Chanelle – I wanted to take a moment to honor your post today. I think that when times are tough it is even more important to take the experiences one receives and turn them into something great when the opportunity arises. Some of the best qualities about Gen Y are adaptability, ability to connect with anyone in the world and passion. This too shall pass.

It is an exciting time and an opportunity to shift toward ownership and excellence!

Keep up the great work!!

I just had a conversation today about Gen-Y and how we get this lazy title. And you know what….it's justified.

How many Gen-Y's didn't even attempt the job market because it was going to be hard to find a job? Most either resorted to going to graduate school or are living at home with their parents doing very little. That's the easy way out! I didn't go running back to school because I was scared of the job market…I went after it head on. I graduated without a job, suffered through dozens of interviews and hundreds of resume submissions, received two job offers just to have them revoked. With that said, I earned a job and then moved on to another job that better fit my skill set.

So in a time when people are scared of job markets, I went out, worked hard, got rejected over and over again, was depressed and still was able to secure two jobs. What's my point: Guess what, Gen-Y, it's hard. Work is hard, bills are hard, life is hard, but if you don't take the easy way out of everything there are some really awesome opportunities out there. Escape your current situation and go after them!

Thank you so much! Depression is a disease that affects many young people, and given the current economic climate, I thought it necessary to bring about a discussion. I think many people mistake GenY for being comfortable with mediocrity. Instead, they should look at the root causes for this perceived mediocrity. Why is it so much harder to get a job now than it was for GenX'ers? Is it actually that much harder or do we just perceive it to be? How necessary is that degree if it's going to cause us to go into interminable debt?

Chanelle:
One of the biggest paradoxes of Gen Y is that they are facing one of the worst economies in generations yet maintain a sense of optimism. Even as you spell out the grim data, I sense you still believe a bright future can be yours, despite the current setbacks. Reality is that no time was ever 'easy'. Yes, this generation has some particular burdens to bear, but by redefining what it means to have a good life, I think your generation will actually end up with more fulfillment than your “passionless, complaint-filled, drained, bored and unsatisfied” parents. Ouch! Is that the way you really see us??
.

Great post Chanelle! I definitely agree with you when state “Generation Y young people are stepping out into an economy that is not prepared to give us the opportunities to succeed.” Not only is this hampering our abilities, I believe as a whole many areas in our society will suffer. The more we are held down the greater the gaps will exist with our economy that all of a sudden Gen-Y will be throw into to fill up.

It seems that there are more of us graduating with less jobs out there. And as debt keeps incurring on us and society as a whole, what will the financial situation look like in the years to come. We are all living in strange time where uncertainty seems to remain king. But does it hold me down or change my aspirations? Absolutely not. Great things have always come out of difficult times. I look to Gen-Y for these great things to come.

Regarding “passionless, complaint-filled, drained, bored and unsatisfied” parents: Welllllll….a little bit. If I'm being realistic, yes, this is what I hear and see people say of the Boomers and GenX'ers, in general. Obviously, this is not an absolute assertion. Some took on jobs because they needed the money and never did what it was that they wanted to do with their lives. This sadness about their own lives doesn't go unnoticed by their children. So, the children grow up saying, “I'm not going to end up like my parents.”

I've always been accused of being a wide-eyed optimist. Lol. Some people call it naive and idealistic. I choose to call it hopeful. Thank you for the comment!!

I am quite anxious to see what GenY does in the future. We are poised to take over sooner than we think, and I wonder how many of us are really prepared. Do we know how to run major businesses that will support this country? With a majority of us in debt and some with debt with no degree to show for it, are we getting into jobs where we can have the opportunity to become productive members of society? Will we have to create the jobs ourselves due to employer discrimination and/or bias?

Thank you for your comment!

As a post-graduate I'm having a hard time committing. Now out of college life is all about years as opposed to months, or quarters. Thinking, “I'm going to be in this job for X years” is a scary thought for me right now. I really don't want to be a person that hates their job. I will always make sure I'm fulfilling my passions outside of work, but I'd really like to be fulfilled by my job as well. A job takes up so much time in one's life, I'm not looking forward to being unhappy in a job.

With that said I have the luxury of living in my parent's home, but still be separate by having my own bathroom and kitchen. I am able to take my time and search for something that I really want to do instead of worrying all the time about money and paying for rent. I really can't complain.

Great Conversation!

I'm a big advocate for getting out on your own.

My worry with young people coming back to the nest is that they aren't – each day – taking proactive steps in building their own life. When you are out on your own, with very little money, new career and adult responsibilties you have no choice but to take those steps each day.

