8 Industries Millennials Are Totally Shaking Up

The boomer generation gives millennials a bad rap, but a closer examination makes it easier to dismiss such criticisms as mere fear of change. Millennials exercise incredible innovation and have done much to change the world for the better.

One such arena experiencing the millennial revolution is the workplace. Not content to be cogs in a machine, today’s generation values flexibility and meaningful work in an uplifting, positive environment, not the stuffy conservative office place of yesteryear. Here are eight industries millennials are transforming for the better. 

1. The Human Resource

While some sectors like academia still utilize lengthy applications and pages-long CV’s, most millennials refuse to waste any more time filling out endless employment applications only to receive a form email and nothing else as a reply. And they’re carrying their dislike of the process into the human resources field. 

Gone are the days when you had to rewrite your entire resume on an online app. Today’s HR professional’s narrow candidate fields quickly using technology and calls qualified individuals in to meet in person or via video. This gives a much better impression as to whether the candidate is a good fit than having them write lengthy (and often unread) essays. 

2. Pack and Ship It 

Today’s shoppers want their wares quickly. The Amazon effect gives consumers the expectation their goods will arrive within a 48-hour span of time if not faster. Millennials lead the way in innovating technology to get products to customers faster. 

Utilizing drone technology decreases the environmental cost of speedy shipping and reduces the possibility for human error. Voice-activated controls further improve quality measures and using robots to handle tasks most likely to lead to injury result in a healthier workforce overall. 

3. Changing Office Support Roles

Think you need to go into an office 9-5 Monday-Friday to provide great support? Think again. Among millennials, the optimal engagement boost occurs when staff work 60-80 percent remotely — the equivalent of working 3-4 days each week from home. This generation wants to work hard, but they also want a life outside of the office. 

4. Strike a Pose 

Millennials are shaking up the photography world. Photography offers a way for people to express themselves and capture treasured memories in an art form. Newer cameras and improved technology make it possible for many millennials to create their own portrait studios at home in a spare room. 

Home studios also add beauty — whether metal, wood-framed or canvas, prints adorning walls invite guests to browse. And if they like the work, they may book a session even if they didn’t originally plan to do so. 

5. The Tax Man Cometh

Doing taxes used to mean shuffling off to the CPA with a shoebox of receipts. No longer. Today, people need not speak to their tax professional at all due to millennial innovations in return preparation technology. 

Now, individuals can find a remote CPA, upload their documents directly through a secure portal and pay for their return when their pro finishes. They have the option of prepping their own taxes to save money, then allowing a licensed pro to review them prior to submission. All of this occurs with no need for taxpayers to take off their pajamas and leave their couches. 

6. Move It, Move It

For ages, working out meant heading to the gym, hitting the treadmill or taking an hour-long aerobics class. Today’s millennials realize not everyone has time for that, and they’ve taken the fitness industry to new heights. From apps which allow people to catch a quick workout anywhere they happen to be to innovative, hard-core workouts requiring only 15-20 minutes of time, this generation leads the way in how to get fit fast. 

7. Indulge in a Chocolate

Who doesn’t love chocolate now and then? Millennials are shaking up this sugary industry by dividing chocolate into mainstream, premium and fine varieties. Not only that, this generation caters to those with dietary preferences and restrictions. Need a gluten-free, vegan chocolate? They’ve got you covered in creamy cocoa goodness. 

8. Those Who Know, Teach

Today’s millennials mark the first generation growing up in a world where online learning that in rivaled traditional classrooms, and they’re not content with moving traditional courses to the web. Websites like Udemy and Outschool allow individuals with skills in anything from advanced calculus to animal Reiki to share their knowledge with others. Tutoring websites allow students who need extra assistance get the individualized attention they need to thrive, including those who need help on their adult career paths. 

Millennials Are Changing the World of Work 

With their desire for flexibility, freedom and meaning, millennials are changing the world of work for the better. As their contributions continue to grow, future employees will thank Generation Y for pioneering a more human career experience. 

Follow Kacey on Twitter and subscribe to her blog to keep up with her travels and inspiring posts!