[Guest Post] Raising a Productive Generation Y

Editorial: Generation Y, who is currently in college, working in a company or developing a business will play an important role in industrial development in the next 5-10 years, Josep William Widjaya as part of the university (lecturer) has the view interesting on this condition and also opinions about how to raise generation Y to become a productive generation.

Are you a Generation Y? Yes, if you were born between 1980 and 1995, and at least have the following characteristics:

• You are more receptive to change, because more 'open minded' and eager to learn new things.
• You are more confident to appear in front of forums and express opinions.
• You are always connected directly online through computers, laptops, smartphone or other electronic media to work or communicate with others.
• You don't really like details and think it's normal to work at a Starbucks Café while drinking coffee.
• You have an extraordinary passion for ideas and innovation.

In short, Generation Y is the generation that grew along with the development of mass communication and the internet.

If we look further, the current generation Y are people who are currently in college or are starting and developing a business or are working in a company to pursue a career.

I agree with the opinion of many people that this generation is the backbone and plays an important role in determining industrial development in the next 5 -10 years in a country.

This will also happen in our own country, Indonesia, which is currently undergoing major changes, these changes are marked by 4 major pillars, namely:

1. Income per capita in Indonesia which touched US$3.000 (spending power).
2. The number of mobile phones is close to the population, and 50% of them have the capacity to access social networks.
3. Reinforcement of symptoms freemiumin business.
4. The emergence of a new generation that is rapidly changing because it is connected to one another.

These four pillars influence consumer behavior (consumer behavior) and business behavior (business behavior) and become a pillar of entrepreneurial activity in Indonesia.

How can a generation Y take advantage of this opportunity? This might be a question as difficult as the question 'jackpot' on TVshows "Who wants to be a millionaire?", agrees with wiku, I believe the answer is not easy, because needed a research and the right strategy, because the answer is certainly not just an idea, but how the idea can be executed and can provide a good business model.

Regardless of ability skill when someone wants to set up a business or startup, I believe that the ability to see gaps, take advantage of opportunities and facts of what is happening and is needed in Indonesia and execute them is no less important in building a startup.

These kinds of things may not have many when someone has just finished college. So that there are also many students who have just graduated to try to find work experience first before building a business. And of course this is not the wrong decision.

At the campus where I teach, I often encourage my students not only to take part in competitions and events around technology updates but also various seminars, events, or activities related to technology updates. startup and "How to be an Entrepreneur". So that they not only have the ability to skill only, but also equipped with business knowledge aspects. And actually these things will spur and motivate a person to develop to become apioneers" productive.

One of the events that is regularly held on my campus is an event entitled "CEO Speaks" where the leaders of top-class companies in the industry can share their experiences in terms of business, strategy, and management so that they can lead and bring their companies to success and development.

In closing, I will return to asking the question "Are you Generation Y who wants to rise up and be productive?"

Keep equipping yourself and let's join hands together to build our beloved country.

Joseph William Widjaja is a lecturer at Bina Nusantara International University. Besides having a hobby of reading magazines or books related to the IT world and listening to jazz music, Josep's interest is in IT implementation in business and marketing, web and mobile development, networking/infrastructure.