills. Assignments that are important, challenging, and visible are hugely attractive to Gen Y’s. To understand what your initial experience will be like, be sure to ask enough questions.
responsibility
Y’s value working on tasks that matter. You want to feel that you’re doing something important during the time you spend at work.
The companies at the top of the “Best Places to Launch a Career” list recognize this and offer new employees positions that reflect this value. For example, the top three spots in 2007 were held by Deloitte & Touche, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Ernst & Young because of, ironically, the visibility and importance taken on by the accounting profession in the wake of the Enron scandal. Accountants don’t labor out of sight; they are
- –I like the fact that the boss gives me a project and I can just handle it.
- –My boss left, and I became the “go-to” guy after six months. Very cool. vital to the fortunes of a company. Accounting provides Y’s with an opportunity to be in an important position that’s visible and responsible.
Enterprise Rent-A-Car is known for offering new hires some of the most independent and entrepreneurial opportunities available. After a management training program that has been compared to an MBA crash course, new hires get to run their own business.
As you evaluate the specific assignments that you will be given initially, look for the degree to which they will provide you with responsibility.
challenge and contribution
Y’s like to be challenged, and they chafe at what I call “prove it” jobs. As a result, companies are reshaping entry-level positions to provide significant opportunities.
- ✓ New York Life Insurance decided to get serious about using the talents of new hires. The company discontinued giving Friday afternoons off, ordered Y’s into classes on business etiquette, and put them to work figuring out how to make the company’s products more appealing to other Gen Y’s.
- ✓ DHL, which usually hires only experienced salespeople, decided to offer an eleven-week program in sales to nine recent college grads. Pooja Shambhu, a twenty-four-year-old Purdue University grad who went through the intensive course, says, “The first time I went out on my own, the feeling was unbelievable. Within two weeks, I won my first account.” The company, which is expanding the program this year, says the new hires generate more revenue and more shipments per sale than do other salespeople. Executives credit Y’s with being hungrier and more easily moldable than other sales reps.
- I loved . . .
- –Gaining customer buy-in on my competence.
- –Identifying a solution, proposing a solution, adopting a solution. It was very satisfying to take it all the way through the process.
- –Seeing my product launched ... I was really involved.
Ask your potential peers whether their ideas are listened to and their work has real impact, and ask for examples. Make sure you will have an opportunity to make a real contribution.