First off I would like to say congratulations to the entire graduating class of 2014 at West Virginia University. Go Mountaineers! But I would like to give a special shout out to my kid sister Jenna for graduating with a BS in Finance. OK thanks for tolerating my proud Big Brother moment. Now let’s move on.
I must admit that I wasn’t too thrilled about waking up at 6:00am on a gloomy Saturday morning to begin a pilgrimage from New Jersey to Morgantown, West Virginia. Nevertheless I sucked it up, filled up the gas tank and hit the road. While traveling on I78 West, I began to think about the actual ceremony. Who will be speaking? How long will it last? How do I get out of this?!?!? But a funny little thing happened soon after taking my seat inside the WVU Coliseum. Something actually caught my attention. And that something or should I say someone was 1988 WVU graduate William “Bill” Sheedy.
Bill Sheedy is the Executive Vice President, Corporate Strategy, M&A, Government Relations and Europe for Visa. So why on earth is he stressing the importance of technology in front of over 600 B&E graduates? Sheedy explained in great detail how this graduating class will be entering the workforce during such an exciting time. He spoke about how rapid advancements in technology is changing the way that businesses operate. He also touched upon the value of social media and how it effects the way that we network, brand, and share ideas across an online community. It truly is an exciting time for Generation Y. Are these young graduates primed for success in the mobility era? Here is my takeaway from Mr. Sheedy’s commencement speech.
The new generation of job candidates that will be applying for jobs this summer are tech savvy, creative, and mobile dependent. During interviews, they may ask their potential employers about their companies BYOD policies, enterprise applications, and wireless connectivity. They may not have necessarily graduated with a degree in computer science but they understand that connectivity is the key to success.
You may be eager to hire Generation Y candidates, but are they eager to come work for you? More and more companies have begun restructuring their workplace to satisfy and support the next generation of employees. These recent graduates hold the key to your organizations future.
Are you willing to change with the times? TTI and help make the transition easier. Contact us today and get started.
