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ENTRESPECTIVE

MAGAZINE #2

How To Revamp Your

Image on a Budget?

Managing

Millennials: Top 3

Most Impactful

Mistakes

Ready for a

Cubicle

Makeover?

8 Quick

Tips For

Better

Emails

Hey!

As a millennial I appreciate the fact that our generation is a melting pot of

music, fashion and beliefs. We were always encouraged by our parents to

dream big and never settle.

I see our generation in the midst of its true transformation. What we are

generating will change the traditional paradigms of work and life.

Differently from our baby-boomer parents, we have a greater grasp on reality

and social responsibility than they had at our age, we have information,

instant connectedness and the need to express what we know and reach for

what we want.

Are we fighting from our cubicles? Or pursuing a personal passion with a

vision all our own? I believe that we don’t have to choose, and as a gen y I

love that I don’t have to! (#FOMO).

To make an even bigger dent in the world, we must choose to take action.

Having global awareness is a first step; we must also be workplace savvy

and entrepreneurial-minded.

This eM issue is packed with great ideas to improve your professional image,

redesign your workspace, communicate strategically and understand the

workplace prejudices we must all fight against. Read on!

Gabriela.G

“If you want to lead, then learn how to

follow…” Game of Thrones

Tweet your favorite leadership quote using #eMagQuotes

8

Magazine Content

Cover Story

The Top 3 Most Impactful Mistakes Managers Make

When Managing MillennialsStrategies to retain your top Gen Y talent

By Crystal Kadakia @careerindulgence.com

Featured Stories

8 Quick Tips to Improve Your Email

EtiquetteCraft emails that build your image up

By Hailley Griffis @TheYoungProfessionalTimes

Your Cubicle Doesn’t Have To Be

Ugly

Your working space is a blank canvas

By Kayla Cruz @lostgenygirl.com

Our Millennial Values: Social Impact

Gen Y @Work: Perks vs. Passion

17

20

6

How to Revamp Your Professional

Image on A Budget?You don’t need to break the bankBy Courtney Gordner @talkviral.com

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Images from their articles can be found @Morguefile.com. Go check them out!

4

Meet The Experts

Courtney Gordner is a blogger with a passion for all things

internet, social media and business! She has contributed many

great articles to our blog. We invite you to connect with her

through Google+, where she’s very active and to read more from

her, on her own blog, www.talkviral.com.

Crystal Kadakia is founder and owner of Career

Indulgence, a strategy consulting firm focused on providing

solutions to attract, retain, and develop Gen Y talent. She is

also a speaker and trainer and has spoken at events such as

TEDx, American Society of Training and Development, and

University-held conferences. She brings a unique perspective

to the Gen Y/Millennial discussion - instead of focusing on

generational differences, she separates the realities from the

rants and discusses the true driver behind Gen Y choices:

technology.

To learn more:

visit www.careerindulgence.com and www.crystalkadakia.com

You can follow her on Twitter @CareerNdulgence.

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Images from Hailley and Gabriela’s articles can be found @Morguefile.com. Go

check them out!

Images from Kayla’s article can be found on her site.

Kayla Cruz is the Gen Y Girl. She is a blogger, mentor

and young professional making a difference. You may find

more about her by visiting her site lostgenygirl.com

Hailley Griffis started The Young Professional Times

to share career advice. When she’s not writing Hailley

works as a social media strategist, helping brands be

social. To find out more visit hailleygriffis.com or follow

her on Twitter, @hailleymari.

Gabriela Gotay is the founder of Entrespective.com, a

blog for millennial professionals looking to expand their

careers and talents, generating self-empowerment by

implementing entrepreneurial perspectives. Find more

about her at about.me/gabriela.gotay

Our Millennial

Values: Social Impact

6

What is social impact?

For us, it’s the idea that what you do should be tied up to the higher force that

is our society.

Individualism has become a tool not just for self expression but for this critical

element of our generation: wanting to make a difference in the world.

