Memoir writing makes one reflect on youth. My latest thoughts have been on what I call my "adult youth," the twenties, and specifically my journey through the workplace at this age. In 2012, I will leave my twenties behind. While it was an interesting age, it is one that I am eager to transition out of. I'm not certain if this happens to everyone that gets older, but now all the mistakes of youth become more clear and vivid. Just as I scoffed at adults when they told me inevitable truths, now I am scoffed at when I try to give young people a heads up. It is particularly disheartening when I offer advice about behavior in and about the workplace, because young people nowadays think that none of it matters. But it does. It totally does matter and anyone that tells you otherwise is a clown.
The inspiration for this post was an episode of Louie, the comedian Louie C. K.'s show. This was the episode that Louie's sister dropped off her niece and ducked out to Philly. The show began with a bit about 20-year-olds and how they have nothing to offer and yet they think they should be entitled to more than they've earned. It was so funny and so true. It really made me understand the perspective on the millennial generation in terms of work. My generation has been infested with rampant laziness, misplaced entitlement, and, frankly, a lack of simple tact and respect for their elder colleagues.
This is not to say that this generation is void of greatness. There are multiple groups I've come across that give me belief in young people - my memoir group and young librarians primarily. These are keen observers and sharp thinkers. They do not fall into the millennial mold and after a single conversation with any one of them you realize that you are speaking to someone amazing. However, those are but tiny segments of a larger group with all sorts of problems.
The problem I'm focusing on here is understanding why young people spout off online about their employment or lack thereof when it's an employers market. Employers get to pick from the best nowadays and they're not going to pick the arrogant little shit with a big mouth, tiny resume and online profile riddled with employer-bashing and "woe is me" junk. No employer wants to see that you are lazy, entitled and have a bad attitude. Speaking as an employer myself, I'm thankful for those that shoot their mouth off and make the bad apples easy to spot and weed from the candidate pool. So, if you are a young person, do yourself a favor and keep your sniveling in the privacy of your own home. If you post that nonsense all over the internet, you are just digging yourself a deeper hole in a situation that was already bad for you to start. What do I mean?
According to a November 2010 Foreign Policy article, there are 81 million people worldwide under the age of 24 without work. In the United States alone, the article says, 19.1% of people under 24 are unemployed - the highest percentage since the US started tracking this information. In Europe, that number is higher, except in Germany, cause they're awesome. The young are last to get hired and first to get fired because they do not have the experience and skills that make them indispensable to an employer. Even now companies have openings, but the youth coming out of college do not have what it takes to get the job done.
Based on these grim facts, you would think that young people were more diligent at hiding their weaker characteristics. They are not. They love to broadcast their shortcomings loudly, without shame and to anyone that will listen. And that won't help them get hired.
The sad reality is that my advice nor the advice of any other adult will be heeded. Young people will continue their whiney rhetoric and continue destroying their chance of being taken seriously by employers. When you are young, you think you are invincible. Unfortunately, that attitude will only lead down the road of irrelevance. Life's tough. Grow up and stop publicizing that you are a bad hire.
Related story: “I Thought We Were Friends!” Can Nonprofits Terminate Employees for
Their Social Media Posts? Nonprofit Quarterly, December 22, 2011.
Showing posts with label Millennials. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Millennials. Show all posts
1/9/12
6/3/09
Book Review: Little Brother
This book was enjoyable on so many levels. It's a story about Marcus, a 17-year-old techno-geek in San Francisco. One day he ditches school with some buddies and they get caught in the chaos of a terrorist attack. The four kids get detained by Homeland Security and Marcus gets the Gitmo treatment because he acts like a little tool in typical teenager fashion. Once released, he basically declares war on the Department of Homeland Security and sets out for revenge.Marcus is the narrator and he often pauses to share quick lessons on programming, mathematics, privacy, cryptography and other technological wisdom. The idea that teenagers think they know everything just might have some truth to it, at least nowadays. These lessons are brilliant, not boring. I was inspired to check into a fact about cryptology. Starting on page 267, Marcus tells the reader:
It's unbelievable today, but there was a time when the government classed crypto as a munition and made it illegal for anyone to export or use it on a national security grounds. Get that? We used to have illegal math in this country.The author included sex, relationships, drugs and other parts of youth that ring of rebellion, but Doctorow never stops having fun. It grasped the awkwardness of the teenage years and their familiar, clumsy feel. The novel shares a quality found in most young adult books - high reading pace. Even though I'm not a teenager, I could still relate to the story because I consider myself a Millennial.
