Like the baby boomers and Generation X before them, a new generation known as the Millennials, nearly 80 million strong, is just now starting to reshape the American workplace. Achievement-oriented and tech-savvy, the Millennials are eager for feedback and impatient to make an impact on their new organizations and on society at large. Networked in a way previous generations were not, thanks in large part to Internet phenomena MySpace (NWS ) and Facebook, they come equipped with many of the skills required by big employers, such as computer fluency and a knack for teamwork. But the same social networking skills and consumer smarts that make them valuable employees also make them acutely discerning job seekers...

So who are these challenging Millennials? Researchers note that unlike the Gen Xers before them, who were the "latchkey kids" of the 1970s, many of these recent grads have grown up in households with actively involved parents and a strong support network in place. Coddled from an early age, as employees they are sometimes perceived by older colleagues, rightly or wrongly, as lacking a strong work ethic and having an unjustified sense of entitlement. With their overscheduled childhoods, many are also viewed as being unable to think on their feet, solve problems on their own, or take on leadership roles.

On the positive side, getting the job done well and efficiently is important to Millennials, say their employers. Boomers, by contrast, logged long hours and seemed to view face time as an end in itself. Teamwork and collaboration are this group's strong suits. "Traditional career ladders are still important today," says Anne Ceruti, vice-president for talent acquisition at Disney. "But collaboration is so much more important [to them] than it was for previous generations"...

For the first time in U.S. history, four generations co-exist in the workforce, with many employees working well into their golden years. And that's leading to a rising level of intergenerational tension. Employers are finding their newest hires may be blurring the lines between boss and friend. Says Marston: "There's a difference between getting a drink with your boss and being your boss's drinking buddy. The Millennials are trying to cross that line a little bit."

Normally I'd offer more substantial commentary, but I'm supposed to go to a pretentious fundraising party this evening and need to get dressed. The goal is to fund a camp for underprivileged children who are interested in...well, I don't know. Something arty.

I suppose attending a fundraiser without really knowing the purpose makes me pretentious too. Ah well, at least I'm up front about it.