Making My Generation Work

In many articles that I've read, I continually hear the statement that my generation is one that's struck with a severe entitlement complex. Especially when it comes to getting a job. I have discussed this with colleagues and peers as well, both being in different generations and sharing the same. In my case I fall under "Generation Y", the "Echo Boomers", the "Millenniums". I was born in 1988 and yet I'm already sprouting grey hair. I have always been the "baby" of the work place, but felt a maturity past my peers. Do I personally feel that I have a strong sense of entitlement? Not really.

I believe this idea of entitlement is based on the person and the external circumstances that they are subjected to throughout their lives. I am going to go out on somewhat of a limb and connect the dots that the boomer generation was a generation that didn't go without. There is a high concentration of wealth in this cohort and we all know it. Of course this is a generalization of a massive group, but I talk in averages to this.

Additionally, there have been articles that state how the boomers felt they were to be the "new age parents" who wanted to provide anything and everything to they're kids. I am not a psychologist, nor claim to be, but there is something to be said for getting everything you want and then expecting the world outside of the family home to follow suit. Again I will iterate that this is a generalization since of course there will be different situations among groups.

Due to the large amount of kids in my generation, and these factors, would it be appropriate to say that there is a greater tendency to claim Gen Y's feel entitled? Personally, I feel that I have entitlements, just as anyone else would I assume. That said, I don't believe I am entitled to a high paying job simply because I have attended post-secondary, nor will I once I have finished my graduate studies. However, I do know that many people I talk to use this alone as argument to receive higher paying salaries.

I do believe that there is something to be said for having the dedication and drive to complete post-secondary studies, and this needs to be noted when looking at candidacy for position openings. However, I myself would feel almost insulted to be hired based primarily on my education and not at all on my persona. I know as a person, I have a great amount of drive and tenacity that can bring more to a position than a fellow applicant with just the same expensive degree on their resume. I use education as an example, whereby it could easily be supplemented by a few years of experience, or even just simply having expectations based on your Mom always telling you that you're amazing, but I digress.

Now I can't speak for my large cohort, all I can do is be a strong ambassador. I value my education and I value the privilege it has been (and will be) to be able to receive it. I absolutely do not see it as a ticket into a job, I see it as a great personal achievement that I can be proud of for life. That said, I also do see it as another tool in my tool belt. A tool to help differentiate and leverage myself where I can, and just like any tool belt, I hold multiple things to help me get the job done. To see it as an entitlement to work is not appropriate, as you need to earn the respect of any employer, and show that you will be worth their investment in you.

On the flip side, I can empathize in the uphill battle that my generation and generations to come have in terms of prosperity in this world. Many strong career paths won't even consider you without post-secondary education. This coupled with the exponentially increasing costs of returning to school creating a barrier to entry resulting in either starting your life in the red, or not having higher education presents a dilemma in terms of the future health of countries' middle class. But that is another question for another conversation.

Additionally, the cost of living, the cost of buying your first home, the cost of raising a child, are all becoming much more unattainable in order to live a comfortable life. I know that at my age, my parents were having me, had already owned a house and were upgrading to a bigger one and had strong career paths to run with. My mom never went to post-secondary and my dad is just now completing accreditation now at 50, both of which never really required them in order to have a successful career. I myself am looking to still define myself, going back to school, taking on copious amounts of student debt, and still rent. Of course, that is my choice as I had a perfectly fine career in finance up until now. However, I consider myself to have good fortune, as I don't have debt from my undergrad whereas many of my colleagues are paying off, in some instances, $50,000+ in undergrad loans and working as a teller for a bank at $13.00 per hour.

So yes, I will say that there may be an entitlement complex in my generation. We may feel that we deserve the world in a hand basket. However, with the financial barriers to prosperity that we face, it may be hard to understand how we are supposed to make it otherwise. I myself will continue to work my ass off, as I fully understand that things are never just handed to you. As for my fellow Gen Y's out there, I suggest we all come to that realization if we haven't already, because the hill won't get any smaller just by waiting for handouts we'll have to climb it either way, or be left behind.