Millennials: Stop overemphasizing your youth

The social media sphere is permeated with those who dub themselves “Gen Y” and “Millennial” bloggers. Every day, I hear about young nonprofit professionals, the top young millennial/Gen Y bloggers, career advice for young twenty-somethings. Hearing a common theme here?

For the “Gen Y” blogging crowd, youth is an obsession. Discussions revolve around the quarterlife crisis, how millennials are different, the value Gen Y adds to the workplace, how our generation values work-life balance, why we deserve to be leaders, and so on. “Millennial” bloggers emphasize that although we’re young, we’re smart and hardworking, and should be respected, dammit!

Well, to be brutally honest, I am growing a bit weary of hearing this word: young. A radical secret: if you want to be a leader in any field, overemphasizing your youth isn’t the best way to get there.

Incessant ruminations about the transition to your first real job, adjustment to the real world, or your ‘quarterlife confusion’ is not necessarily going to help you move forward in your career. Certainly, your articles may go viral, but may also largely be read by others of your own generation. There is indeed something therapeutic about sharing your quarterlife crisis with your blogging audience, allaying your fears in the process. Yet, such contemplations in blog-post-form do not, in themselves, form the foundations of a successful career.

What helps you advance in your field? That’s expertise, intelligence, keen understanding of your sector, a unique skill set, and the magic ingredients: high-quality & hard work. On the other hand, emphasizing your youth establishes your ‘brand’ as a “Gen Y” professional/writer who is just starting an entry-level job. I believe this is selling yourself short. Instead, why not leave someone with the thought, “Here’s someone who is skilled in grantwriting – perhaps he could lead a small workshop at the upcoming conference” or “This woman really understands international development; let’s invite her to be on our board!”

Rather than overemphasizing our youth and comparative lack of experience, let us underemphasize these qualities. Instead of highlighting your youth, highlight your knowledge and ability to discuss, debate serious and timely topics in your field of choice. There are innumerable opportunities to illustrate your expertise. Write about effective grantwriting strategies. Provide insights into the intricacies of development work and social entrepreneurship. Opine on post-conflict reconstruction or medicine as a tool for change. Discuss issues faced by women of color or African politics. Whatever your field may be, there is a way to write about it intelligently and effectively. That way, you learn from the best, share your insights with leaders in your field, and gain a different breed of respect.

Yes, yes, I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve written quite a bit about the buzzwords ‘Gen Y’ and ‘youth leadership’ here myself. Yet, over time, the most valuable interactions for me have come out of my writing and tweeting on substantive topics related to human/civil rights, public interest law, and development work. A shift to such topics has given me the tremendous opportunity to engage with those with years of experience in development, human rights, and legal advocacy: individuals I admire and emulate. These conversations have been the most eye-opening, paradigm-shifting, intellectually challenging and highly rewarding moments of my blogging lifespan.

By overemphasizing your youth & inexperience, you miss out on such learning experiences, as well as the opportunity to present yourself as a thought leader in your field. Don’t let your youth define you. There are too many 22 year-olds writing about their quarterlife crisis, and not enough showing they’ve got what it takes to become leaders.

Related posts:

1. Be the change: I’m not a youth leader, by Mandy Siu
2. Feature Friday: Youth Represent
3. I’ll never stop using my voice