Bentley University News

Dear Bentley Community,

Dear Bentley Community,

All handwringing over the plight of the millennials notwithstanding, this is a great time to be graduating from college. The Great Recession is receding. Major stock market indices are achieving all-time highs. And the most recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that unemployment among college graduates is down to 4 percent, close to the level considered to be full employment, even as unemployment for those with a high school education and no college remains >8 percent.

Last week, while commencement ceremonies were taking place across the country, small businesses and startups in Boston were celebrating National Small Business Week and all things entrepreneurial.

Females in the business world still need just as much encouragement and mentorship as ever, as Bentley executive-in-residence Toni Wolfman pointed out — with some staggering statistics about encouragement, mentorship, and skills/ambition perception from our recent PreparedU study  — in a recent Fast Company article.

At a convocation rich in pomp and tradition, Bentley University welcomed the Class of 2018 to campus August 28 with a words of wisdom from a digital age marketing strategist dubbed the “millennial master of the universe ” by Fast Company.

In a keynote video address to 980 freshmen from 36 states and 42 countries, Sharma Hyder, CEO of Marketing Zen Group and a participant in Bentley’s PreparedU Project, offered “10 tweetable tips” for students to make the most of their time at Bentley.

When Gen X bad boy Bret Easton Ellis calls you Generation Wuss, no doubt you’re going to mount a defense. But is there any truth to the author’s claim that millennials — “Who [were] cocooned in praise — four stars for showing up, you know?” — crave recognition and can’t handle criticism? Or are millennials pushing for a more open, transparent, and communicative workplace culture that benefits us all and makes us more productive, loyal employees?

To reach today’s savvy consumer, understanding just analytics, marketing or technology isn’t enough. You need to see the big picture.

Because while having technical expertise is nice, it’s not worth much if you can’t communicate that knowledge to others in different disciplines. That’s why top business schools like Bentley University are focusing more on improving so-called soft or civic skills, no matter what your field.