While it reminded me of my youth it also made me feel old. I'm 26. I should not feel old. However, it gives me perspective on those that are older than myself, because frankly I don't know squat about technology compared to the lil' techno-geeks growing up right now. Seriously. I have two degrees and I couldn't hack my way out of a wet paper bag.
Speaking of hacking, this book has also shed some light on hackers' thinking. It doesn't explain ALL hacking activities, but it looks at hacking through the lens of rebellion, which I thought was an interesting and enlightening concept. Further, the story supports how important hackers really are to protecting privacy. I know that sounds contradictory, but if you can hack it than you know how to prevent others from hacking it.
Speaking of hacking, this book has also shed some light on hackers' thinking. It doesn't explain ALL hacking activities, but it looks at hacking through the lens of rebellion, which I thought was an interesting and enlightening concept. Further, the story supports how important hackers really are to protecting privacy. I know that sounds contradictory, but if you can hack it than you know how to prevent others from hacking it.
It was so refreshing to FINALLY read about modern day technology in a book for once. Yeah, Sinclair, Koestler and Marquez can pull at my heart strings and boggle my mind, but can they work a BlackBerry??? No.
I'm not going to sit here and tell you that this is a fine piece of literature that deserves honors and awards. It's a young adult book. It doesn't have killer plot twists, thorough character development and seamless dialogue. No, what made this book for me was the perspective of a young person dealing with the post-9/11, terrorism witch-hunt world that we live in. I could actually hear myself asking the same questions that the characters asked themselves. It brought back the troubling thoughts pounding my brain following 9/11.
People say that this is a modern 1984 and I understand why they think that, but 1984 is a superior novel.
I'm not going to sit here and tell you that this is a fine piece of literature that deserves honors and awards. It's a young adult book. It doesn't have killer plot twists, thorough character development and seamless dialogue. No, what made this book for me was the perspective of a young person dealing with the post-9/11, terrorism witch-hunt world that we live in. I could actually hear myself asking the same questions that the characters asked themselves. It brought back the troubling thoughts pounding my brain following 9/11.
People say that this is a modern 1984 and I understand why they think that, but 1984 is a superior novel.
10/4/08
More Millenial Mayhem
The book 20-something Manifesto sounded pretty interesting to me a few weeks ago. However, things have changed a lot since then. I finally found stability in my life and this book was more about making sense out of the chaos which is inherent to people in their twenties. After breezing through it, I think it would have been much more useful like 2-3 years ago. And honestly, as far as I'm concerned, I was living that book.
I also stumbled a couple of interesting articles regarding Generation Y:
Understanding Students Who Were ‘Born Digital’
From Inside Higher Ed
Companies Are Struggling to Attract and Serve the Millennial Generation
From CNN Money
I also stumbled a couple of interesting articles regarding Generation Y:
Understanding Students Who Were ‘Born Digital’
From Inside Higher Ed
Companies Are Struggling to Attract and Serve the Millennial Generation
From CNN Money
Not ready for one job
Writing is all about rewriting and this instance is no exception. When I got a new full time job, I decided that I would keep all of my jobs. I currently have five. Next week I'll be working well over 60 hours.
When I told people that this was what I was intending to do this, they all looked at me like I was crazy. I now know that I was. Before I realized that, though, I got defensive. You should have read this post about a week ago. It was: "Why don't people get me?" "Why do people doubt me?" Boo, hoo, hoo.
My problem is this: I think I know everything well before I actually experience it. What I thought this time around was that working a full time job and four part time gigs was manageable. In fact, it is, but not without some sacrifice and a side of blood, sweat and tears. Slight exaggeration, pardon, but you get my drift.
