“To be young again” is a quote that many Baby boomers and Generation X members use to laminate their younger years. While some things have changed over the years, some things remain stagnant, with substantial resistance to change. Let us use corporate America for example.
To be successful before 1976, the requirements include:
- 40-hour workweek
- Company car
- Decent house
- Pension and retirement fund
Elders may have the current technology needed to communicate, but their mentality is outdated like a plastic-covered couch.
What can initially start as a dream job for many millennials end up being a nightmare due to unrealistic demands, pressure and downright nonsense. Many millennials graduate college, intern, and end up working at a corporation that looks at them as a badge number rather than a human being. The corporate environment chokes the life out of many millennials, which begs the question of, “Why do black millennials burn out in Corporate America?”
Historically, this country was built off the servitude of black and brown individuals. Every time we started an independent movement (ie, Black Wall Street) it was destroyed by members of other races. What we built with our own hands has always been torn down by someone else. This means the mentality of saying “forget” a corporate job started way before we even arrived on Earth.
Every generation has a specific way they operate within society. For millennials, their pride and personal security don’t lie in making sure they stay at a company for 20 years. This over-commitment to one job is the catalyst for burnout. I’ve worked a multitude of jobs over the years, and most of them didn’t push me in any area of my life. Every time I challenged an opinion, I was ostracized. When I had a suggestion, it was looked over. There were times when my work hours suffered as a result of my outspoken nature. The older generation won’t ever understand why millennials quit lucrative jobs, but it’s a reason behind every departure.
The true reason why black millennials burn out is due to an unyielding effort to undo the workplace fabric of our forefathers. Recently, Inc.com revealed that the three areas millennials will change in the workplace is:
- An increase in workplace technology
- Collaboration between counterparts
- Flexibility
You can’t work properly if your sick days are short, you’re overworked and there’s no evidence of a work-life balance. This is also the reason why entrepreneurship is increasing in the millennial generation.
There are a lot of things you can say about millennials, but we’re changing the core of modern society. Every corporate gig isn’t a horrible experience and knowledge from elders will never fall on deaf ears. But we must begin to question why other fellow millennials are burning out of corporate America like beautiful fireworks on the 4th of July. For now, let’s make sure we do our part in continuing to help them break the glass ceiling in the constrains of Corporate America.
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