3 Reasons Why Millennials Aren’t Happy with Their Jobs

The dream is simple. Find a job that’s engaging, purposeful, and pays well. The problem? It’s much easier to think about the perfect job than to find the ideal position. That being the case, it should come as no surprise that most millennials are unsatisfied with their day job. The World Economic Forum published an article based on a study completed by the Harvard Business Review that highlighted some possible reasons why millennials are dissatisfied with their job. Interestingly, the paper finds the increasing role social media plays in how millennials feel about their job.
1. Misrepresenting achievements on social networks
Social media such as Instagram, Youtube, Facebook, Tiktok, and other similar social sites are more or less now branding tools for most of its users. It’s rare to see someone posting something negative about themselves or their life. That’s a conscience design feature by the creators of these platforms. We’re less likely to visit a place where we expect to see negativity, but we are attracted to negative news, much like we all feel the need to look at the car accident.
It’s hard for people to be completely honest about how they feel about their relationships, life, or career on social platforms. You will not see a post about someone who makes a lot of money but hates their job. You will not see a post about someone doing something they love but are struggling financially. You will not see a post about someone depressed or having negative thoughts. Instead, most of what you see is an unrealistic portrayal of how people proclaim to live their lives. No one’s life is perfect, but if you view social media, you might start to think your life sucks, or perhaps you’re the only one working a job because it pays the bills and allows you to take care of your family.
As a result, constant checking in on social media can create a feeling of constant pressure and constant comparison with your peers. The problem is that those comparisons, for the most part, are based on an unrealistic expectation of how most of us live
2. Media stories of hyper-successful millennials
I’m a competitive person and while I don’t play competitive basketball anymore, securing a career and advancing within my field of interest was as competitive as any high-level sports competition. That intensity is compounded when the media continues to feed stories about successful young millionaires, which gives the impression that millionaire millennials are the norm and not an exception.
Millionaire millennials are an exception, not a norm. Furthermore, everyone can’t be exceptional. We are uncomfortable with being average, not because it’s a bad thing but because we’ve convinced ourselves we must be unique.
To deal with this pressure, you have to learn to be comfortable with who you are. It sounds like obvious advice, but when it comes to your career, you have to be comfortable with the limitations of your skills and abilities. Most of us believe our skills and abilities have no limit if only we work harder. Therefore, we think we can be exceptional in every aspect of our jobs or life, which is frankly ridiculous.
3. The number of possible career paths and constant striving to achieve potential
Millennials are tech-savvy and have a lot of choices when it comes to career options today. We often think having many options is a good thing, but sometimes that can be bad.
There seem to be so many possibilities when it comes to career options today, which often means we quickly become dissatisfied with our job. It’s important to strive to do something you ultimately enjoy since we spend more time working than with our family and loved ones.
Most millennials want their dream job right off the bat. The truth is you only know a good job when you’ve done enough bad jobs. Time and patience are critical for career success as it enables you to go through the entire work circle to determine if a career path is right for you or not.
Strive to be the best you can be given your skills and abilities. Avoid thinking millionaire millennials are the norm as they are exceptions. Be comfortable with who you are, avoid trying to be what people believe you should be, and perhaps spend less time comparing your lifestyle with friends and family on social media.
Responses