We asked millennials to weigh whether the following skills were crucial to a successful career in the latest National Journal/Allstate Heartland Monitor Poll. Here are the skills they named "important," ranked.
10. Being able to create your own job. 78 percent of millennials said this was important. (Shutterstock)9. Knowing a foreign language. 83 percent of millennials said this was important. (Shutterstock)7/8. Becoming well known in your field and/or your community. 87 percent of millennials said this was important. (Shutterstock)7/8. Earning a bachelor's degree. 87 percent said this was important. (Shutterstock)6. Willingness to work long hours. 88 percent said this was important. (Shutterstock)5. Willingness to switch to new jobs and occupations. 89 percent said this was important. (Shutterstock)4. Having good family connections. 92 percent said this was important. (Shutterstock)3. Being able to work with people from different backgrounds. 94 percent said this was important. (Shutterstock)2. Keeping your skills current through training after completing formal education. 97 percent said this was important. (Shutterstock)1. Having a detailed understanding of how to use computer technology. 98 percent of millennials said this was important.The latest Allstate/National Journal Heartland Monitor Poll is the 23rd in a series examining how Americans are experiencing the changing economy. This poll explored what Americans consider the best choices in career, family, and community to achieve success in life, and how the perspective on those choices of those just starting out compares with older generations. The poll surveyed 900 adults by landline and cell phones from May 17 through 27, 2015, as well as an oversample of 200 young adults aged 18-24, also by landline and cell phone. These interviews were then weighted by age, gender, and race/ethnicity to produce a nationally representative sample of 1,000. A national survey of 1,000 respondents has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points. The survey was supervised by Ed Reilly and Jeremy Ruch of FTI Consulting's Strategic Communications practice. On many topics throughout the survey, younger respondents were asked questions in the context of their current expectations and experiences, while older respondents were asked questions retrospectively referring to the time in which they were getting started. (Shutterstock)
