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I attended CCOB’s Communications Info Exchange on October 22^rd in Boston. Accompanied by one of PAN’s Junior Associates, Michelle Pappas, we found ourselves meeting very eager Boston area students from many different backgrounds.  By the looks on their faces, we could tell that many of them were unsure what direction they wanted to embark on within the Communications field, and more importantly IF there would be job opportunities for them in 7 months (when they graduate).  

The event was set up as a round-table style, with eight  15-minute sessions. In this short time, Michelle and I met with people and we gave them as much information as possible about PAN and the PR Industry as a whole 

As PAN’s HR Manager, this was my second year attending the event.  While I enjoyed both experiences, I did find some differences between last year and this year’s student crop.  Last year, I felt students came prepared with questions about their resumes, asking questions about what a company like PAN looks for in young PR professionals or how to prepare for a first interview. This year, I felt that Michelle and I did most of the talking, while the students listened eagerly while we offered tips and advice. I’m accustomed to questions and lots of them, as this gives students the necessary direction to begin their career search, whether it be resumes or interview processes.  But this year was different, students weren’t asking questions and the vibe wasn’t very upbeat. I also noticed the group to be wary of the economy and discouraged about job opportunities.

Michelle and I felt proud and fortunate that we were able to tell these students that PAN continues to thrive in this downward economy.  We were happy to know that most of the students who sat at our table had heard of PAN and were aware of our strong reputation in the industry.  They were very impressed with our client base and were excited about the types of roles they could potentially be assigned with. The turnout at this career event was great, we met many bright and enthusiastic students and I hope the insight we provided will help and guide them as they begin their search for the perfect job.

We would love to hear from you if you have any questions. Feel free to email me (lwarman@pancomm.com) or IM PANcommHR. 

Thought this was a good add-on given the nature of yesterday’s topic.  This morning I stumbled into this video from Electronic Recruiter Exchange, which interviewed number of HR/recruiter types at one of its conferences to get their thoughts on Gen Y.  There are some smart answers from people who tackle this issue on a daily business.  I particularly like the comparisons to my Gen X crowd.

I’m a proud Gen-Xer and semi-reformed slacker.  As such, It’s kinda fun to watch (and sometimes mediate) the debate over the role of Millennials in the office.  Where my group was pestered to get off our collective asses and be productive, Millennials are constantly looking for productive jobs to do.  There are exceptions but in general the phenomenon is well documented.  Compared to my X peers, the Millennial contrast is very stark.

The fundamental difference between the two groups (if measured at the same point in time–mid to late 20s) is we were prone to wasting time, Millennials complain there isn’t enough of it.  While I don’t regret for a moment most of my behavior, objectively I’d have to say I admire many of the Millennial traits.  In our defense, however,  I’d offer the lack of instant-and always-on tools we’re used to working and playing with now.  “In my day,” if you needed to write a report in college about the Pyramids you went to the library and opened an encyclopedia.  Now it’s a click and print function.  I guess that’s the modern analog to the “I used to walk to school uphill in the snow–both ways.”

I bring this up (and date myself) to eventually make a point: I don’t see the Millennials apting to and applying social media tools for work, even though they’re perhaps the best versed in the technology.  Again, there are notable exceptions but for the most part Millennials don’t translate their familiarity with these tools into a competitive differentiator in the office.  Not the way they should be, anyway. It’s a curious problem so I asked Megan Maquire Twitter: megan_maquire), who IS one of the notable exceptions why this was the case.   She’ tweeted back:

@xylem Why don’t Millennials see mrkg potential of social media? Probably b/c most don’t see a use for it beyond fun. I’ll blog a better ans soon

Looking forward to her post!

Update:  Megan came back at me with a well thought out and written piece here. She gets support in the comments, too.  I agree with her; dividing the workplace by generations doesn’t do anyone any good, but the original observation is probably being played out in workplaces all over by managers like me.

We’re entering into an economic period the Y’s haven’t seen before (or were shielded from because they were in school for the last one).  The next four or six quarters are going to be deadly serious times for many businesses.  People with the most marketable skills are going to survive while others who don’t pick themselves up or don’t quite get the seriousness of the situation are going to be left behind.  Now’s the time for Y’s to put their recreational skills to use, both for their employers and/or themselves.  You’re all invited to pitch in!  We’ll use our experience to get through this next rough patch; you show us what’s new and we’ll blend the two.

Thanks Megan!