Abstract
[Motivation] In today’s competitive labour market it is imperative to have a secure career.
However, due to recession and other external influences, that can sometimes be very difficult
to achieve. Many recent graduates find themselves in the position of being unemployed or
underemployed. That raises the question whether young people should pursue a higher degree
at all. [Research Focus] This dissertation investigates how members of Generation Y
perceive their educational history, their opinions and values as well as their challenges in the
labour market. Such a study is important because students should receive advice on how to
better prepare themselves for their professional future. This dissertation will also give advice
of how colleges can be a better support function for their students. Furthermore, employers’
challenges and opportunities will be discussed as well. [Research Methods] The research
methods include an extensive review of relevant literature, together with a collection of and
analysis of empirical data. That data is built on 201 questionnaires. While a link to the
questionnaire was provided onto several online tools, a small amount of questionnaires was
distributed during summer classes at Dublin Business School. [Findings/Conclusions] The
fundamental conclusions are that Generation Y does not have unrealistic career aspirations
and that it is absolutely normal for graduates of Generation Y to go through a so-called
‘transition time’ from graduating college to their first years in the labour market until being in
the career they aim to be in. [Recommendations] The dissertation recommends that students
collect as much professional experience as possible before graduating, whether doing
internships or working part time. Other recommendations include building networking skills,
making use of college’s career service and being open and confident. Author keywords: Generation Y/ gen Y, students, graduates
