Millennial myths and stereotypes—debunked

As an editorial assistant here at Ragan, I’ve been reading and editing a lot of articles about my generation and, as the subject of these articles, I had to weigh in.

A lot of what I’ve been reading lately are articles that tell Baby Boomers and Generation Xers how to communicate with Gen Y because our laziness, lack of work ethic and inability to handle criticism are far removed from their professional experiences.

I couldn’t disagree more. As a 20-something millennial, most of the young professionals my age don’t share those characteristics. We don’t stroll into work late wearing a hoodie with a Starbucks in one hand and a smartphone in the other.

That’s not to say none of us do. While most of us born in the 1980s and earlier don’t fit the negative millennial stereotype, those younger than us might. Then again, they’re still in college where hoodies are the standard.

Millennials are not risky hires or liabilities. We’re an overlooked, yet potentially valuable, resource.

We’re just like you