Since the day I walked into my first job as a consumer culture researcher and brand strategist,  the number one “target” for the roster of companies on my client list was Millennials.  Then:  tweens and teens ready to enter the working world and start driving cars and buying several cars from complete auto loans –  but influencing the spending of their parents in a big way all around.   Now:  a final generation of teens all the way through a bustling populace of full-fledged adults, many already in their early to mid thirties.

This is a generation that has been pined over,  studied and marketed to for over a decade.  Brands have been coveting their share of wallet, and HR departments have been scrambling to figure out what to do with this workforce who by most counts is vastly different from their boomer predecessors.

On the flip side – Millennials are not immune to the scrutiny they have been receiving, growing up under a digital, big-data  microscope.  Many Millennials have taken on the task of examining themselves and relaying the blogosphere their impression of the world they have been raised up in and points of view on their place in it.

Some of my favorite Millennial-authored blogs include:

So Called Millennial , written by Rachel Gall, who is also the editor in chief of Life of a Mom-ennial  for Monogram Magazine .

James’ Room  and American Males  for a Millennial male perspective.

Entitled Millennial , a blog that started as a project geared at examining and redefining the term “entitlement” – one often used by boomers and older adults to describe what they see to be the main “fault” of this up and coming generation.

And yet another, which I am showcasing today:  Working Self – a blog by Millennials for Millennials dedicated to conversations about creating meaningful work.

In the article I have re-posted below, the conversation is an empowering Millennial perspective on whats shapes their attitudes toward life and work – an essential read for any employer seeking to lead with empathy in their attempt to grow a happy and productive Millennial workforce:

Today’s guest post in the Millennial Perspectives series comes to us from Debashish Das of Quit, Be Free. I had the good fortune of being placed in a triad with Debashish during Jenny Blake‘s Build Your Business course last May and we’ve been supporting each other ever since!

The world knows us as millennials, yet there’s no clear definition of who is or is not a part of Gen Y. Depending on who you ask, millennials are born somewhere between 1977 and 2003, but no one can agree where to end or begin.

In any case, millennials are a recent addition to the society, and everybody is trying to get their head around the puzzle that is Gen Y.

Why are they so unhappy? Why are they always glued to their phone? Why can’t they stick to one job? Why do they want to leave everything behind and travel the world? The truth is that we are different, as is our way of looking at the world.

Millennials are no longer the future, we are already here, now. And we cannot be ignored.

If you’d like to know what makes us the in-your-face, world-shaking, agents of chaos, read on.

1. Global Connectors

Anyone who is familiar with Gen Y knows we are addicted to social media. There’s a reason for that. We were right there when internet changed social interactions. While other people complained about the way the world was changing, we took to social media like fish to water, embracing a digital world that was free from the prejudices of society.

Without the barriers of language and culture, we shared our thoughts, ideas, and lives with people from across the globe. Millennials became the first true global citizens. Our food, hobbies, work, and lives are a colorful kaleidoscope of influences from around the world.

Millennials have truly shrunk the world. Social media is our connection to this new world.

2. Defiers of Status Quo

Never ones to take things at face value, millennials are accused of being rebels, a charge we readily confess to. If no one was out there doing things differently, sticking to the known ways, we would still be living in the dark ages. We push the boundaries to see what’s possible. We’re forces of social change.

Even though we are not the victims, we feel for humanity. We believe in a world without discrimination and accept all people as one. We defy status quo because we believe there is better future for all of us.

3. Serial Experimentalists

On the surface, our behavior might not make sense:  jumping jobs, buying gadgets every few months, or pursuing a new project every year. To the world, we might seem like overgrown five-year-olds. Underlying the behavior, however, is a belief in the power of growth. We do not live by the time-tested rules because we believe in living our dreams today.

We seek new things because new is the symbol of progress, an indicator of growth. And growth never comes from the known or the comfortable. It comes from exploration, making mistakes and learning from them. We are willing to fail to be able to learn something new.

