Working on the Web and the Millennial Effect

A new study released by online employment platform Elance examines job seekers born after 1981 and their attitudes and approaches to working on the Web.

Elance's Millennial Contractor Survey revealed that technology and independence are critical for the next generation of workers, and also showed that Millennials are turning online to find employment, citing freelance work as a cornerstone of their career strategy.

Survey results also indicate that the traditional resume may be on its way out, with more than half (56 percent) of Millennials stating that they prefer a digital profile to the traditional resume.

Millennials also believe the best route to work is through the cloud, with more than half (54 percent) stating that telecommuting is a critical part of their career goals, while less than 13 percent want to work onsite at a company for the majority of their time.

The survey also revealed that 39 percent of Millennials characterize their work style as that of a freelancer, with the ability to choose their projects, employers and hours, versus that of an employee (15 percent), team member (20 percent) or entrepreneur (26 percent).

Ink-stained hands and circled ads may also be a thing of the past, as more than half of Millennials find 50 percent or more of their work online.

The laptop (62 percent) and desktop computer (34 percent) are still the most important tools for Millennials in business, while smartphones (3 percent) and tablet devices (2 percent) have a ways to go before replacing them as the critical technology for getting work done.