5 Ways Gen Y’ers Self-Sabotage Their Careers

by Lisa Gulasy on August 14, 2012

Gen Y'er female with hands on her face at workAbout three weeks ago, I wrote a post pleading with Generation Y to remember humility when describing their social media abilities in the aftermath of the Catherine Sloane “Why Ever Social Media Manager Should Be Under 25” debacle.

According to Nicholas Kinports’ “Top 10 Ways Millennials Self-Sabotage Careers” on the lonelybrand blog, publicly offending generations of older workers isn’t the only gaffe Gen Y’ers are making in their careers. In his article, Kinports explains a few common mistakes he sees Gen Y’ers make all too often.

Check out a few of Kinports’ ways Gen Y’ers are self-sabotaging their careers below:

Blindly trusting social media outlets with sensitive information. Most Gen Y’ers aren’t wasting $2.7 million a year in undermining family security operations like CEO Michael Dell’s 18-year-old daughter, but Gen Y’er professionals are posting medical condition updates and risqué party pictures.

Staying inside geographic comfort zones. Small towns need fresh talent to stimulate their stagnant economies, but it seems Gen Y’ers often make the mistake of staying close to mom and dad instead of risking it all to score a career at the forefront of new industries in unknown cities.

Avoiding risk without parental buy-in. Speaking of mom and dad, a large number of Gen Y’ers (myself included) have played the, “I need to ask my parents first” card in grown-up situations. Employers want to see you’re able to make a decision for yourself, even if it’s not the smartest one.

 Failing to adopt a mentor. Today’s professionals are working longer and retiring later. They’ve experienced first hand how technology has affected industry growth, and I’m sure they have some killer stories to tell. (Aside from those of the “back in my day” variety.)

Succumbing to startup syndrome. It sounds really tempting to be a part of the next Facebook, but flitting around from startup to startup doesn’t only hurt your wallet, it also hurts your chances of landing jobs in the future. As Kinports puts it, “Hiring managers don’t want to see a resume with ten failed startups on it.”

To see all of Kinports’ ways Gen Y’ers are self-sabotaging their careers, check out the lonelybrad blog.

What are some other ways Gen Y’ers can self-sabotage their careers? Share your ideas in the comment section below!

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Tagged as: career advice, Careers, Gen Y'ers, Nicholas Kinports, Self-sabatoge, self-sabatoging

Article by Lisa Gulasy

Lisa Gulasy graduated Summa Cum Laude from Kent State University May 2012 with a B.S. in public relations and a minor in advertising. Prior to joining the Come Recommended team, Lisa held two agency PR internships and a corporate copywriting internship. Lisa’s diverse studies and work background have given her proficient skills in copywriting, account management, design, public speaking, video editing, social media, customer service, event planning and more.

  • Cory

    I wholeheartedly disagree with your second and third points. Many Gen Y individuals do leave home and do take a risk to relocate. In fact, I would be curious to see the data against previous generations. Have you been to large cities lately? They are filled with Gen Y. As far as small towns, my question would be: What is the small town offering? A 20-something year old isn’t going to go to a small town in the middle of America for just a job. Unless, of course, they have something spectacular to offer.

    Your third point is odd. If employers think Gen Y cannot make decisions they are simply wrong. Consulting with your family before accepting a job is standard practice. Would you consult with your signfigant other before accepting a position? Most likely. In fact, I usually recommend someone sleep on the offer and consults with their loved ones before accepting the position. There is no correlation between that and decision making.

    Great post, though. I enjoyed reading it, and your first point is spot on! As a Gen Y’er myself I make sure to protect everything I post/tag AND everything my friends post/tag of me.

  • http://twitter.com/LisaGulasy Lisa Gulasy

    Hi Cory! Thanks for your comment. I don’t have any data comparing Gen Y’ers and previous generations’ tendencies to relocate for career opportunities, but I agree that it’d be interesting to know.

    To answer your question about what small towns are offering, check out this post on Bloomberg (http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-07-18/student-debtors-find-much-forgiven-in-move-to-small-towns.html)—it details a new program in Kansas that offers as much as $15,000 toward student-loan repayment for people who relocate to areas beset by population declines (mostly small towns).

    And to expand upon my third point, consider this: In a July 23 #jobhuntchat,
    recruiting and HR professional @TiffannyKuehl said she often receives phone calls from Gen Y parents following up after their child’s interview. I’m not saying parents shouldn’t be consulted for big career decisions; I’m saying some Gen Y’ers take parental consultation much too far, so much so that they won’t even consider making any career decisions without their parents’ go-ahead.

    Thanks again for the comment. I really appreciated a fellow Gen Y’er’s insight!

  • http://twitter.com/LisaGulasy Lisa Gulasy

    Hi Cory! Thanks for your comment. I don’t have any data comparing Gen Y’ers and previous generations’ tendencies to relocate for career opportunities, but I agree that it’d be interesting to know.

    To answer your question about what small towns are offering, check out this post on Bloomberg (http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-07-18/student-debtors-find-much-forgiven-in-move-to-small-towns.html)–it details a new program in Kansas that offers as much as $15,000 toward student loan repayment for people who relocate to areas beset by population declines (mostly small towns).

    And to expand upon my third point, consider this: In a July 23 #jobhuntchat, recruiting and HR professional @TiffanyKuehl said she often receives phone calls from Gen Y parents following their child’s interview. I’m not saying parents shouldn’t be consulted for big career decisions; I’m saying some Gen Y’ers take parental consultation much too far, so much so that they won’t even consider making any career decisions without their parents’ go-ahead.

    Thanks again for the comment! I really appreciate a fellow Gen Y’er’s insight!

  • Cory

    Thanks for commenting back! :) I think it’s great rural areas are providing incentives to attract young graduates. We all know studnet debt weighs heavily on our minds. I, however, could never live in a small town again. It would have to be a pretty big incentive!

    I have heard stories and have had parents call me before when offering positions. Luckily, this is few and far between as it’s awkward me and everyone involved. I think what most people miss is that it is veyr rare when a Gen Y’er asks their parents to call. Usually, the parents believe they are helping their son/daughter, but they are only huring their chances and tarnishing their image. My question to them would be: Are you a parent or a friend? My response to a previous parent was that I cannot talk to them about the offer as I extended it to their son/daughter & not them.

    Thank you again for commenting and the post. I actually like when I read some articles showing a different side of Gen Y. Keep up the good work!

  • http://www.lonelybrand.com/ Nicholas Kinports

    Thanks for the great shout out Lisa! I voted for you on Forbes :)

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