We experiment to fulfill our desire for growth, because that is what makes us truly come alive.

4. Fearless Artists

Creativity is our middle name. With the power of the internet and the ready audience of a digital society, we do not hesitate to unleash our creative potential.

Sharing creative gifts with the world is no longer limited to a privileged few. Millennials know the value of their own creativity and are not ashamed to share it fearlessly with the world. Kickstarter funds books and products; Youtube sponsors individual video creators; smartphones and DSLRs make traditional photo studios defunct; not to mention the collapse of record labels and the publishing industry.

All proof of the fact that creativity is appreciated when it is authentic and original. We believe in the creativity that resides within each of us and are not afraid of showcasing our hidden talents. Being a millennial means not letting the world tell us that we are being stupid for wanting to be a writer, singer, or a painter. It means embracing our inner artist and creating our own unique art every day. You can get Bondah singers for hire on your events, click here.

5. Real Life Explorers

World travelogues are blossoming all over the web. Some of the most jaw-dropping Youtube videos are captured by personal digicams. Blogs about breaking free from the routine of nine to five and traveling the world are gaining followers like crazy.

For millennials, the whole world truly is an oyster, and one that we seek to explore every inch of, whether by bungee jumping in Queensland, getting lost in the grand bazaar of Istanbul, learning to cook Thai cuisine in Bangkok, or riding a motorcycle on the world’s highest motorable road in Leh, India.

Our thirst for adventure is insatiable. We live for experiences. Especially the ones that take us outside our comfort zone. We do not plan for vacations after retirement. If we want it, we go and do it. It is one of the defining traits of a millennial.

To us, life is not about making bucket lists, it’s about going out there and living them.

6. Economic Revolutionaries

Venture-funded start-ups are old news. The new age of entrepreneurship is here, heralded by the small online businesses and bootstrappers, and millennials are leading from the front.

We want to be rich, and are not afraid to say so. Selling our soul in exchange for chump change is not our style. We want to do things we want, whenever we want, and provide for people we care about while not being slaves to a paycheck.

If we do the same thing that our parents did, and their parents did, how can we expect to live life differently from them? Big dreams require big money. And we want those disproportionate results.

To us, being rich means living life on our terms. Money is not a motivator, but nor do we call it the source of all evil. We seek to make money because it gives us the power to choose how we live. Living a millennial lifestyle is about living with passion, doing what we love, and making money along the way.

7. Freedom Fighters

Underlying all these traits and connecting all these habits is our deep-rooted desire for freedom.

Freedom has no common definition and is absolutely individualistic but it is what lies at the very core of being a millennial. We define our own freedom and take responsibility for it. It’s also the source of our greatest fears. Living a life defined by society, not being able to explore who we truly are, conforming to social rules, and becoming part of the system frighten us to the core. A millennial will fight till the dying breath to avoid anything that is a threat to freedom.

The simple truth is, if you seek freedom in life (whatever its meaning for you), you are a millennial at heart.

This is not a manifesto for why millennials should rule the world. Nor is it a plea for understanding our plight. This is a statement of facts and an effort to show what makes Gen Y tick.  We know we have faults, entitlement issues, and an attitude problem. But we’re also ready to change and adapt.

We’re willing to meet the world halfway. If only the world understood the language we’re speaking.

Related articles

• Musings from John Zogby’s talk – Millennials vs. Hierarchy (marcusclarkegoss.wordpress.com)
• Millennials As Parents: Five Myths–And One Simple Truth (forbes.com)
• The Truth About Millennials (marvinscorridor.com)
• Why You Shouldn’t Ignore The Millennial Generation (huffingtonpost.com)
• Why You Should Hire Me! (bigbrightshoebox.wordpress.com)
• I am a millennial! (itsthetimeto.wordpress.com)
• Millennials and Their Personal Branding (socialmediaclub.org)
• Is Gen Y Really Lazy and Self-entitled? ME-llennials in the Workplace (business2community.com)
• Millennials can’t Afford Sustainability (andrewtint.wordpress.com)