Career motivations of Bohemian millennials

Abstract

Millennials are the next professionals to inherit the workplace. The millennial generation is a group of young people whose birth years range from 1980 to 2000 (Rainer and Rainer, 2011). There is a great distinction in the life developmental stages of millennials, compared to the generations before them. The distinction between the millennials and the older generations in regard to upbringing is due to the fact that millennials were raised during the rise of computers, economic crisis, and culture wars. Having an unconventional upbringing, the millennials are regarded with skepticism in areas that are dominated by the older generations who describe younger co-workers as naïve arrogant nonconformists for choosing not to follow the hierarchical traditions that exist in the work place. The main aim of this study was to determine the motives in the choice of career among bohemians in Baguio City. Specifically, this study sought to answer the following: what are the characteristic traits of the respondents? ; what motives influenced the career choice of the respondents?; what problems are encountered by the bohemians in the pursuit of their career? and; what conceptual model can be formulated to depict career motivation of the Bohemians? The approach used in this study was qualitative. The descriptive-survey method was used to identify the respondents' characteristics, motivations, and challenges or problems. Twelve respondents for the study were gathered from purposive sampling. Data were collected through interview and administration of the Rokeach Value Survey. Based on the gathered data, the following are the findings of the study. 1. The characteristic traits and values of bohemian millennials are ambitious, clean, intellectual, individualistic, optimistic, open-minded, and simple. 2. The motives that prominently influence the career decisions of the bohemian millennials are their interest, relationships, desire for self-fulfillment, work environment, and work ethic. 3. The challenges faced by bohemian millennials are financial instability, lack of creative freedom, peer pressure, too much exposure to social media, and pressure to conform on established work norms. Based on the findings of the study, the following are the conclusions: 1. There are characteristics and values of bohemians, that the millennial generation may adopt. 2. The motives that prominently influence the bohemian millennials are personal fulfillment, relationships with people, and work environment. 3. The challenges of bohemian millennials are concerned with finances, expression of creativity, peer pressure, influence of social media, and work standards. Based on the findings and the conclusions of this research, the following are recommended: 1. Millennials may adopt self-actualizing lifestyles like bohemianism to further develop as professionals and as individuals. 2. Applying experiential learning that satisfies existential thought in the workplace would keep millennials motivated in their careers. To enable this, the working environment can apply the following: a. be affiliated or create an organization that would enable employees to pursue interests other than their occupations such as an art community, a basketball team, or environmental group. b. managing of major projects individually, or as leaders of a team, to enable direct exposure on what is expected in the workplace. c. group dynamics exercises in order to encourage philosophical reflection and existential thought during staff retreats or on arranged meetings. d. volunteering occasions wherein employees would, volunteer for a cause such as feeding the homeless, joining medical missions, or planting trees at an environmental conservation area. 3. To help millennials with their career challenges, better communication and mentoring should be applied in the workplace. To enable this, the working environment should practice the following: a. apprenticeship or internship programs wherein new or younger employees will train under, or be in partnership, with senior employees. b. relationship-centered workshops or conferences in order to encourage communication with millennial employees and senior employees. c. executives or managers should schedule time wherein new or younger employees have the opportunity to voice out their concerns or ideas. 4. Future researchers, who would like to conduct further studies about bohemians, have to widen the scope and increase the population of the respondents. 5. The conceptual model on the career motivations of bohemian millennials has to be reviewed in order for millennials and incoming generations to understand and reflect on the concept of being bohemian bourgeois professionals.