Is Peter Pan ready for the real world?
A closer look at the Generation Millennials, those born between 1980 and 2000, and their thoughts on graduation and life after school
Graduation Day is an exciting milestone for every student. College students, in particular, are ecstatic about this occasion, the end of school, the doorstep to the “real world,” “no more pencils, no more books, no more teacher’s dirty looks.” Nothing beats the feeling of finally getting over college to make way for a new life chapter.
THE GRADUATE
All seems rosy until the bubble inevitably bursts. A few days or weeks after graduating, a moment of trepidation comes along, and most youngsters fresh out of college are left pondering on what to do next. Take a job? Pursue further studies? Start a business? Or just drink the night away—who knows what tomorrow will bring?
Apparently, today’s generation, the Millennials (or the “Peter Pan generation”), has a dilemma and in no better time than after graduation does it force them to think what they really want out of life, now that they have a wide range of choices or access to limitless information on what is available. While they may be willing and able to take a head first plunge on a #YOLO (you only live once) Instagram post, it takes a whole lot of courage for them to face the “real world.” They are scared as hell of growing up, and would rather delay any typical adulthood rites of passage to start a career. Narcisstic, they are often tagged, because, as they have been described in many character profiles, from Time Magazine to The New York Times, they are selfish, selfie-sh, raised ironically by the preceding generation on a diet of feel-good, me-time, you-are-beautiful-no-matter-what-they-say, this-is-my-party-and-I’ll-cry-if-I-want-to, and express-yourself.
While Dingdong Dantes is this year’s most celebrated graduate, many of his batchmates from various schools nationwide are still unsure where to go on the road ahead.
The Time Magazine story, “The Me Me Me Generation,” portrayed the Millennials, or those born between 1980 and 2000, as “lazy, coddled, a bit delusional.” It also doesn’t help that the Millennials want flexible work schedules and more “me time” while on the job. So, are they harboring such a delusion? Or are they just motivated to pursue what is rightfully theirs to begin with?
Millennials, as we found out, can be finicky in a savvy way. They are job-seeking smart slackers who have serious career aspirations, and they are very thrilled and excited to join the workforce. The problem, however, is where they should work and how much are they willing to sacrifice for what the older generations called the hard-earned success? Instead of settling for just any company that’s available, they’ve set their eyes on multimillion-dollar companies or international firms with a global reach, according to a survey done by the National Society of High School Scholars.
THE DIGITAL ERA
THE IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION Actor Dingdong Dantes is proof that a crazy schedule is not a hindrance to earning a college degree. Last week, he graduated, earning his degree in Business Administration major in Marketing from the West Negros University (WNU) in Bacolod City. “Alam mo, you really need to manage your time well. When you’re given assignments, kailangan matuto ka ring mag-sacrifice at mag-balanse kung alin ang dapat i-prioritize. Education is the solution. It is not enough to know what your goal is, you must know how to chase it—and chase it real damn well,” said Dantes, who also received a special citation from WNU for being his batch’s Ambassador of Goodwill. Being a staunch advocate of education, Dantes plans to pursue the “One Chair, One Child” project of his Yes Pinoy Foundation and Lifeline Foundation Support Team, Inc., which aims to provide chairs for a school in Iloilo City that was devastated by Typhoon Yolanda in 2013.
In a recent survey conducted by Manila Bulletin’s research section, 25 out of 36 respondents say they are prepared to face the real world outside the confines of their universities in Metro Manila. Statistics from the said survey also notes that compared to earlier batches, most new graduates think they are more academically competent and updated, creative, and unique, too.
“I am more updated with the latest trends,” says Melissa Pangilinan, 19, a Foreign Service student from the Lyceum of the Philippines University, when asked what her advantage is over graduates from previous batches.
Meanwhile, Hans Adrian Lagman, 19, an Advertising student from the University of Santo Tomas, was more careful with his answer. “I’m not quite sure about our edge over the people who graduated earlier but I guess it’s about having the knowledge with the latest in technology since the world is beginning to enter the digital era,” he says.
Many Millennials point out that being young works for their benefit. They think their college education has equipped them with the necessary skills and, at the same time, they think they have all the motivation it takes to succeed.
There is a catch, though. Because Millennials have been raised with the notion that they can be anything and everything they dream to be, with no exceptions, and achieve their personal life goals without having to sweat the small stuff, a job sometimes appears to be a slow process to the realization of the life they were born to live. It also has to fit within their spectrum of personal interests and even conform to their standards. A journalist, for instance, once quit a job he so completely enjoyed and when his boss, puzzled by his sudden resignation, asked him why, he simply said, “I told myself that after two years, I should have been at least promoted.” He spent the next two years jobless, occasionally taking on freelance work, and eventually rejoined the industry.
There’s a big job mismatch among youth employment these days, arising from the fresh graduates’ lost notion of what their passion really is and what they like or even what they want to do. So, although they are adept in social media, most of them seemingly lack the appropriate career guidance they need once they’re plunged into the everyday workforce.
BETWEEN WHAT’S REAL AND WHAT’S IDEAL
Dexter Cabalza, 20, a Journalism student from the University of the Philippines-Diliman, is grateful for his parents’ guidance. Although he had always considered himself a “math and science” person, he took up Journalism because his mother told him he was a good writer.
Now, here in the Philippines, most people have the notion that journalism, along with other Liberal Arts courses, may be intellectually stimulating but financially unrewarding. They might be wrong, and it looks like Cabalza may be off to a good start once he steps outside school. These days, some jobs related to the Liberal Arts are lucrative, such as being an art director, a PR assistant, a company content writer, and being involved in a Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) unit.
Yes, BPOs are the so-called “sunshine industry” of the Philippines, because of their supposed financial benefits. They are such a magnet for young people that even those who have yet to finish their tertiary education go for them, as long as there’s an opening and a college diploma is not required.
While some accuse the Millennials of being money-driven, there seems to be such a big gray area in their preferences to arrive at any conclusion. When accepting a job offer, not very few of them surprisingly put monetary compensation only next to interest or passion. It’s safe to assume that for these young people, money only serves to fuel their passions in life. To these Millennials, the trick is to work first to earn some money and then to use the money to go for personal pursuits, such as a more fulfilling yet less financially rewarding career, or as a startup capital for a business.
But maybe this ideal is just a matter of age. As the generations before them experienced it during their younger years, Millennials today seem curious about what’s ahead for them and, since the future is only an idea, they might as well dream up the very best. “It’s just a matter of setting goals after graduating,” says Gabriel Cedrick Victorino, 20, a Business Administration student from De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde. “I think every Millennial who has just graduated should think that he or she is neither a kid nor a student anymore and that it’s time for us to spread our wings and soar high in the industry of our choice. It’s time to live the dream, as they say.”
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