As a generation we have idealistic views of life and work. We want to believe

our jobs are giving us more than just monetary gain.

How are we impacting society?

1. We are driving technological change.

2. We are connecting and collaborating on a global scale.

3. We are spreading our message and building social movements online.

Much of social impact happens by default as we interact with our virtual world.

Thanks to technology we can fulfill pretty much all of our social impact quota,

however, it is crucial that we make a commitment to be socially aware.

How can we generate social impact with awareness?

1. Share with purpose. Be strategic about what you post.

2. Respect the cause. Don’t overshadow you positive message with negative

words or connotations.

3. Follow the principle of Reciprocity. Built up other’s causes as well as your

own.

www.Careerindulgence.com

Career Indulgence

Career Advice

Career Coach

Career Success

Search: Career

The Top 3 Most Impactful Mistakes

Managers Make When Managing

Millennials

8

It’s a fact: employees leave their

manager, not the company. This is as

true for Gen Y as it was for previous

generations, although, in general,

Gen Y employees are more likely to

leave companies. The reasons can

range from pay to mismatch with

work/life goals. However, in every

case, having a great manager

increases productivity during the

duration of employment and

significantly decreases the probability

of attrition. In addition, it’s also

becoming a well known fact that it

takes an expanded set of skills to

manage Gen Y/Millennials.

While there are common mistakes to

avoid such as micromanagement,

this article focuses on the top 3

impactful mistakes – those behaviors

by managers that have the biggest

bang for the buck, the biggest impact

for minute moments.

Mistake #1: Humor That Alienates,

Specifically By Relying on

Assumptions

It’s natural to try to find common

ground when establishing a

manager-direct report relationship.

Many experienced managers

struggle to find common ground with

the new workforce and make a

number of mistakes. This struggle

can exhibit outwardly in multiple

ways including false assumptions,

belittling humor, and misguided

expectations.

For example, many assume that Gen

Y’s had “helicopter parents” and had

childhood lives filled with endless

parent-scheduled activities, school

followed by ballet, soccer, etc. This

results in the presumption of lack of

work capability, accountability, and

responsible behavior.

Viewing a new employee in this light

automatically sets them up for failure,

instead of success. In many cases,

the opposite Gen Y scenario is true

as many in this generation grew up in

divorced homes, resulting in very

independent childhoods. Comments

of this nature start with statements

like, “This generation has it so

easy….” or “You’re supposed to want

constant feedback right?” It’s better

to always ask questions instead of

assuming that an employee

relationship should be a certain way.

Alternatively, you can share how you

like to work and ask the employee if

that works for them.

Some other examples are statements

like: “Maybe you can tell me what I

should do about my son/daughter

constant selfie addiction – aren’t you

a part of the Me Generation?” or

“You’re a Gen Y, can you teach me

how to use my iPhone?” Treating

your Gen Y employees like your IT

Services connection is a definite no-

no. Not all Gen Y’s are adept with

technology and no one likes to be put

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on the spot for assumed skills.

The best practice is to never

assume. Instead of basing off of

assumptions, starting instead with a

story from your time and then

asking if the Gen Y can relate is a

much better way to forge a bond

you can both work from. For

example, when you were

transitioning from college, xyz was a

struggle for you.

Mistake #2: Lack of Transparency

Regarding Career Progression

If pay progression or promotion is

slow at your organization, just admit

it. It is far better to admit it than to

say nothing. Many companies have

a culture that dissuades talking

about career progression. But as

new employees starting a

new chapter in their lives, one they

have never embarked on before,

this is one of the biggest questions.

What does the future look like?

What is the big picture I am working

towards?

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Also, recognize that young

employees may not realize what

other forms of progression and

growth look like. Generally, the first

thought for any new employee is:

Rewards = Increased Pay, Better

Title. This is a moment to educate

and expand your employee’s

perspective – growth can be in many

dimensions. Share what other

dimensions your company offers

and don’t exclude diverse project

work as a perk. As their manager,

you are in a position to understand

what kind of project the new hire

would really enjoy getting into and

then delivering elements of that in

their current work. Transparency is

key.

