Voices

Young Professional Groups = Ugh?

Is the term “Young Professionals” just another buzzworthy catchphrase? One twenty-something blogger asks this question and addresses whether it’s valuable for those in the same age bracket to network together at all.

It’s always fun to stumble across a blog that offers a fresh opinion and Minneapolis Career Girl does just that. Unapolegetically.

Writing anonymously, the blogger offers her opinion, “For a 20-something career girl or boy, ‘young professionals’ has become the appropriate term to describe Gen Y. But for those of us who strive to get ahead in our organizations and industries, it's become a bit of a joke. Everywhere you go, there's networking for young progessionals, 'YPG,' young lawyers, young CPAs, young marketing professionals. It's gotten to the point where it becomes an 'ugh' when you see it."

Uh oh. Marketers everywhere are groaning. I can hear it now.

She goes on, “Don't get me wrong, 20-somethings must network and expand their relationships. It's paramount in a successful career. But I can't help but ask myself whether or not a young professionals networking event is worth our time, or our money, for that matter. In order to get ahead as a young professional, are the people we need to network with really ourselves?”

This is good stuff. Do you agree?

At least one of her readers doesn’t.

Check it out.

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