Sep 16, 2021 12:45 PM EDT By David Thompson, UniversityHerald Reporter

As millennials gradually become the dominant generation in the workforce, it also follows that many of their traits and behaviors are bound to manifest in their career choices. Today's young professionals don't just want a good salary, they also want their job to be meaningful to them, and they prefer careers that enable them to make a difference in society. Here are some reasons why this is undoubtedly becoming the trend.

The Work-Life Balance

Millennials recognize the difficulty of getting stuck in an endless work cycle. There is a real danger in slaving your life away in pursuit of a paycheck. Happiness is something that this new generation of professionals puts a premium on, and it shows in the increased interest for the arts, fitness, and other aspects of life besides work. Conventional jobs threaten to leave professionals in such a cycle, and this is evident in the fact that more than half of U.S. workers are unhappy with their jobs.

A Greater Emphasis On Self-Actualization

As people are becoming more aware of the importance of mental health, they also become more particular about the way that a job makes them feel. The sense of fulfillment is what can easily offset the rigors of any job. If a particular job is meaningful to a worker, they are significantly less prone to burn out, which makes it much easier to sustain a job in the long run.

Oversaturated Labor Pool

Another reason why young professionals are taking on unconventional career paths is that the labor pool is becoming increasingly oversaturated. This means that a greater focus must be placed on differentiating yourself from the rest of your competitors. This is much easier to do in niche industries. Scarcity is a commodity, and a lack of competitors coupled with a competent mastery of a craft or field will almost always guarantee a lucrative career.

Technology Makes Entrepreneurship Much More Achievable

Technologies like the internet have made it much easier for young professionals to start their own businesses and projects. Besides the fact that the near-entire collective knowledge of mankind is available at your fingertips, there are a plethora of apps and services that make it much easier to run a business.

For example, apps help run a property rental business by providing its property managers with accounting tools, listing apps that also provide a rent estimate, and dashboard-style project management suites.

Even if their projects fail, the experience gained from heading and managing a project can make them ideal candidates for leadership and managerial roles, whether it's in the knowledge gained from handling a team, or through the experience gained with the use of particular apps and programs.

While the desire to pursue unconventional career paths is something new, it should be noted that both the risks and rewards are much higher than those of a traditional career path. Following a dream has inherent challenges, but the fact remains that the new generation of young professionals value things differently, whether it's their time, their health, or even just their sense of fulfillment.

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