Dimoulas’ views on work aren’t out of the ordinary, and neither is his decision to leave an employer for more flexible job options. The poll found differences when it came to what types of employers were thought to offer the best salary, security, and overall opportunity. Older Americans were slightly more upbeat about the prospects of the public sector, with 29 percent saying that the government, military, and public schools were good places for jobs. For younger Americans, only about 22 percent agreed. Younger respondents however, were significantly keener on the idea of owning their own businesses, with nearly one-third ranking this option as the best employment scenario. Young minorities were significantly more likely than their white counterparts to reference owning their own business as the best job option. The differences likely nod to the fact that both younger, and minority workers tend to struggle with employment more than other groups within the labor force, and the fact that the recession took a particularly hard toll on employment prospects for these groups.

Since the recession, many Millennials have had to start their careers during a time of economic contraction with few traditional, full-time jobs available. And the unemployment rate for black and Hispanic Americans, which is normally higher than the national average, has also been persistently high since the recession. In fact 2015 was the first year since the Great Recession that the unemployment rate for black Americans receded to below the 10 percent mark. It makes sense then, that these groups that have faced especially difficult employment circumstances have their sights set on self-employment.

And while the majority of both younger and older Americans agreed that switching jobs within the same industry was the best bet for success, younger respondents were more likely to say that transitioning between industries in order to start a new career was okay, too. The audiences were more divided when it came to whether or not they had, or should, sit tight at a single company for their entire career. For older respondents, 53 percent said that they thought it would be better to spend the majority of their lives working for one employer. But the largest share of young respondents felt differently, with 49 percent saying that they expected to move from company to company rather than staying put.

“Most people that I know see a job as what my friend would call a ‘transient phenomenon,’” says Dimoulas. “You work for some years at something, but it’s really just a job. In two to five years you end up moving on.”

Carol Driver, who lives in Ohio and has children who range in age from 12 to 25, wants them to be prepared for change during the course of their careers. “Things have changed quite a bit. I am telling them, ‘Don’t always expect that whatever major you choose in college is going to be what your career is based upon,’” she says.