Millennials may be the in-demand generation in today’s job market, but some employers are struggling to retain millennials, and some millennials are struggling to find work that provides a healthy work-life balance.
According to Forbes, which reported on how companies can keep millennials, the Bureau of Labor Statistics noted that the average millennials held 7.8 jobs between the ages of 18 and 30. In addition, some millennials who are first-generation college students also struggle to navigate the workplace with a lack of tools or resources.
Chandria Harris, a human resources expert and founder of HireCulture, is here to put an end to all of that. The first-generation college student created HireCulture to help millennials navigate the workplace with networking, resume-building, and webinars.
In an interview with rolling out, Harris discusses millennials’ struggles in the workplace, how HireCulture is helping them overcome that struggle, the future of HireCulture, and more.
How did you get into human resources?
When I was a junior in college, I worked as an admissions ambassador for my college, and a lot of that required me to do on-campus interviews, to be personable and have a lot of face time with prospective students. I realized that I absolutely loved people and helping them find success. That was human resources, and I went deeper into learning more about HR.
Why do you think millennials are having a hard time picking a career that provides financial stability and a sense of purpose?
Millennials are struggling because they want to be the best, and they don’t want to work to get it. They want quick access to success.
What is the purpose of HireCulture?
HireCulture is a training and development program. I go out to universities and work with nonprofit universities, nonprofit churches, companies that are looking to train their talent to be better.
I go to universities and teach millennials how to network, how to write resumes, professional development across the board for all millennials, specifically for first-generation college students.
What are some mistakes you learned from while on your career journey?
One of my biggest mistakes is looking over people sometimes. As a millennial, you want to talk to the person who is in charge. But, honey, they’re not making the decision. There is someone influencing their decisions and who we need to talk. Never look past the gatekeeper because they are the ones who have the answer.
What are unrealistic goals that millennials have entering their profession of choice?
The number one unrealistic goal is that once you graduate you’re going to immediately be in the job of your dreams; that’s not gonna happen. It’s called a career journey for a reason. There’s a path, so you have to begin with the end in mind. If you’re realistic about your path, then you will be super excited about your first job because it’ll make you one step closer.
Where do you see HireCulture in the next three years?
I’m having my first-ever first generation conference in July 2019. If you’re a first-generation college student, I’m going to host the conference for you to come and learn everything you need to know about graduating college and getting your life started from career development to life planning.
I’m also getting ready to publish a book called The White Button Down Approach in the summer. My goal is to be the young Stephen Covey. I want to be a chief learning officer for young professionals and help them in the workplace.
