Ian Shannon is USC's elected 2015 - 2016 Student Body Treasurer
We are extremely tech savvy, but we are seen as arrogant and entitled. We have the ability to identify everyone’s individual abilities, but we have the constant need for validation. We function great while multitasking, but we do not function without direction.
Yes, we all know the stereotypes about the millennial generation. Whichever way you look at it, millennials are going to have advantages and disadvantages in the workforce. We will have a dominant presence of almost 80 million workers ready to take on new jobs and find those companies that align with our own values and altruistic goals.
Speaking as one of the 80 million, I feel that there is a disconnect in what the workforce is looking for and what we’re learning in the classroom. If getting a business degree prepares you for the business world, then why are students not constantly in contact with businesses?
Students could learn so much by working on projects to better businesses, undergoing research in the company or having mock interviews that can lead to jobs after graduation. I believe that USC has a great program that helps to address this. Our Global Supply Chain and Operations Management (GSCOM) Program has a job placement of over 90 percent. This is largely due to businesses doing the unconventional and allowing students to work with them.
This gives students the real world, hands-on experience that they need to truly succeed in the working world. If this is working, why not expand on that idea?
The roundtable discussion that was co-hosted by the National Campus Leadership Council’s Students Speak Series in Columbia was focused on the skills gap that our generation has and what can be done to improve this gap. With student leaders and business leaders in the Columbia area, we talked about what employers are looking for in young graduates. Two topics continued to surface in our discussion — style of communication and the professionalism in the workplace.
So, how can we help students feel prepared to enter a workplace that is looking for strong communicators and professionalism?
It comes back to introducing the younger workforce to office norms before graduation. It’s important to offer internships and mentorships that can better equip students to be workforce ready. I’m hoping that this was the first of many conversations that we will be able to have with the business community to ensure that more students are workforce ready.