Spring is the time of year that those in the recruiting business begin to get more resumes from recent college graduates. As many of us get older, we fall into that old trap of glorifying our own work trends and attitudes and criticizing all following generations for not being the same. The current generation entering the workforce is definitely not immune to this criticism. They have been labeled “Millennials”.
From Dr. Twenge’s book, The Me Generation, to countless articles in Time, USA Today, and the Atlantic Monthly, terms like narcissism, entitlement, and “Trophy Generation” get used when describing the weaknesses of those entering the workforce now. But there is much strength that this generation brings to the table that private detective agencies could utilize and even cultivate into success.
Individuality: This is one of the more positive stereotypes of the current generation. They pride themselves on being an individual, an army of one…special. With private investigations, especially with surveillance, a person works alone. They solely answer for their decisions, their actions, and even though they work for a company, the results of the case they are working rely on their abilities as an investigator alone. Praise is instant and recognizable. When an investigation goes well, only one person gets the credit…the investigator.
Unpredictability: According to studies and articles written, this is a generation that thrives in environments that do not work on a schedule or fall into routine. Private investigations are neither on a schedule nor a routine. There are certain “rituals” that are performed daily to best prepare the investigator for the case on hand, but overall, this type of work is constantly changing.
Tech Interests: Millennials often have a higher working knowledge of computers, phones, and other items of “tech” for the simple reason that they grew up with more exposure to these things. I have personally found that some of our most innovative tech advances as a company have come from the brainstorms of my employees born after 1990. This is a fact.
Entitlement: Have you ever heard of making strengths from your weaknesses? A sense of entitlement is one of the weaknesses. However, a sense of entitlement also gives someone the confidence to ask for things others may be afraid to ask for or to go places they may not always fit in because they believe they belong there. How often are investigators put into situations where they need to confidently ask for something or go someplace they would normally stick out but have the confidence to blend like in? All the time!
These are just a few of many traits that Millennials can contribute to successful investigations. Since the beginning of time, older generations have criticized the generation before them. As generations come and go, this cycle continues. The bottom line is that just like any other profession, it takes many different kinds of personality traits, generations, and candidates to define a successful investigator. Ex-military, ex-law enforcement, college graduates, high school graduates, student athletes, hunters, fishers, joggers, single people, married people, men, women…and even Millennials are capable of being the best investigators.
So as we head from Spring into Summer and Millennials begin to look for a field of work that will both satisfy their generational needs and pay them for doing so, PhotoFax will gladly accept their resumes and cultivate their talents for not only their own success but ours as well.
