New Orleans executives address top concerns of young professionals

Photos courtesy GNO, Inc. NextGen Council and St. Tammany Chamber of Commerce Northshore Young Professionals.

New Orleans CityBusiness surveyed leaders of Young Professionals organizations and committees across the Greater New Orleans area to gauge the top concerns and challenges for young professionals.

Top responses included: cost of living, financial stability, affordable housing, career advancement, workplace engagement, quality of life., flexible work and family life balance, as well as crime and personal safety.
Their local responses mirror a 2023 global survey conducted by Deloitte – “2023 Gen Z and Millennial Survey” – surveying 22,000 young professionals in 44 countries.

• The top 5 concerns of Gen Z (26 and younger) are, in order, cost of living (35%), unemployment (22%), climate change (21%), mental health (19%), and crime/personal safety (17%).
• The top 5 concerns of Millennials (ages 27-42) are, in order, cost of living (42%), unemployment (23%), climate change (20%), mental health (19%), and crime/personal safety (18%).

We also asked our YP leaders what advice they would give young professionals on how to overcome these challenges, and what resources, networking events, and mentorship and professional development programs are available throughout our communities.

“There are a wealth of Young Professional organizations in the Greater New Orleans area. Next Gen Council and GNO, Inc. have done a great job of compiling these organizations and creating relationships and opportunities for the groups to work together,” said Josie Delaune, immediate past chair of GNO, Inc.’s NextGen Council. Delaune is Gulf Coast Bank & Trust Director of HR Business Partner Services.

Delaune said young professionals should not be afraid to leverage relationships they create. Persistence and hopefulness are two important character traits when navigating New Orleans as a young professional.
“NOLA is a small community, and it can be difficult to engage in this market, especially if you didn’t grow up here. You will get out much more than you put into this community, so my advice is to get out, meet people, and give back,” Delaune said. “Learn about your neighbors and discuss the topics you care about most. You will find people with similar interests who genuinely want to see you succeed.”

YP leaders discuss top challenges, concerns

The Jefferson Chamber conducted a quality of life survey which indicated career advancement as a major impediment to retaining and attracting young professionals. In addition to career advancement, affordable housing and quality of life are concerns for young professionals, said Amanda Schott, Committee Chair of the Jefferson Chamber Young Professionals. Schott is a Quality and Design Specialist with 1st Lake Properties.

“Career advancement and financial stability go hand in hand. Financial stability is difficult for our young professionals as there are more attractive labor markets in neighboring states,” she said. “My advice would be to set yourself up for success, and set clear achievable goals for yourself to stay focused on advancing your path. Seek growth opportunities when they align, and expand on skills and knowledge pertaining to your trade.”

Amanda Loflin, director of JNOLA, agrees with Schott that career advancement and financial stability are concerns facing young professionals, and “the hurdle for women is, of course, even harder especially when facing motherhood and making a decision about the cost of childcare vs. income.” JNOLA is the NextGen program for the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans assisting ages 21-39, while JNEXT serves the Jewish community in their 40s and 50s.

The Federation has a mentorship program and encourages people to network with established professionals in their fields, added Loflin. “We have previously offered micro-grants towards professional development. We make sure all of our programs have a low barrier of financial accessibility,” she said.

Schott added that young professionals should research financial expectations within their industry to comprehend the salary range of their positions. “This will help you negotiate fair compensation during job interviews or performance reviews,” she said. “During your performance reviews, don’t be afraid to display what accomplishments you may have earned and highlight your recent successes to make a compelling case for a higher compensation.”

The cost of living can be difficult for young professionals who are doing what they need to do to move into higher paying roles, but struggle with the costs and resources needed to create a quality life for themselves and their families, said Delaune.

Personal safety in the environment in which YPs work is another issue of concern, added Delaune. “As in many cities, the crime in NOLA is something all young professionals are challenged with. Raising a family and trying to reach your full potential is difficult when you have to worry constantly about your personal safety,” she said.
Work-life balance, fulfillment, and allowing professional success or failures to define self-worth are the top three concerns of young professionals, said Matt Guidry, Committee Co-Chair of St. Tammany Chamber of Commerce’s Northshore Young Professionals. Guidry is a multimedia sales representative for The Advocate.

“While there are many benefits to work-from-home and hybrid work environments, they can make it difficult for overachievers to separate their ‘office’ time from their ‘home’ time,” Guidry said. “While it’s important to enjoy what we do and take pride in our work, we work to live. Remember that it’s a job. When we find ourselves starting to spend more time in the office or at the computer, it’s important to set the boundary of time that we’re giving to ourselves to relax, connect with friends or family, and even pursue interests or hobbies aside from work.”

