Recently Natalie Brennan, general manager of Muffin Break, spoke about how millennials are too entitled to work for free and no longer see the value in 'experience' and the opportunities this provides. She suggested that millennials have an 'inflated view of their self-importance'.
Generally speaking, a millennial is anyone born after 1980. We're kind of a cross between Gen Y (mid 70s to mid 90s) and Gen Z (mid 90s to mid 00s) and personally I can't really figure out why the term even exists, given Gen Y and Gen Z are perfectly acceptable descriptors. But, it's certainly a buzz term and one mostly used to denigrate young people.
So, what exactly is Brennan on about? Ironically, she has an inflated view of her company's importance and believes that 'millennials' should jump at the opportunity to work for her in an unpaid internship.
Perhaps if we had access to free education as the generations before us did, we would jump at the opportunity to gain 'experience'. However, according to a 2017 report by Universities Australia, research showed that 30 per cent of full-time domestic undergraduate students were working more than 20 hours per week in paid employment in addition to their studies. This study also suggested that only 35 per cent of students in paid employment felt their work/study balance was satisfactory, with more than a quarter missing class because of work commitments.
Unfortunately for us, 'experience' won't pay the bills.
Sadly, the ideas espoused by Brennan are not uncommon and see workers in all industries, but most specifically retail, fast food and hospitality, losing not only their rights at work but also their wages in stolen penalty rates and unpaid superannuation.
As a student, I am aware of the competition and drive that exists among other students as we near the end of our courses, whether that be at TAFE or uni, the desperation to make it through the course and come out somewhat unscathed. But before the celebrations of graduating have even begun, there's the realisation of the debt accrued, and the panic of finding a job ensues.
"Big businesses have caught onto this panic, and are using it to their advantage."
Throughout our courses we're told time and time again, by staff and other students, that simply having the piece of paper and degree title is no longer enough to guarantee a job offer when you graduate. So students fight each other for scarce internships