HOW TO WORK FOR BABY BOOMERS

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HOW TO WORK FOR BABY BOOMERS

• J. David McMahon 69
• Associate Director
• Texas AM Career Center

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Do You Have a Career Plan?

• 39 of college graduates do not have any career
  plan
• 69 lack knowledge to make an informed career
  plan
• If you dont know where you are going any
  path will get you there. Alice in Wonderland
• What can you do with your major?
• What do you really want to accomplish with your
  major and career?
• Jobs are owned by the company, you own your
  career Earl Nightingale

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Four Generations

• Generations Born Between.
• Matures 1922 1943/46
• Baby Boomers 1943/46 1960/64
• Generation Xers 1960/64 1980
• Millennials 1980 - 2000

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Generation Differences
Matures Boomers Gen X'ers Millennials
Success because Fought hard won Born into it and should have it Have 2 jobs Teanacity
Style is . Team player Self-absorbed Entrepreneur Team player
Leisure is .. Reward for hard work Point of life Relief Part of life
Education is A dream A birthright A way to get ahead Life long
Managing money Save Spend Hedge Spend parents money
Phone is. Rotary Touch tone Cellular Wireless
Technology Slide rule Calculators Spread sheets Nintendo
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Matures on the Job

• Assets
• Stable
• Detail oriented
• Thorough
• Loyal
• Hard working

• Liabilities
• Inept with ambiguity change
• Reluctant to buck system
• Uncomfortable with conflict
• Reticent when they disagree

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Baby Boomers on the Job

• Assets
• Service oriented
• Driven
• Willing to go the extra mile
• Good at relationships
• Want to please
• Good team players

• Liabilities
• Not naturally budget minded
• Uncomfortable with conflict
• Reluctant to go against peers
• Put process ahead of results
• Sensitive to feedback
• Judgmental of those who see things differently

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Gen Xers on the Job

• Assets
• Adaptable
• Technoliterate
• Independent
• Not intimidated by authority
• Creative

• Liabilities
• Impatient
• Poor people skills
• Inexperienced
• Cynical

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Millennials on the Job

• Assets
• Collective action
• Optimism
• Tenacity
• Multitasking capabilities
• Technological savvy

• Liabilities
• Need for supervision and structure
• Inexperience, particularly with handling
  different people issues

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Realistic Expectations

• There is no such thing as a dream job
• Dont expect a 6 figure salary
• Every job comes with responsibilities
• Some of them are unpleasant
• Dealing with customers, overtime, weekend/night
  duty, cleaning up, budgets, appraisals
• You are not entitled to raises and promotions

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Realistic Expectations

• No trophy for just showing up to work
• What are you going to contribute to the company?
  vs. What can the company do for me?
• Volunteer for tough projects or seek out
  opportunities to solve problems outside of your
  job role or responsibilities
• Profit Sharing
• The company has to achieve a profit above the
  cost of money first .... gt 5
• You dont always get rewards

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Realistic Expectations

• Bosses are given the responsibility to supervise
  that means POWER teacher
• You know the theory, but you need to learn
  develop work savvy
• Youll be working in global cultures they dont
  pamper Americans no kudos if you dont
  contribute
• Its not about you, its about Economics 101
  are you contributing to making a profit, have you
  added or saved 1 years worth of your salary?

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Realistic Expectations

• Not just a 40 hour week
• Employees are ranked
• Highly valued, run-of-the-mill, lowly valued
• You must be better than good to be considered
  indispensable
• Its not what you do between 8 and 5
  its what you do between 5 and 8
• - AM Recruiter

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Realistic Expectations

• Figure out the unwritten rules is your
  workforce really empowered?
• You earn respect when you give respect
• Do you know how to take notes in a meeting?
• Employees who embrace and implement change
  prosper while those who dont struggle throughout
  their careers.

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Realistic Expectations

• Instead of being able to spend as much time as
  you want checking your Facebook or MySpace
  account, or responding to every text or e-mail
  message when it appears on your screen or phone,
  you are faced with rules and policies curtailing
  their use. Especially if it is a company supplied
  Cell phone or computer.
• What are the rules of communication within your
  new work environment
• is it okay to send a message with wallpaper or
  border address your boss in an e-mail as Hey
  Jessica or forward a mass e-mail or YouTube
  video to a few co-workers?