People like you, Cameron, don't worry me because you are doing things that most aren't to set yourself up for success and understand the opportunity you have to build momentum from living at hope as opposed to just “milking it”.

Thanks for replying Chanelle! Gen-Y will face a very interesting reality as we are thrown into jobs as Boomers and Gen-X slowly leave. However, will this happen soon enough for us not to be discouraged by debt and false promises of education equaling to a better life. I think that's why Gen-Y's entrepreneurial spirit is so high. We will do it ourselves since no one is really allowing us to do. And look at the great things that have come from entrepreneurs over time.

Wow. Thank you for sharing and being so open, Cameron. With it being past midnight, having just walked into their house from a 2 hour commute from my part time job, I understand you and share your concerns. I don't want to hate my job or resent the people I'm around because I'm unfairly comparing my life to their's. The one thing I know for sure is what I want to do with the rest of my life. Maybe it's time to get on *that* path. Do you know for sure what you want to do, Cameron?

I won't claim that I know exactly what I want to do, career wise. I do have a much better idea than I did a few months ago though. I still am so young and unexperienced that I just need to start trying a few things and figuring it out as I go.

Perception is reality. I don’t think it was all that easier or more difficult for X’ers. Just different. Many X’ers faced the same thing with tough prospects out of college. Then there was the dot.com boom and every 20 year old was talking about being a multi-millionaire. But the bottom fell out, and fast. I think the major difference between these Gens is that Millennials have a stronger mindset overall. The economy has shifted again…BIG TIME and it’s going to remain shifted for a long time. Big biz, corporate jobs will naturally shift to smaller business and that provides opportunity for the taking. Millennials are really well suited for this environment because they are innovative, connected and can quickly adapt. Idea will be to prepare, and fast. I think one of the best ways to do this is to constantly work on leadership development and maintaining an incredible mindset.

The key is to stay busy, and to hope that it will get us somewhere.
http://confusedyetamused.wordpress.com/2010/05/…

Reality check: in this economy you're lucky to get a job, any job. And, you'll be lucky if that job is close to home so you can live at home and save (or pay down loans) for the opportunity to share a domicile in the future. The workplace as we knew it has changed forever and there's no getting around it so you may as well accept it.
About the cubicle thing: what on earth did you expect? A private office? perhaps with a view? Forgetting about station or stature, companies have gotten away from hierarchical management style and are encouraging more and more collaboration. Some very big companies with very well-paid execs subscribe to the open office plan. So, get used to it. If you have a cubicle, at least you have a wall, of sorts.
And really, forget about an economy giving you the opportunity to succeed. That is so college-mentality. In the real world, you make your own opportunity. Just look at all the laid off boomers who have reinvented themselves out of necessity and started businesses or subscribed to a different lifestyle.
But please don't misunderstand my comments. I understand how totally frustrating and demoralizing today's employment scene is. That said, there is hiring going on, there are growth sectors (follow the money) and there is opportunity. The key is to stay in action, build relationships, tap into your closest networks, keep learning, be generous and when you finally land a job, understand what it take and work like hell to keep it. For more information on the Bubble to Boardroom workshop series about navigating your way to career success, contact
dtk@dtkResources.com

It is definitely a scary time for all of us Gen- Yers! I am going to be graduating from college soon and feel the pressure of finding a good job, etc. If you have graduated from college or are attending college with above a 3.0 and attend/ed a top 250 university you should check this website out: http://www.beyondcredentials.com. You sign up for free and they have so many job postings in Denver, St. Louis, Chicago and Kansas City. This could possibly be the future of the job search.

[...] From the engagement I’ve done on Twitter in just one year, I’ve written guest posts for GenYJourney, GenerationMeh, REmployable, Black n Bougie, and the Philly Voice. I’ve become an editor and [...]

I graduated in 2003. Finding permanent work that pays a decent wage has been nearly impossible. I’m 32. I have health problems, no insurance and feel positively exhausted from years of struggle. I can only hope that all the stress will kill me while I’m still young because everything I had saved for retirement is gone and there’s not much hope of replacing it.

Also, I still live with my mom at 25, and have bounced around. But I was smart enough to save up, but in NJ still cannot afford to move out. My mother always compares me to her at her age, when she was an immigrant at that living in NY by herself and working. She thinks she didn’t raise us right, But I always argue that there a lot of parents like her that have lived in this country for years, so she shouldn’t feel that bad. I sure as hell don’t.

[...] Quicksand genyjourney.com [...]