My age categorizes me—or labels me—as “Generation Y”. So, in theory (and depending on who we are talking to), we Ys are a distinct group expected to either revolutionize the job market or burden it with the concerns of our generation.

MY PROGRESS

I have been working for the same employer for nine years now. I started out as an intern. At the end of my internship, the person who hired me left the company. Therefore, I had the opportunity to apply for their position. I made the necessary efforts to successfully have my knowledge and skills known and recognized by the company. I became a Human Resources Advisor at a company with nearly 400 employees.

Do I Have What It Takes?

During the years that followed, I realized that HR was an area in which I felt fulfilled. For eight years, my boss was a baby boomer, and then my boss came from Generation X. Most of my colleagues had more than 25 years of experience or seniority in the company. It goes without saying that, for a long time, I felt like I was the new hire who had to learn quickly from colleagues and prove my capabilities in HR emergencies.

I evolved rapidly thanks to enriching experiences, sharing different points of view in various situations, participating in several committees, and so on. I realized that although I felt young and inexperienced, I knew I was heard and that my point of view mattered.

Finally, almost a year ago, I was promoted to Human Resources Director.

Some will think: “That was quick!”.

QUESTIONS I ASKED MYSELF

Is eight years are considered a long time to reach a career goal? Don’t worry, I have asked myself this very question and many similar ones, several times. Are promotions and career development possible within the same company?

Am I a victim of my generation’s concerns, of the need for fast career development? Should I leave the work environment I love to reach my career goals? These questions are totally justified, especially when we know that professionals from previous generations waited a very long time before being promoted, when the job market was not what it is today: “a full-employment market.”

Was it luck? Was I born under a lucky star?

Trust

I was lucky, maybe, but all in all, I also made my own luck. My employer saw my potential and together, we have developed a continuous and adapted training plan to perfect and further improve my knowledge, which helped me deliver higher performances with every challenge that crossed my path later on. Although my growth within the company may seem quite fast, my employer was clear when I got my promotion.

It would not have been possible for me to achieve this goal if I hadn’t proven myself.

As I was told, regardless of the generation, the candidate may be a nice person and the employer may be open-minded, the fact remains that a company will not entrust the management of a department to just about anybody. I am now in charge of a whole department, the strategic planning, the growth the company through HR strategies and the development of our employer brand, and I do so with a great team around me.

Over Time, Things All Fell Into Place

Yes, I am part of Generation Y. Yes, I am enjoying a full-employment market. And yes, I need work-family balance, flexibility, significance to my work and answers to my questions.

After reaching almost ten years of experience, I realize that my path and my determination made me become the professional that I am, a reliable person and a valued business partner to my colleagues.

I certainly have a lot more to offer now than I did five years ago. I feel I have acquired professional maturity. I maintain a good pace of work, I organize my files better and I am open to constructive comments from those around me in order to improve myself.

I know that I am much more resilient today than I was at 25; resilience, or the ability to bounce back from hardships (professional challenges), is gained through experience.

The Baby Boomers, the Xs have a background to share and they are the ones who make room for us, the Ys. Therefore, it is important to take advice from them.

In Conclusion

What can be taken away from this short testimony? I would especially like to encourage people to not give up on their ambitions, to trust in time and all the little things that can help pave their way.

Our behaviours and accomplishments are observed and appreciated by our predecessors.

Above all, we must remember that generations are a theoretical concept that allows people to better understand the expectations and needs of others according to their age. It is therefore important not to restrict ourselves to our age group, and to embrace multigenerational work environments.

Past generations have paved the way to where we are now. They are the ones who give us the unique chance to acquire skills and evolve, and tomorrow it will be our turn to pass the torch!

Millennials, are you up to the challenge of our time?

Predecessors, any advice for us, the millennials ?

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