| African-Americans are a growing subgroup of Generation Y in the workforce. Despite the increasing workforce presence of this cohort, which is also referred to as Millennials or Gen Y, there is an underrepresentation of their perspective in studies related to career development. Among African-American members in Generation Y, the barriers of race, cultural, and family expectations, are not fully understood and are largely unaddressed in the current literature. This study expanded on existing research in this regard. While current studies in the literature offer a comparative look at multiple generational cohorts in the workforce regarding career development, this study offered a more targeted discussion, focusing on a subgroup of the population, African-Americans. Using a generic qualitative methodology, the current study presented the point of view of this underrepresented population, exploring their experiences, beliefs, and expectations working within the larger community of Generation Y. A sample of 12 African-American members in Generation Y working in professional roles was interviewed using a semi structured interview model. An analysis was conducted to determine emergent themes from the interviews conducted. Findings suggest these seven prevailing themes, barriers and challenges, upward mobility, salary/earning potential, work-life balance, professional development, support system, and career satisfaction, were rooted in the career development experiences, beliefs, and expectations of African-American members in Generation Y. |