Mistake #3: Lack of Opportunities

to Meaningfully Contribute

The biggest complaint I hear from

many Gen Y’s is the amount of time

it takes before they are permitted to

contribute to results. Doing the

grunge work doesn’t capture the

maximum productivity your Gen Y

can contribute and instead,

demotivates and disengages the

employee. If they are not allowed to

contribute quickly, it generates

reasons for leaving the company.

Although it may surprise you, most

Millennials don’t want to be paid for

doing nothing – and we are quick to

trust our own judgment of what is

worthwhile work.

It is important to strike the right

balance between introducing them to

the work and allowing them to

contribute significantly to a project or

even lead a project on their own. It’s

important to explain which work will

help to build a foundation to do more

challenging work later vs. which

work items are intended to allow

them to already start displaying

leadership and critical thinking skills.

By establishing the expectations

regarding the work this way, the new

employee has no false

understanding of work – yes, some

of it is going to be tedious, but it is

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going to build to something later or

may always be a tedious part of the

job. It’s important to be transparent

about the work.

A good rule of thumb is as long as

10% of the work plan at a minimum

involves true leadership and critical

thinking from the new employee, the

remainder of the work plan can be

more learning alongside a more

experienced employee or working as

a part of a team with no clear

responsibility. But in at least 10% of

the work plan, the new employee

should be personally accountable and

contributing clearly to a significant

group or department result.

These are just a few of the

behaviors that can lead to quick

turnover with Millennials, but they

are big mistakes.

New employees can either work with

you, against you, or contribute little

to no work. How you choose to

manage these employees makes a

critical difference in the outcome.

What mistakes have you seen

managers make when managing

Millennials?

By Crystal Kadakia

Careerindulgence.com

Once there was the phone…

For the über-connected …

For the conversationists…

For the in-the-know…

Now…We TalkViral.com

How to Revamp Your Professional

Image on A Budget?

N

13

o matter how much your cover letter

and resume can attest to your

professional accomplishments, your

personality and appearance during

an interview are what truly sell you

to employers. While you can

improve your professional

personality for free, it requires a little

bit of money to look the part for an

interview. The good news is that “a

little bit” is all it truly takes: check out

the tips below that will help you build

a professional wardrobe without

spending your entire first — second

and third — paycheck.

Search through Your Own Closet

Maybe it’s your first time

interviewing, it’s been a while since

you’ve been on the job or you’re

simply attempting to attain

employment in an office that’s more

formal than your last. You may think

you need to bulk up your wardrobe

with new, more professional duds;

however, many people end up

having plenty of options hanging

among their everyday clothes. Try

on old suit jackets, slacks, skirts and

dresses, and if necessary, tailor

them for a better fit. Many

professional garments are

classically cut, so they stay in style

for a while.

Accessorize What You Find

Check to see if you have a selection

of base garments that will work for

your interview or new office setting.

Then, punch them up without

breaking the bank by finding snazzy

accessories. Regardless of whether

you’re male or female, your first stop

should be the shoe store. It’s not

required that you shell out a small

fortune for a nice pair of shoes, but a

neutral leather pair that compliments

your outfit is a must. Then, ladies

should search for a smart leather

briefcase or bag, as well as simple

.

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jewelry and, perhaps, a colorful scarf

that compliments the entire get-up.

Men should also find a sleek

briefcase, as well as a high-quality

belt, watch, and tie. No keyboard-tie-

wearing applicants need apply. A

briefcase can be pricey, so don't

forget that you can always borrow

one from a friend for a few days

while you check out local

consignment shops. A briefcase

doesn't have to be expensive.

Invest in Versatility

If your closet search is fruitless, it’s

time to head to your local mall or

outlet center to find the pieces you

need to impress potential and future

employers. Just make sure that the

items you choose can be worn in

several ways.

