Quit Your Yelping

One of the biggest struggles with being a millennial is the bad rep we seem to have acquired. There are estimated to be 80 million millennials in this world, but the general perception of our demographic is being determined by a handful of loud mouthed, social media savvy people in their 20s.

The most recent example of this came with Talia Jane and her whining memorandum to the CEO at Yelp. She was quickly fired (SHOCKER) and now it’s a national news story. Talia is 25, and I’m 22, so we are in nearly identical times in our lives, but let me make it very clear that I do not support or agree with Little Miss Sass Mouth over on Medium.com.

In her letter she whines about how her life is not turning out the way she imagined it would when she was eight years old. Well when I was eight I wanted to have supernatural powers and be a princess, but instead I have a paycheck instead of a tiara, and Starbucks instead of a wand.

In life you don’t get an easy road, and everything in life worth getting is worth working your ass off for. From the time I was 18 years old my life consisted of getting my degree, working full time, or a combination of both. In every job I’ve had from cashier, to secretary, to marketing intern, I have worked my little millennial tail off to earn my paycheck, earn the respect of my coworkers, and to earn the right for any type of upward movement. These things are not handed to you. You do not just automatically deserve a promotion after a week of work with a new company. EARN IT.

Talia, the reason they’re making you work a year in Customer Service is to see if you’re loyal and hard working. If you can’t handle that entry level job with class, dignity, and professionalism, why should you be moved to the department of your choice? And maybe, if you wanted to live in a place where the standard of living is even higher than your ego, you should have come prepared. Work for a while somewhere that you can live and save off your paycheck. I’m moving to Nashville at the end of this year, but you know what I’m doing before I move? I’m saving 30-50% of every paycheck I earn this year.

Being an adult is hard work, that’s why you have to live for 18-21 years before you’re considered one. Life is tough, the world is not fair, and the only things you deserve are the things you earn.

Not every millennial is whiny, egotistical, needy, and completely void of any sense of personal responsibility. Many of us are hardworking, dedicated, self-sufficient, and respectful. So stop your Yelping Talia. You’re giving the other 79,999,999 millennials, including myself, a bad rep.