Abstract:

The newest generation, Millennials, are beginning to arrive in the graduate school arena. Millennials, the largest generation in the US born between 1980 and the mid-2000s, , form a big part of our graduate student body. They are bold, were brought up in an era of technology, and not afraid to ask questions.

Millennials have a much stronger connection to technology than previous generations. This shapes the way they shop, communicate, etc. Through the use of technology they have instant access to information and a wealth of choices. They embrace convenience and live according to their own timeframe.. We ask ourselves what steps we need to take to prepare how to recruit and attract Millennials since conventional practices will no longer work. They are becoming more educated than previous generations, especially women. The pay gap for women in this generation has closed significantly. Their training for the profession, acquired skills and education levels in many cases exceed the existing workforce. This generation is motivated by different factors than the generations before them. They are more focused on their careers, getting married later, and living at home with their parents longer.

Millennials want to save the world. They want to inspire others and want their job and life to have a deeper meaning. They have a positive attitude, they think big and outside of the box. Their drive is based on reward, benefit and satisfaction. They show a strong essence of passion for whatever they plan to achieve. This generation is motivated by results.

Traditional recruitment practices that were previously employed will not be as effective with this generation and should strongly be revised. Students choose a degree program based on innovative curriculum, access and use of technology in the classroom, relevant materials and convenience.

They favor being able to tailor graduate education to their needs. They are interested in knowing who else is sitting in the classroom in order to determine and forge professional networks. Millennials conduct excessive research about schools, but their opinions are not based on school websites. Due to their tech savviness and comfortability, they review chats and forums; check rankings, accreditations and employment statistics. It is quite important for them to know what kind of relationships schools have with local and global corporations. They have only one question: will the degree help them move forward?

Keywords:

Millennials, first digital generation, recruitment strategy.