That work-life balance is a big concern for young professionals, along with career advancement and financial stability, said Ryan McCann, executive committee member of the ABC Bayou/New Orleans Young Professionals. “Today’s industry is demanding and when you throw kids, vacations, family, etc., into that mix it can be hard to find a healthy mix,” said McCann. McCann is a Territory Account Representative at Bottom Line Equipment LLC. “It’s especially challenging because our work follows us everywhere we go – you have everything you need on your phone and it’s hard to say no when calls or emails come through.”

McCann added that it’s necessary for young professionals to reset and disconnect from time to time. “I think a key thing to do is to be open with your clients about what personal time you have scheduled and give them options for someone else to help them and take care of them in your absence,” he said. “In most cases they will understand and have no problem working with your backup for the short term. With that being said the other key is to have a trustworthy counterpart that you can rely on to take care of things the way you would.”

For career advancement, set up both short and long term goals. “It’s important that you discuss these goals with your superiors and map out what you each see for your future,” McCann said. “Once those goals and checkpoints align, it’s beneficial to have frequent check-ins.”

On the financial stability concern, ask around for local references for a financial advisor. “Discuss your plans for the future, family, house, car, etc.,” McCann said. “Getting in front of this early and getting answers to questions you have will make you that much more ready as you progress and your income hopefully increases.”

Local Resources for New Orleans’ Young Professionals

The core pillars of the Northshore Young Professionals are professional development, philanthropy, and networking, so all of the programming, events, and resources support one of those three main principles, said Elizabeth Lee, NYP committee co-chair. Lee is the manager of strategic communications and research and PIO for St. Tammany Corporation.

The NYP holds leadership and community involvement opportunities; professional development luncheons; community service- and philanthropy-based events; and networking events. The St. Tammany Chamber also provides small business roundtables, wellness seminars, public policy engagement, and networking opportunities. There is an “Explore Northshore Business & Community Expo” on Sept. 21.

The Jefferson Chamber Young Professionals conducts monthly YP committee meetings that focus on quality-of-life initiatives, mentorship, and other career advice. The Chamber provides YPs the opportunity to learn from government officials and business leaders. “Coffee and Community” events have included Dr. James Gray, Jefferson Parish Schools Superintendent; Jerry Bologna, JEDCO president and CEO; and Cynthia Lee Sheng, Jefferson Parish president.

“Young professionals can build their résumé through community and civic engagement,” Schott said. “Young professionals must be proactive in pursuing change in their community. This can be accomplished by actively engaging with elected officials and community organizations.”

In addition, the JYCP hosts several socials per year. The “Eats and Edu” series consists of dinners at local restaurants focusing on topics such as business etiquette, financial literacy, DEI, among other topics. The JCYP sponsors community service projects with nonprofits and teams up with local young professional groups across the region to provide networking opportunities.

JNOLA has a mentorship program that matches young professionals with more established professionals in their fields. On July 12, JNOLA has a niche networking event for those in the field of education. JNEXT offers a 12-month financial wellness series. “We offer free résumé consultations and will have another free headshot networking program in the fall/winter,” Loflin said. “So many jobs are about who you know to get your foot in the door, and we have tons of opportunities to get to know more people.”

The Associated Builders and Contractors has a seven-week educational session – Uncommon Leadership – geared towards growth and development, presentation skills, and problem solving.

The ABC Bayou/New Orleans Young Professionals also holds webinars; hosts training center resources for new employees to learn skills or gain further certifications; and produces networking opportunities, such as board member meet-and-greets, and speaker-series events, where a member ABC company that has recently completed a project offers a tour and insight into the educational takeaways from that work. “Our YPs engage with leaders in the ABC organization and gain insight into what helped them be successful, why they find ABC to be an important investment, and therefore, make valuable connections in the industry,” McCann said.

The GNO, Inc. Next Gen Council consists of more than 60 business executive leaders from across New Orleans’ diverse industries.

“From the annual policy series, to partnering with other young professional groups, to special interest committees, to social events, the NGC creates tons of ways for young professionals to connect with the leadership of the region on economic development and key issues impacting New Orleans,” Delaune said. “We have even created ways for young professionals to connect at the state and national level, specifically with an annual trip to Washington Mardi Gras and our NGC Day at the Capitol – all amazingly valuable events.”

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