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Today is my *gulp* 25^th birthday. I am officially in my mid-twenties and I am a millennial. Millennials have been getting a bad rep from proceeding generations, who have accused us of being lazy and incompetent. Labor market data shows that millennials have a much more difficult time at finding employment than other generations. According to a recent Harvard study, only 6 in 10 millennials have jobs, half of which are part time. Is it lack of education? No. Fifty-nine percent of millennials have completed college. Then what is it? According to a recent study by Adecco, 58 percent of hiring managers said they have no plans whatsoever to hire a recent college graduate. Despite those bleak facts, millennials currently make up 50 percent of the workforce, and within the next 25 years, millennials will make up 75 percent of the workforce.

So you may be asking yourself, “How do I find a job after college?” Well, it’s not easy. Before I was hired full-time at National Able Network, I worked part-time in retail and was also a part time intern for a few years.

Now, I don’t claim to have all of the answers to finding a job, but here’s what helped me:

Internships! Internships! Internships! Interning is what landed me my job at National Able Network. It is the best way to gain experience working in an office environment and to build a professional network. You can graduate college Magna Cum Laude, but if you don’t have quality work experience on your resume, you’re not likely to get a call back. Internships transcend generations, so never pass up an opportunity to gain work experience in your chosen career path, even if you’re not a millennial like me!

Perfect Your Craft. Many post-grads are working in jobs that don’t align with their future career goals. Until your “real job” comes along (and it will!), work hard in your current job. You can perfect your craft in any industry by acquiring transferable skills. For example, I worked in retail for a few years during and after college and the skills I learned are very valuable to my current position as a Senior Communications Specialist. Working in retail helped me to understand how important messaging is and how to communicate to a wide variety of people. It’s a skill that I will use for the rest of my professional life.

Don’t let others tell you you’re lazy. I hear quite often that millennials are the “laziest generation.” That’s simply not true. Eleanor Roosevelt said, “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” Take that advice and never let anyone tell you what you can’t do. Go out and do it.

Above all, please know this: you don’t have to do this all on your own! The team here at National Able Network is here to help you acquire the skills and tools you need to be successful throughout your professional career! Call us at 855-994-8300 or join our program online at www.nationalable.org.