For example, let’s say you purchase

two simple button-down blouses in

different colors, a black pencil skirt,

and a two-piece gray pantsuit. You

can wear the button-downs with both

the pants and the skirt, and you can

wear all four of these combinations

with or without the suit jacket.

Right there, you have eight potential

outfits that you can make even

more special with simple

accessories, such as a punchy scarf

or large, menswear-style watch.

The same idea goes for men:

besides investing in a two-piece suit

and white button-up as well, it’s

important to find a well-fitted blazer

and khaki pants. Having versatile,

mix and match clothing is a great

strategy for any job-hunting

individual because you can adjust

your clothing to match the kind of

interview you are attending. That

way, the same clothing you have in

your closet can help you get a job

with a volunteer management

company, a construction company

or maybe even a job at a college.

Befriend a Good Tailor

If everything in life were a perfect fit

there would be no need for tailors.

Until that day comes, though, these

good citizens continue to make your

lives — and wardrobes — better. A

tailor can help you make sure that

skirts and dresses have hems that

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are long enough, and that pants

skim the floor at just the right length.

Make sure that you arrive at your

local tailor shop with the shortest

shoes you plan to wear with each

item so that they don’t end up too

long. Once your tailor is finished,

you will more or less have a

wardrobe that’s custom-fit to you,

which means you’ll look completely

polished and professional for your

interview and every day on the job.

By Courtney Gordner

TalkViral.com

Gen Y @Work

16

Perks vs. Passion

According to a recent T+D article by

Kimberly Heyer, marketing manager

@BlessingWhite, contrary to what most

big corporations belief, for the modern

workforce, there is no real relation

between high employee productivity levels

and company perks. Heyer presents the

result of a recent BlessingWhite survey,

which shows that “perks may cause

organizations to retain less productive

employees.” And why would an

organization want to keep satisfied

disengaged and passive employees?

As a Gen Y, is not surprising at all to me

that the main reason an engaged

professional would stay has nothing to do

with external perks but internal

satisfaction. “I like what I do” was the

answer of 38% of the survey “engaged”

employees, followed by “Belief in the

organization mission and culture.”

One very stereotypical baby-boomer

accusation is that we lack company loyalty.

They don’t seem to understand that as of

today the idea of staying at the

same job for 30+ years to get retirement

benefits is no longer a reality, not even for

them. I think a much better, and practical

approach, is to focus on the intangible

things that an organization can give you;

that’s what we do, and that’s when we feel

the urge to leave when: We don’t see a

sense of purpose to what we do. We don’t

feel inspired by the company’s mission.

Our values are not shared.

The last thing the article mentions is

accountability. Within our current

workplace we must be honest and clear

with ourselves and our colleagues. Take

responsibility to learn and understand

your role within your department and

company’s mission. Take an active part in

getting to know its culture and values.

Look for the inspiring vision that would

give your passion and speak up about the

importance of this critical element.

Passion sometimes comes naturally,

sometimes it must be rekindled.

Focus on passion and be a true Gen Y

@Work!

By Gabriela Gotay

Entrespective.com

Your Cubicle Doesn’t Have

to Be Ugly!

17

Your cubicle doesn’t have to be ugly.

Not a teeny tiny bit.

It doesn’t have to be dark and gray

and dreary.

And you know what else? It doesn’t

have to look like a prison.

Instead, it can be fun.

• It can be vibrant and uplifting.

• It can be a reflection of your

super-awesome personality if

you want it to.

There’s been a lot of research lately

about office design and productivity.

More and more I’m coming across

articles that discuss office design

and how it affects our mood.

So I guess I kind of think it’s

important.

Probably because we spend more

time in our office space than we do

at home (sadly).

And I don’t know about you, but I

spend a lot of time making sure that

my home is comfy.

I spend a lot of time making sure

that my home makes me feel good.

We buy things and re-position

objects that we probably don’t even

need and we do these things

because it’s part of making our

environment a positive one.