In the original post, I complained that explaining myself was tedious and I was getting tired of it. Now I understand the strange glances and confused questions. What I'm doing right now is bananas. It's very, very difficult. I'm not the one to admit I'm having a hard time with anything, but this experience has really made me take a step back and give my lifestyle a nice long look.
Nonetheless, I have an explanation for my mad behavior. I am going to alter my work schedule as I need to. For the time being, though, I'm going to roll up my sleeves and finish what I have begun.
So, to help some people understand my decision making:
- Career A.D.D. I haven't had just one job since I was 18 years old; I'm 26. I've juggled at least two since then and have only gained as I went along.
- Challenge. If it's too easy, I tend to lose interest quick. I find that be keeping multiple jobs, well of challenge never runs dry.
- Variety. This bullet point could combined with the one prior, but I really like my workday to be a diverse experience. I like to connect with people on a variety of levels, whether it be about their library experience, the writing craft or hockey.
- Yes I can! Another reason that I work so many jobs is, well, because I can. I'm good at time management and I like my work - all of it. I love libraries, researching, writing, hockey...the whole nine yards. Why would I give up so many good things? It's like giving up cheese - no thanks!
- Money is awesome. This goes without saying, really. I don't work for free. Volunteering stopped a few years back. And I gots to get paid. I have bills, ok? I'm looking to get my behind out of debt and FAST! Hanging out with friends and relaxing sounds absolutely delightful, however friends don't pay the bills and neither does relaxing. I like having a roof over my head. I want to start traveling again, buy running shoes, and pay off my student loans. And I love the work I do, which gives me money to accomplish these grown-up feats. It's quite simple.
This is not easy, but I'll be damned if I end up a quitter. There's people out there that bust their humps for less and would think that I'm not only a crybaby for not embracing all this work, but plain stupid for not taking the opportunities when financial doom and gloom surrounds us.
9/13/08
Millennial Blog
I have come to the conclusion that I am, in fact, a Millennial. I'm on the cusp, being almost too old to be included. Yet, my outgoing personality, my craving to learn and write constantly and my pathetic need to be connected at all times drops me in the category that consists of teens that IM while doing EVERYTHING; people that get hurt by walking and texting at the same time; people that check their Fantasy Leagues on their phones; and people that make plans using Facebook. Yep, I'm that person. And I love it.
A little while back, the Atlantic had an amazing article about the way technology changes the way we think called "Is Google making us stupid?". It's a pretty good article and it really made me realize how my thinking has been affected by technology. This was also the point that I realized that I was a Millennial, even if I was an "old" one.
The article addressed all kinds of stuff. It talked about Nietzsche. It talked about how Chinese characters make different parts of the brain work versus the alphabet. It talked about the invention of the clock and how we got to sleep, eat and all that by the clock, not by our natural senses. It talks about Taylor's industrial philosophy and what an algorithm is: the idea of living by precise directions. The author wraps it up with some ancient philosopher talk. It's a seamless article and the author gets creative with the 2001 reference and what Kubrick meant. I understand the movie more then ever. I thought the article was really well written. I loved it and the understanding it brought me. It wasn't strictly about Generation Y, but it definitely hit on a few Millennial points.
Hence, I have been a little more aware of literature about my alleged generation. Here's a couple of other things I picked up:
Millennial Voters - Washington Post
This is a review about the book Youth to Power by Keli Goff. The book looks at how the Millennial generation is changing the face of politics. Looks interesting.
Faces of the Future - CNN
Here's a slide show of twenty-somethings that are leading the charge in some of the biggest, baddest companies around. It gives all those folks my age looking for work hope.
Job-hopping Gen Yers aren't disloyal. They're smart. - CNN
This article covers how Gen Yers job hop because they don't trust the old routine of working for one employer and then being unceremoniously thrown to the curb. We're a wary bunch, the author says, and we're taking every opportunity we can. Gen Yers learned from the Baby Boomers and they're not sticking around to get screwed by the man. The Gig is a cool blog about Generation Y, so make sure to check out all the other posts, too.
Leading Generation Y - United State Army
This is a PDF of the Army's strategy to train the Millennials in the Armed Forces. It says in the conclusion that:
A little while back, the Atlantic had an amazing article about the way technology changes the way we think called "Is Google making us stupid?". It's a pretty good article and it really made me realize how my thinking has been affected by technology. This was also the point that I realized that I was a Millennial, even if I was an "old" one.
