Millennials in Today’s Workforce

Millennials in Today’s Workforce

Samantha Carmack

Samantha is a BIAV young professionals member, former BIAV intern, and counselor for Camp Bruce McCoy. In May, Samantha graduated from Mary Baldwin University with her Occupational Therapy Doctorate degree. Thank you for contributing to our blog!

Often times the ambition, drive, and confidence of the millennial generation is mistaken for egocentrism, arrogance, and entitlement. However, as a millennial who has spent over 9 long years preparing myself for success within the healthcare field, I hope to dispel some of these myths to help increase awareness of how this generation will enrich the field of brain injury services. 

Millennials are making a name for themselves when it comes to education. More and more individuals are pursuing advanced degrees in fields they are passionate about. The need for services, especially those in the healthcare field, continues to rise, providing  unique opportunities for millennials. Gaining confidence and speaking your mind, for example, is a great way to stand out from peers.  As the list of mandatory requirements to attain an advanced degree continues to grow, millennials are feeling the pressure. We must not only possess motivation and ambition,  also must prove ourselves through exceptional grades, a great deal of hands-on experiences, and excellent interpersonal skills.

According to a research report by the Society for Human Resource Management, it is estimated that one-half of the workforce will be comprised of millennial workers by the year 2020. Millennials possess certain skills that will be advantageous, especially working in the field of brain injury services, which other generations do not. Millennials grew up around technology and can easily adapt to its advances. As technology continues to expand medical practice, brain injury survivors will have increased access to these resources; and millennials possess the skills needed to assist in the education and implementation of these advanced tech devices to help increase the quality of life of those affected by brain injury. 

In my opinion, millennials get a bad reputation for being egocentric and entitled. I believe many millennials are extremely passionate about their respective fields and work hard for their achievements, despite it becoming more difficult and competitive to follow these passions. Considering this generation will take almost half of the jobs in this country in less than a year, it’s important to recognize that millennials have a lot to offer when it comes to working in human services, healthcare, and with brain injury survivors.