Our cubicle…our office

space…it’s our second home.

So if it’s killing your mood and

makes you feel awful, it’s probably

time you do something about that.

I recently started making a few

changes to my little lonely cubicle.

Now it’s kind of cool.

First of all, anyone who knows me

knows that I’m a quote fanatic, so

I’ve got some awesome motivational

posters that keep me somewhat

sane when I’m having a really

crappy day.

Then I’ve got these super cute items

from UrbanGirl.Com. I don’t know

what to tell you…

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My Jonathan Adler Block

Calendar and LoLo Stanley Case…

sure, they’re not essential, but they

bring so much color to my desk and

they just make me feel happy.

*Side note: The elephant, even

though it’s pink, was bought

because I’m a huge Alabama

Football fan, so every time I look at it

I get excited for the season to start

again.

Then I’ve got my shrine to all the

important people in my life. Sorry

mom and dad, I need to get a

picture of you guys too! (Don’t hate

me.) But anyway, it just makes me

happy to know that outside of work,

I’ve got so many positive

relationships in my life, and THAT-

on its own- gives me even more of a

reason to want to work hard. Even

though I’m working and I may not

enjoy every second of every day, I’m

working so that I can have the

resources to make more memories

with these people. (Because you

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know, you can’t go out and do

awesome super-fun things if

you’re totally poor.)

And then, finally, I’ve got my

vacation corner. This picture of me

and my man-friend was taken in

Gettysburg, PA. We went up there a

while back and it was such an

incredible experience. Right under it

sits my Panama City Beach snow

globe. Again, we’ve vacationed there

together and we’ve loved every

minute of it. So my vacation corner

reminds me that the world’s a lot

bigger than my cubicle, and it

reminds me to try to experience as

much of it as possible.

Now it’s your turn! What do you

love about your office space, and if

the answer is NOTHING, then what

are you going to do to fix that?

By Kayla Cruz

Lostgenygirl.com

8 Quick Tips to Improve Your

Email Etiquette

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If the only people that you write

emails to are friends and family, then

suddenly you’re conversing with

professional contacts, mentors,

professors, potential bosses and

colleagues – it becomes a whole

different ball game. If you’re new to

the whole professional email thing,

we’re going to set you off on the

right foot.

To start, if you don’t already, make

sure you have a professional email

address. I wrote about this in a

previous post, it is a great first step.

Now on to the real email etiquette:

1. Address everyone properly

Sometimes people have titles. Not

only is it respectful to use them, it

can also be quite flattering to the

other person.

2. Sign off eloquently

Although “Thanks” is a great way to

end an email, try to switch it up and

use “Cheers, Best Regards,” Just

the fact that you leave a greeting

before you end the email is a great

step.

3. Be well mannered

Say please if you’re asking for

something, be as respectful as you

would to the person’s face. Just

because you can’t see them, it

doesn’t mean you can say whatever

you want.

4. Learn where the spaces go

Everything should not be one

paragraph. Learn to space out your

emails so that they are easy to read.

5. Spend a few minutes getting an

email signature together

Include important links and a title if

you have one. Keep it simple though,

no need to include images when you

don’t need to. (Those take time to

load as well and sometimes appear

as attachments.)

6. Watch the length

Try to keep it to the point, unless

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otherwise indicated, most people

don’t want to read an essay.

7. Read it over for spelling and

grammar mistakes

One of the most unprofessional

mistakes is having typos and

grammar mistakes in your email.

8. Check your Google + photo -

Gmail only

Did you know that the photo you

have on Google + appears to other

Gmail users when you email them?

Make sure it’s a professional photo,

that photo of you and your boyfriend

at the beach, while lovely, is

probably not what you want your

professional contacts seeing when

you email them.

There you have it, quick and simple.

These couple of things might seem

basic but they are absolutely helpful

when communicating via email.

Especially if the first impression you

are making is a virtual one!

By Hailley Griffis

TheYoungProfessionalTimes.com

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