Much has been said about millennials and what they want from their personal and professional lives. If popular notion is anything to go buy, it seems that they want travel, technology, and bean bags. We decided to find out what it is they really seek in their professional lives – and in the process dispel some rumors – and draw a comparison between what their more senior counterparts seek as well. Turns out, their aspirations are not always quite so different.

As part of the series, we interviewed a millennial and non-millennial from several leading agencies in the region. This article features:

The millennial: Nashfi Qureshi (30), senior media manager

The non-millennial: Amit Raj (40), general manager

Most important factors in a job:

Qureshi:

It is all about the mind, heart and pocket. Learning keeps my mind happy, a good work environment keeps my heart happy and remuneration keeps my pocket happy.

Raj: 

• Entrepreneurial style of working
• Clarity of purpose in how we are adding to people and the industry at large
• Vision of the business

Best way for a company to retain you:

Qureshi:

For me, learning is of paramount importance. If I stop learning in a job, I feel stagnant that results in attrition, hence a good company should invest in honing the skill sets of its employees.

Additionally, media is a people-driven industry and no amount of technology can replace human interaction. However, I have seen companies and individuals valuing clients more than employees, which leads to employees not treating their clients well and eventually the company loses both, client and employee. Hence, a good company should value its employee as much as its clients, if not more.

Raj:

Responsibility with freedom is important for me. I like to work in an environment that is fair and ethical to its people and partners. Most importantly, I get bored with monotonous jobs so it’s important that I look forward to something exciting every morning. Finding a bigger purpose in what I do is an important ingredient to retain me.

Your driving force in this job:

Qureshi:

This job gives me a unique opportunity to work on different types of clients, brands and campaigns on a day-to-day basis. Everyday, there are new challenges and newer solutions and to top it all I have a fantastic set of colleagues, which makes my day worth living.

Raj:

Exploring new avenues of business and communication is very stimulating for me. Advertising is the only field where in 15 years one would have explored at least 20 different categories, engaging a variety of consumers to rethink their decision for something better I have to offer. Especially in media, it has never been more challenging with consumer decision-making getting more complicated as technology advances.

Expected frequency of appraisals:

Qureshi:

If the purpose of appraisals is to improve and guide employees then it should happen every six months. As far as promotions are concerned, I strongly believe that good work doesn’t go unnoticed and I am blessed with a very observant senior leadership.

Raj:

It’s not time-bound. I have to first convince myself that I am ready. I am aware of the skill sets and capabilities that are needed to move to higher responsibilities. When I am ready that I’d be able to convince [the leadership], I’d expect a promotion.

Career goals:

Qureshi:

Short term: Master traditional media (since I focused primarily on digital media initially) and marry it with my digital prowess to create robust integrated offerings for my clients and facilitate my internal teams.

Long term: I do not plan on becoming the CEO or an owner of a media agency. As long as I am in the agency business, I want to create value for my clients and mentor my team to the best of my abilities, irrespective of my designation. If I look further down the years, I would love to run my own specialty restaurant.

Raj: 

My short-term goal is to do something new every single day and  long-term goal is to leave my mark on just one thing that changed people’s life in a nice way.

Work-life balance:

Qureshi:

I strongly believe that it is critical to an individual’s wellbeing and beneficial for the organization too. Personally, I need the weekend to completely switch off from work and spend time with my family. However, the nature of our industry is such that it requires someone to be on top of things especially when there is an ongoing campaign, hence during times of high activity, I make exceptions and check emails on weekends but I make sure I do not make any unreasonable requests of my team or suppliers.

Raj: 

Its very important for me that I give time to people I care for, but I don’t believe in switching off from work, as it is not a painful thing to run away from. I keep looking at emails whenever I can so I don’t miss something exciting or urgent. After all, it’s the work that ensures I have a life (style).

What would motivate you to switch jobs:

Qureshi:

Lack of job security, limited learning/growth potential and a not-so-good boss.

Raj:

I need to feel I am bringing in value and making a difference. Switching jobs is not my first option and I try to get excitement and motivate myself in the current job, as I understand there is considerable investment from both parties involved. Having said that, a dream role or a project that is game changing in the region or in my field can get my attention.