TL;DR – They’re great. They’re narcissistic. They’re passionate. They’re Millennials.
Millennials are regarded as, simultaneously, one of the greatest yet most narcissistic generations of our time. And like the Strawberry generation that millennials are, they are getting what they want in the work setting, with employers making changes to their policies with the specific intention of attracting, retaining and engaging millennials.
Based on statistics from human resource consultancy Aon Hewitt, it is estimated that there are 1.2 million millennials in Singapore — approximately 22% of our resident population. However, even with efforts to make work environments more flexible and vibrant, many millennials are still shying away from the tall and gleaming office towers in the Central Business District.
So where in Singapore are the millennials going?
The Entrepreneur
“What boss? I am the boss around here.”
No points for guessing the reason behind the mushrooming number of start-ups and local enterprises in Singapore. In fact, start-ups are where some of the brightest minds of our local millennials go to. As a technological-savvy generation with burgeoning ideas, millennials are taking things into their own hands and bringing their own visions into fruition. Think local start-ups like Carousell, ShopBack and Ninja Van — all founded by millennials, and interestingly enough, for millennials.
Here, check out the 10 traits that every startup employer looks out for.
The Influencer
Social media has no doubt taken our generation by storm! Popular influencers like Andrea Chong, Xiaxue and Brad Lau of Ladyironchef are raking in big bucks from their online blogs, social media accounts and videos.
Why settle for a desk-bound job when you can enjoy complete work flexibility just from building your online presence?
The Musician
Thanks to YouTube and social media, we’re now seeing more local artistes and bands making waves throughout the region. Just look at Nathan Hartono’s recent triumph at Sing! China! Forget strumming guitars at HDB void decks, millennials are taking their music from your internet screens and to the international stage.
The Health and Fitness Advocates
“Jane gave up her high-paying job of 5 years at an investment bank to open up her own yoga studio.”
Sounds familiar? Our millennial generation is taking the notion that “Health is Wealth” quite literally! They are going further than their Instagram yoga poses and #fitspo hashtags, and are becoming fitness instructors, personal trainers and even setting up their own studios and gyms.
The Globetrotter
Paris? Rome? London? These millennials have an absolute love for travel and yes, would even give up their starry career just to travel and see the world. And contrary to what you might perceive of millennials, they aren’t just absconding off with their parents’ money. Millennials value the adventure and sustain their lifestyles by working on farms, at hostels, as photographers or anything else that can provide them with a reasonable stream of income as they travel.
Following Their Passions (or rather, the Freelancer)
And there are some REALLY BOLD ones, who simply choose to follow their passions and go where the wind blows. To them, it could be trying out literally anything – an Uber driver, an events planner, a content writer, volunteering at community homes, a barista. The list goes on. Their mantra? Life is short, follow your passion. And I’d say, very millennial-like.
This article is brought to you by Unscrambled.sg and ShopBack Singapore, the e-commerce start-up that helps you to earn cashback from over 500 online stores.
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