The article addressed all kinds of stuff. It talked about Nietzsche. It talked about how Chinese characters make different parts of the brain work versus the alphabet. It talked about the invention of the clock and how we got to sleep, eat and all that by the clock, not by our natural senses. It talks about Taylor's industrial philosophy and what an algorithm is: the idea of living by precise directions. The author wraps it up with some ancient philosopher talk. It's a seamless article and the author gets creative with the 2001 reference and what Kubrick meant. I understand the movie more then ever. I thought the article was really well written. I loved it and the understanding it brought me. It wasn't strictly about Generation Y, but it definitely hit on a few Millennial points.
Hence, I have been a little more aware of literature about my alleged generation. Here's a couple of other things I picked up:
Millennial Voters - Washington Post
This is a review about the book Youth to Power by Keli Goff. The book looks at how the Millennial generation is changing the face of politics. Looks interesting.
Faces of the Future - CNN
Here's a slide show of twenty-somethings that are leading the charge in some of the biggest, baddest companies around. It gives all those folks my age looking for work hope.
Job-hopping Gen Yers aren't disloyal. They're smart. - CNN
This article covers how Gen Yers job hop because they don't trust the old routine of working for one employer and then being unceremoniously thrown to the curb. We're a wary bunch, the author says, and we're taking every opportunity we can. Gen Yers learned from the Baby Boomers and they're not sticking around to get screwed by the man. The Gig is a cool blog about Generation Y, so make sure to check out all the other posts, too.
Leading Generation Y - United State Army
This is a PDF of the Army's strategy to train the Millennials in the Armed Forces. It says in the conclusion that:
"The key focus of Army leaders at every level should be the mentoring and development of Generation Y. Understanding their values, appealing to their techno-savvy upbringing, providing feedback, adjusting the design of the training base, and attempting to balance work with life are all areas that leaders should focus on to help keep this new generation around for the fight."
8/27/08
Beloit College Mindset Lists
Differences in age fascinate me. Not just generational differences, but even just a couple years in either direction changes perspectives. The Beloit College Mindset List gave me an interesting perspective on my age...or at least how these dudes perceive my age. I originally learned about the annual list from the director at Southfield Public Library. Shortly after that, I was browsing Overheard in the Office and came across this hilariously relevant conversationUgh, hipsters.
The Beloit list comes out annually and goes back to 2002. I looked up my first graduation year, 2004, and was actually kind of disappointed. Some statements are pretty bold, but I'm not sure they are accurate enough to be so bold. Perhaps I'm a little bit defensive.
Here were a couple of my favorites from the Class of 2004:
called "When hipsters go to work in offices." It goes:
Intern #1: So I'm supposed to go through her Rolodex after lunch and add all of them into Outlook.
Intern #2: What's a Rolodex?
Intern #3: It's this round thing that has a bunch of cards and you put people's contact information. My grandma uses one still.
Intern #2: Wow! I never heard of that, I totally want one!
The Beloit list comes out annually and goes back to 2002. I looked up my first graduation year, 2004, and was actually kind of disappointed. Some statements are pretty bold, but I'm not sure they are accurate enough to be so bold. Perhaps I'm a little bit defensive.
Here were a couple of my favorites from the Class of 2004:
- #20: Watergate is as relevant to their lives as the Teapot Dome scandal. (Funny, All the President's Men was one of my favorite books and I read that sometime in 2001.)
- #29: The year they were born, the New York Times announced that the "boom in video games," a fad, had come to an end. (Ha.)
- #38: They have never heard a phone "ring." (Not true - my iPhone "rings")
- #50: They feel more danger from having sex and being in school, than from possible nuclear war. (Ummm, really?)
- #6: Salsa has always outsold ketchup. (wtf!? when the hell did this happen?)
- #19: They have never understood the meaning of R.S.V.P. (Oh, come on now. They know that.)
- #52: They have never been Saved by the Bell. (Madness!)
- #70: Vice presidents of the United States have always had real power. (Yeah they have.)
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