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Anticipate Failure

• Learn from your mistakes
• Have you failed yet?
• You are expected to complete assignments on
  time!
• When things dont go your way GET OVER IT!
• Embarrass your boss (or co-worker) and you lose
  their loyalty
• I really didnt say everything I said
• Yogi Berra

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THE GOLDEN RULE

• Them that have the gold, make the rules!
• As long as it isnt illegal or immoral, you
  probably ought to do it the company way.

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Your Momma Dont Work Here

• Think and act for yourself
• Employer hired you, not your parents
• Work out your own problems

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Top 6 Reasons for Firing College Graduate New
Hires

• Unethical behavior (28 )
• Lack of motivation/work ethic (18 )
• Inappropriate use of technology (14 )
• Failure to follow instructions (9 )
• Late to work (8 )
• Missing assignment deadlines (7 )
• 2007 survey of Employers by
• Collegiate Employment Research Institute

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How to Be the Employee Your Company Cant Live
Without Glenn Shepard, John Wiley Sons,
Inc, 2006

• Create your own job security by making yourself a
  highly valued employee
• Learn what your supervisors values are
• Be highly productive, pro-active and low
  maintenance
• Things come to those who wait, but only the
  things left behind by those who hustle. -
  Abraham Lincoln
• Answer questions before your boss asks them
• Earn your paycheck, the company will not exist if
  it doesnt make a profit

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How to Be the Employee Your Company Cant Live
Without

• Do whatever needs to be done, whenever it needs
  to be done
• Take great pride and be the best at whatever you
  do
• If you cant be on time, be early
• Minimize unnecessary mistakes and learn how to
  handle reasonable mistakes
• Polish your social graces if you want to
  influence others
• Remember not only to say the right thing in the
  right place, but far more difficult still, to
  leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting
  moment Ben Franklin

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How to Be the Employee Your Company Cant Live
Without

• Adopt a strong work ethic dont let the monkeys
  pull you down your ladder of success
• Opportunity is missed by most people because
  it is dressed in overalls and looks like work
• Thomas Edison
• Its hard to soar with eagles when you surround
  yourself with turkeys
• Be proud of what you do, but let others know you
  appreciate their work also check your ego at
  the door
• Your raise will become effective when you become
  more effective
• 85 of people get promoted due to personal work
  skills, only 15 is due to their education

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How to Be the Employee Your Company Cant Live
Without

• 16. Understand the difference between failing and
  making mistakes
• In order to succeed, your desire for success
  should be greater than your fear of failure
  Bill Cosby
• Have a desire to solve the company problems,
  succeed in solving those problems, earn a
  reputation for your problem solving skills
• We have no problems however, we do have lots
  of challenges and opportunities David McMahon
• 18. Dont confuse activity with accomplishment
  dont give ultimatums dont break the chain of
  command dont underestimate your duty to serve
  your employer

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The Older Worker Advantage US News World
Report, Dec 2008

• Understand recessions
• Willing to work part time
• Have real life experience
• Want to be challenged
• Healthier

• Can control their emotions
• Network is bigger
• Loyal and reliable
• Want to learn
• More satisfied with their job and benefits

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Bill Gates Advice

• Rule 1 Life is not fair - get used to it!
• Rule 2 The world won't care about your
  self-esteem. The world will expect you to
  accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about
  yourself.
• Rule 3 You will NOT make 60,000 a year right
  out of high school. You won't be a
  vice-president with a car phone until you earn
  both.
• Rule 4 If you think your teacher is tough,
  wait till you get a boss.
• Rule 5 Flipping burgers is not beneath your
  dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word
  for burger flipping they called it opportunity.
  
• Rule 6 If you mess up, it's not your parents'
  fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn
  from them.

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Bill Gates Advice

• Rule 7 Before you were born, your parents
  weren't as boring as they are now. They got that
  way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes
  and listening to you talk about how cool you
  thought you were. So before you save the rain
  forest from the parasites of your parent's
  generation, try de-lousing the closet in your own
  room.
• Rule 8 Schools may have done away with winners
  and losers, but life HAS NOT. Some schools have
  abolished failing grades and they'll give you as
  MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer.
  This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to
  ANYTHING in real life.
• Rule 9 Life is not divided into semesters. You
  don't get summers off and very few employers are
  interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that
  on your own time.
• Rule 10 Television is NOT real life. In real
  life people actually have to leave the coffee
  shop and go to jobs.
• Rule 11 Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end
  up working for one.