Almost One-Third of Millennials Quit Their First Jobs Early

Almost One-Third of Millennials Quit Their First Jobs Early First jobs are largely about getting ones foot in the door because finding employment is a catch-22 you need experience to get experience. A first job is an opportunity to learn professionalism applicable to all fields, to establish a routine for oneself, to realize ones interests and strengths and to network. But Monster.com recently commissioned a My First Job survey among graduates 18 to 34 years old and found that 29 percent of candidates actually quit their first jobs before hitting their one-year marks. While they do so for a gamut of reasons, a large majority of them simply feel unprepared.About 18 months is the socially accepted minimum that people are advised to stay in their first jobs it suggests that theyd survived at least one review cycle. And even though longer job tenure isassociated with higher levels of education, which millennial professionals have more of than, say, Gen Xers, millennials are notorious f or job hopping.The results of the Monster.com survery arent too surprising. After all, most respondents took their first job after just three months of hunting (58 percent), and admittedly made a few mistakes. While 28 percent of them their first job through job sites, 18 percent found them through connections via family and friends. Regardless how how they found their first jobs, though, 33 percent of survey respondents said that their biggest mistake welches not asking enough questions, 28 percent said their biggest mistake was not knowing much about the potential employer and 19 percent said they focused too much on salary.As for their decisions to quit before one year, 60 percent of the respondents said that they left for reasons regarding professional growth there were better work opportunities elsewhere. Meanwhile, 16 percent felt like they could have been compensated with higher salaries. Thats why Forbes reported in 2017 that millennials arent job hopping rather, theyre jum ping at opportunity.The boomers beganretiring at about the same time millennials began to enter the workforce, and therein lies the problem There arent enough Gen Xers around to backfill the rapidly depleting workforce,wroteForbes writer, Rick Gillis. Hence, theres a need to promote millennials beyond entry-level and into mid-management and senior positions that they may or may not be preparedfor. The job hoppers are reacting to a very rich and lucrative job market. The offers are coming fast and furiously.But thats just it millennialsmay or may not be prepared. Sixty-six percent of Monster.coms survery respondents were under-prepared for their first jobs. About 37 percent said they felt that opportunities for skilling and overall preparedness were missing, and 29 percent cited domain expertise as a key challenge.The good thing is that the millennials themselves are quite aware of the critical need to enhance their skills, says Sanjay Modi, Managing Director, Monster.com,APACMiddle- East. Internships undoubtedly play a transformative role in instilling both confidence and imparting skills in job seekers. The organizations must have better-structured internship programs that provide these bright and enthusiastic young minds with opportunities to shape their careers and equip them to build their professional capabilities.This researchshows an obvious need for more internships and vocational training opportunities for prospective employees before they dive right into the real world. Millennials might still job hop for better opportunities, but at least theyd be better equipped when they do.--AnnaMarie Houlis is a multimedia journalist and an adventure aficionado with a keen cultural curiosity and an affinity for solotravel. Shes an editor by day and a travel blogger at HerReport.org by night.