By Kevin Liebe, AuD

Millennials{{1}}[[1]]Millennials (or Generation Y) are the demographic cohort following Generation X. There are no precise dates when the generation starts and ends. Researchers and commentators use birth years ranging from the early 1980s to the early 2000s.[[1]]certainly bring a unique perspective on how they view careers and jobs. Numerous studies on career choice indicate they deeply desire meaningful work. After interviewing dozens of Millennials, Adam Smiley Poswolsky suggests that meaningful work allows you to 1) share your gifts, 2) make an impact in the lives of others, and 3) live your desired quality of life.

Who doesn’t seek meaningful work, Millennial or not? Any career or profession is what you make of it, but certainly Audiology could meet the requirements outlined by Poswolsky (although #3 is open to interpretation).

Who Wants to Be an Audiologist?

While I’ve never been afraid to share my frustrations about issues impacting my chosen profession, as is evidenced by some of my past blog posts, the truth is that if given the opportunity I would certainly choose audiology over again. However, like any career path, audiology has its positives and negatives.

As my colleague Gael Hannan posted last week in her (Casual) Consumer Guide to Hearing Care Professionals, her audiologist is “someone I trust to identify and explain my hearing loss, help me deal with its barriers,  provide me with realistic expectations, and recommend appropriate technology and other effective communication strategies.”

If your answer is yes to the following questions, Audiology might be right for you:

Do you like looking in people’s ears?

Can you look people in the eye and articulate clearly?

Does technology turn your crank?

Are you a curious problem-solver?

Do you have a bottomless cup of patience and empathy and curiosity?

The Truth About Millennials

Despite the bad press in the media about this being an “entitlement” generation, Millennials continue to give back to society at record rates. According to a Walden University study, despite the poor state of the economy and this generation’s high levels of unemployment and underemployment (with many having to move back in with Mom and Dad), 81% report that they have donated money, goods or services in the last 12 months.

In fact, research by Net Impact found that the Millennial generation expects to make a difference in the world through their work, and more than half of Millennials would take a 15% pay cut to do work for an organization that matches their values.

These attributes don’t quite line up with the affectionate moniker, Generation Me, that is so often associated with Millennials. Regardless of the level of truth to the claims of this being the most narcissistic generation ever, Millennials will comprise about 75% of the global workforce by 2025.

Simply put, Millennials will make up a majority of the active audiology workforce within the next decade

Re-Think Marketing to Prospective Students, Employees?

Considering the projected increase in demand for audiology services over the coming decades, along with the lack of needed professionals to fill the demand, college recruiters should take to heart Poswolsky’s suggestion for meaningful work and apply those ideas when speaking to students. To better connect with the Millennial job seeker, employers should also shift their focus to promote their organizations’ core values and how an individual employee’s contributions can have a direct impact on the community.

If the profession of Audiology markets itself in a way that can incorporates the three components of meaningful work, I suspect we may no longer have an audiology shortage in the future.

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Looking for a job in Audiology?  Want to post a job?  Check out HHTM’s New Career Center!

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