Changing the Conversation Abroad
Last week I had the pleasure of attending the global WorldCom conference in Brussels, Belgium to discuss the millennial generation with top executives of public relation firms around the world. Together with Eljay Feuerman, Julie Lubbers, Amelie Harich, and Miles Loupe we held a panel discussion of millennial leaders. The purpose of this panel was to have an open discussion with PR industry leaders who wanted to talk directly with millennials and gain their perspective. We touched upon misconceptions people have about our generation, and how to work with us to facilitate an effective working environment.
The main concern for these executives that employ millennials is they believe we are entitled and want to gain recognition right away. The point our team made in response is that, as millennials, we want open communication, someone that guides us in the beginning, and someone for us to turn to if we have questions. Not only do I think that this is very important for someone who is first coming into the business, but I believe it is also very important for future success. It is just as important to do the work, as it is to learn. Most of us are beginning to accept our first “real job” and we have so much to learn. With that being said, we learn from asking questions, making mistakes and correcting them, and through experience. Employee to employer communication will allow for a sharing of ideas and concepts that can help the business grow as well.
The panel lasted for about an hour, but could have gone on all afternoon. The feedback we received from everyone was valuable and allowed us to change the conversation. As a group we got to listen to many other important speakers at the conference, take a walking tour of Brussels, and most importantly network. Throughout the conference I was able to make valuable connections and learn about many different opportunities in the industry.
My main take away from attending the conference was that it reassured me of what I wanted to do after graduation, and gave me a scope of what it would be like to work in a mid-sized agency. Not only this, but being able to discuss millennials and change the conversation with the audience was great and I could not have been able to do it without the great group of people next to me. Attending the WorldCom conference left a lasting impression on me, that I will be able to benefit from in the years to come.
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