Bill Lublin (@billlublin) shared a post and a video of an event he attended discussing “The Corporate Mullet”:

Business in the front (traditional marketing & corporate mindset) and party in the back (social media & mindset)

The video is embedded below and I encourage you to watch.  I would like to take a moment to speak on a personal level as a Millennial (in many surveys I’ve read, Millennials would prefer not being referred to as Gen Y since it’s a follow-up to another group instead of its own).

Public Vs. Private Life

I knew relatively early on that I wanted to get into Corporate America.  I’m not always sure why now, but I was raised during the “get good grades, go to college, get a safe/secure job” days, so I think that had something to do with my mentality.  I also grew up on the Internet, I would guess more so than the people in the video.

I was paranoid for a while. We used code words to get our friend to buy alcohol when we were under the legal age, then hid in our dorm rooms and drank while making sure there was no record of it – over the phone, text message, email, cameras or otherwise. Many of us were protecting ourselves from ourselves. We didn’t want our past to come back and bite us at an inopportune time.

Now, I teach people how to set strict privacy settings on their Facebook accounts.  Even I have some limitations on mine.  I think setting some limits is a good thing.

We Don’t Care Vs. You Don’t Care

Some people, including some in the video, think the younger generation doesn’t care and that they will be sorely disappointed at some point in the future. If the current trends continue in our society, I think it will be more likely the paranoid will be disappointed that they let paranoia run their lives for so long.

Again, from personal experience, let me give a few examples.  I attend the Oregon Country Fair and Burning Man every year.  I saw the Grateful Dead in San Francisco.  I’ve seen many String Cheese Incident shows.  Until about 4 years ago, I kept these facts very private.  I would be very vague when I would ask for vacation time off.  Again, like the older people in the video, “business professionals” might judge me.

What Is My Life?

Is my life work? Or is my life my friends and family? Which do YOU look more forward to: going to work or spending time with friends? If you chose work, it’s time for new friends.  During these last 4 years, I also saw my father laid off within 2 years of retirement eligibility after working for one company *cough*Intel*cough* for over 15 years which kind of destroyed my “get good grades, go to college, get a safe/secure job” mentality.  I’ve since seen many more good people get laid off after years of loyal service.

Unrealistic Expectations

I personally believe younger generations are less willing to put up with crap.  Be it realizing they’re going to school for a degree that will land them a job that might let them pay off their student debt in 10 years and quitting college to do pottery or simply finding out that the paranoia of hiding the part of their life that they enjoy is weighing on them.  Triggers appear to be pulled much more quickly.

Why Hide?

If you like to enjoy life in your free time, however that might be, and you’re talking to a potential employer who really has little to no loyalty to you anyway and THEY choose to judge YOU because of what you do in your free time, is that really a work environment you want? In our day of layoffs and furloughs, do you also want the fear that someone might see you out at a bar or a concert and make an incorrect assumption? Lately, I’m the designated driver, but you might think I’m an alcoholic because I’m in bars most weekends.  Or would you rather find life as enjoyable as possible? I think Millennials are more willing to just enjoy.

What is Privacy Anyway?

Millennials grew up on movies that let us know the government is watching at all times. Kobe let us know our text messages weren’t safe.  We knew what wire taps were and that they worked on cell phones too.  We’ve banked online and trusted countless web sites and doctors offices (without examining their security measures) with VERY personal information including our dates of birth, drivers license numbers, social security numbers and more.  I know I don’t really believe in privacy.  An example I frequently use on older people afraid of online social networking is snapping their photo with my phone and letting them know it’s now out on no less than 3 web sites complete with my comments.  Oops. If you want privacy, live in a cave.

When You Assume blah blah blah

Sure, you may see a picture of me out at Burning Man and think I’m crazy. However, you don’t know that I’m the camp medic in charge of both supplies and treatment.  You don’t know that I’m the guy who carries extra water and clothes to help keep my friends comfortable in case they weren’t prepared for an outing.  So you made an assumption and were wrong, are you really someone I want to work for?  Luckily, I went out on a limb and told my current boss that that’s where I was going and her response was something along the lines of “That’s so great, I’ve heard so many great things about it”.  She’s an open minded person and I respect that.

But What About The Next Job?

I work in the real estate industry which isn’t doing so hot right now. So if I get let go, what will I do next, especially now that everyone knows I enjoy my free time?  I’ll go find a job working with other open minded people.  Millennials are getting older and getting into management, so it’s not unlikely that I can find someone open minded who is hiring.  If I can’t find one, I’ll start my own open minded business.  I’m seeing this more and more out of my age group, so I don’t think I’m alone in this idea.

Life can be really tough at times, I’m not going to worry about the perceptions of others if they’re unwilling to try to get to know me and would rather instead assume they know based on a picture they saw on Facebook.