Decoding careers of millennials

By Captain Mahmood Al Mahmood

At family gatherings these days, I am amused to hear an oft-repeated parental refrain when addressing children who have newly joined the workforce.

Hesitantly, the parent or guardian will ask the new adult, “Err..what exactly it is that you are doing?”

Most often the response will be in the form of a New Age career – I have met software writers for transportation companies (think Uber) and app designers, gamers who design exciting video games, consultants whose work revolves around helping companies to swiftly dismantle old projects and build teams and platforms for new ones, drawing up plans on whom to fire and whom to hire.

There are also millennials who work in short bursts – ‘gigs’ as they call them – and use their earnings to indulge i n their spe - cial interests.

They say that they don’t want to be chained in their youth to the 9-to5 routine and office politics and would rather pursue their non- career goals.

All this is very confusing for us Baby Boomers – the generation born in the fifties and sixties, who were raised to chase the dream of the Board Room position and be dedicated to a high-flying career.

But I guess the pandemic of 2020-21 taught us all to pause and take a deep introspective view of things.

It taught us that there are different ways to reach the same goal and unless it is dishonest, no way is the wrong way.

Futurologists have predicted that by 2050, leisure and entertainment will rank higher than conventional careers in importance and take up more time in the lives of millennials.

I can see that world taking shape before my eyes.