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I Am Afraid of My Future

Why a "Perfect" CV of a Millennial Means Almost Nothing

By E DMPublished 6 years ago 4 min read
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(Disclaimer: This is my personal view and this is based on my home country. I am aware that countries and cultures differ. However, I think that most of the points that are made are relevant to most Western countries.)

I think by now, most people have heard about either millennials complaining about the fact that older generations messed up the entire economy for younger generations, or baby-boomers complaining about the fact that millennials are complaining about it. Well, I would like to put that more in perspective to get a better understanding of the situation. So, let's look at what my CV looks like:

I am 21 years old. I was born and raised in Belgium and by the age of 13 I spoke three languages fluently (Dutch, French, and English). When I started university, I also learned business Spanish. I have a Bachelor's degree in international business management and I am about to enroll in a Master's degree in logistics management in another country than Belgium. I have spent one year abroad, partly studying in the United States and partly doing an internship in the French part of Canada (Quebec). I have had summer jobs since I was 16, so that's for about five years now. These summer jobs are also coincidentally in line with the career that I am pursuing (I did warehousing and I want to work in logistics), so it is in fact "relevant" work experience even though at my age that should not really matter.

In theory, when you look at general requirements for any "good" and "well-paid" job such as: Bachelor/Master degree, languages, work and/or internship experience, experience abroad...etc. I should be high up the list. In reality, that is not the case.

(Disclaimer: My CV is not perfect, and I am aware of that. What I am saying is that many people from my generation have even less to put on their CV than me, which creates an even bigger problem for them than it is for me at the moment.)

Funny enough, some (if not many) employers ask for something like this: "We are looking for a young professional with a Bachelor's degree who has at least five years of management experience." Now, this depends on the country of course but as a Belgian citizen, you normally graduate from your undergrad at age 20 or 21 (depending on when your birthday is). If that's not the case, maybe you graduate one or two years later. This means that you are most likely between 20 and 23 years old. The employer in question asks for a minimum of 5 years of management experience. That means that you would have had to have a management position between the ages of 15 and 18. Keep in mind that in Belgium you are only legally allowed to work at 16. To add to that, not a single summer job will give you a management position. Additionally, working while you are studying in Belgium is almost out of the question considering the amount of classes you have. So what are you supposed to do? How is any person of my age supposed to match that application?

Some people might think I exaggerate. Even if that is the case, 90% of employers will ask for AT LEAST two years of relevant experience for entry-level jobs. Why, you ask? Because my parents' generation can switch careers like they try on clothes. They didn't need degrees when starting their job when they were 21, so they don't have one now either. To give an example: my dad is a logistics coordinator. He never went to university, he only has a high school diploma. Right now, if I would want that job, I would need a master's degree and roughly 10 years of relevant experience. Employers know that older generations often don't have university degrees, and they give them a chance to start a new career if they aren't happy with the one they have now. I have nothing against that. Whatever makes people happy makes me happy, too. The only problem is that my generation wants to work, but the requirements are unrealistic for someone who has been in school full-time from the age of 3 until 21.

I hope that this somewhat clears up what the current problem is for many people my age. Unfortunately, a lot of potential is being wasted and a lot of "young professionals" end up having a really shitty job for the first few years. Your argument here might be "but so did I when I was that age," and I agree, but the only difference is that you most likely did not have a degree. Otherwise you would've gotten a much better job from the beginning. So if you're an employer or you are in any way involved in HR, please at least give us a chance to show that we're worth the investment. Most of us are highly trained and aren't afraid to work hard, we won't disappoint.

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About the Creator

E DM

I'm a 24-year-old currently based in Belgium. I mostly write about travel hacks and TV-shows. If you like what you read, consider giving a small tip to fund my travels so I can keep giving you travel hacks. ;)

Instagram: @evelienagram

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