The term young professional generally refers to young people between 20 and 40 who are employed in a profession or white-collar occupation. The meaning may be ambiguous"I am not sure what "young professionals" means..." After the storm: American society a decade after the Vietnam War : proceedings of the International Conference on "The U.S.A.: A Decade After the Vietnam War", 1987, p. 33 and has evolved from its original narrow meaning of a young person in a professional field.Arun Arora and Andrew Francis, The rule of lawyers in Modernising Britain, Fabian Discussion Papers, iss. 42, 1998, p. 4 Although derivative of the term 'yuppie', it has grown into its own set of meanings.
Traits The term was originally, and is still used to some degree, to narrowly refer to recent graduates of professional schools serving in professional careers.John Taylor, 'Down With M.B.A.'s' , New York magazine, November 2, 1987, p. 36 The term typically refers to people between the ages of 20 and 40, but there are those who state 35 is the upper age range.
Stereotypically, they can also be viewed as having an "obsession with success" and "plagued with loneliness". Max Luca. do, The applause of heaven, 1996, p. 120 Alternatively, young professionals can be seen as highly spiritual and "seeking a spiritual outlet to balance their hectic working lives".Engaging Generation Aleph: A Resource for Young Adults in the Synagogue, Union of American Hebrew Congregations, ed., 1997, p. 3
Impact and connections with larger entities Young professionals can provide a welcome increase in a local area's tax base and can also create a snowball effect of attracting and infusing young energy and talent into an area.Neighborhood organizing: nurturing strong, unified voices, charles Stewart Mott Foundation, ed., 2007, p. 8 Young professionals can also organize themselves and bring energy to shape communities and alter local or ethnic politics.Glenn Omatsu, "Four Prisons" and the Movements of Liberation, in Asian American studies: a reader, Jean Yu-wen Shen Wu and Min Song, eds., 2000, p. 178
Young professionals are courted by larger social and occupational organizations or employers in some contexts,Aart J. M. Van De Laar, The World Bank and the poor, in Series on the Development of Societies, Institute of Social Studies, ed., vol. 6, p. 101Government Executive, vol. 26, 1994, pp. 16, 18 but not in other.Ryan Kohnen, Young Professional's Guide to Success, 2009, pp. 1, 103
Young professionals are also heavily targeted by purveyors of career and financial advice.Lisa C. Jones, Money Management for Young Professionals, Ebony, October 1992, p. 128Tanner Strasky, Find Your Inner Ugly Betty: 25 Career Lessons for Young Professionals Inspired by TV Shows, 2008
In the workplace, young professionals can be viewed as talented and energetic individuals who present special management challengesRoger B. Winston, Don G. Creamer, and Theodore K. Miller, The professional student affairs administrator: educator, leader, and manager, 2001, p. 394 or as "cannon fodder" to be cast aside once they are no longer profitable to a business.
As euphemism for "single"
The stigma that developed in the 1970s around singles functions and singles groups led some organizations to switch the name of their singles events to "young professionals events". However, other organizations specifically for young professionals insist that they are not "singles groups".
See also Singleton (lifestyle) Young downwardly-mobile professional
References