Comments on: Gen-Y entitlement and the future of the workforce http://matadornetwork.com/life/gen-y-entitlement-and-the-future-of-the-workforce/ travel culture worldwide Wed, 08 Feb 2012 22:53:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Efizzle http://matadornetwork.com/life/gen-y-entitlement-and-the-future-of-the-workforce/#comment-97189 Efizzle Wed, 23 Nov 2011 04:16:00 +0000 http://matadorlife.com/?p=5797#comment-97189 Agreed Bobby C... Back in our parent's time, only 40% of High Schoolers went on to college vs. today's 70%. There are so many people with a bachelors degree that it has become watered down. What's worse is that employers now want a b.a. degree for a job that really doesn't pay what you'd expect from a job requiring a bachelors. So yes, we do feel let down, and yes we do feel entitled...The older generation just doesn't understand that things are different for us and we are disappointed that we were told if we got a Bachelors degree, we could at least expect to be middle class by our earnings, and not make just a paltry few dollars more than someone without a degree. We didn't discover this until we had already graduated with out degree, took out at least $2ok in loans if we went to a cheaper state school, and put our life on hold for 4 years to get a piece of paper that didn't qualify us for anything we felt was worthy of someone with a degree. Back in their day, fewer people had college degrees, so even if someone had a liberal arts degree, there were still federal and white-collar jobs to be had that paid a decent wage. Also, colleges were a lot cheaper back then. So all of this leads us to feel majorly screwed and disappointed. I have a lot of gripes about working with older workers myself...they are frustratingly slow and can only do one task at a time! ;p  Anyways, watch 'The college Conspiracy' on youtube. Wish I had watched it before college! Agreed Bobby C… Back in our parent’s time, only 40% of High Schoolers went on to college vs. today’s 70%. There are so many people with a bachelors degree that it has become watered down. What’s worse is that employers now want a b.a. degree for a job that really doesn’t pay what you’d expect from a job requiring a bachelors. So yes, we do feel let down, and yes we do feel entitled…The older generation just doesn’t understand that things are different for us and we are disappointed that we were told if we got a Bachelors degree, we could at least expect to be middle class by our earnings, and not make just a paltry few dollars more than someone without a degree. We didn’t discover this until we had already graduated with out degree, took out at least $2ok in loans if we went to a cheaper state school, and put our life on hold for 4 years to get a piece of paper that didn’t qualify us for anything we felt was worthy of someone with a degree. Back in their day, fewer people had college degrees, so even if someone had a liberal arts degree, there were still federal and white-collar jobs to be had that paid a decent wage. Also, colleges were a lot cheaper back then. So all of this leads us to feel majorly screwed and disappointed. I have a lot of gripes about working with older workers myself…they are frustratingly slow and can only do one task at a time! ;p  Anyways, watch ‘The college Conspiracy’ on youtube. Wish I had watched it before college!

]]> By: Efizzle http://matadornetwork.com/life/gen-y-entitlement-and-the-future-of-the-workforce/#comment-97188 Efizzle Wed, 23 Nov 2011 04:16:00 +0000 http://matadorlife.com/?p=5797#comment-97188 Agreed Bobby C... Back in our parent's time, only 40% of High Schoolers went on to college vs. today's 70%. There are so many people with a bachelors degree that it has become watered down. What's worse is that employers now want a b.a. degree for a job that really doesn't pay what you'd expect from a job requiring a bachelors. So yes, we do feel let down, and yes we do feel entitled...The older generation just doesn't understand that things are different for us and we are disappointed that we were told if we got a Bachelors degree, we could at least expect to be middle class by our earnings, and not make just a paltry few dollars more than someone without a degree. We didn't discover this until we had already graduated with out degree, took out at least $2ok in loans if we went to a cheaper state school, and put our life on hold for 4 years to get a piece of paper that didn't qualify us for anything we felt was worthy of someone with a degree. Back in their day, fewer people had college degrees, so even if someone had a liberal arts degree, there were still federal and white-collar jobs to be had that paid a decent wage. Also, colleges were a lot cheaper back then. So all of this leads us to feel majorly screwed and disappointed. I have a lot of gripes about working with older workers myself...they are frustratingly slow and can only do one task at a time! ;p  Anyways, watch 'The college Conspiracy' on youtube. Wish I had watched it before college! Agreed Bobby C… Back in our parent’s time, only 40% of High Schoolers went on to college vs. today’s 70%. There are so many people with a bachelors degree that it has become watered down. What’s worse is that employers now want a b.a. degree for a job that really doesn’t pay what you’d expect from a job requiring a bachelors. So yes, we do feel let down, and yes we do feel entitled…The older generation just doesn’t understand that things are different for us and we are disappointed that we were told if we got a Bachelors degree, we could at least expect to be middle class by our earnings, and not make just a paltry few dollars more than someone without a degree. We didn’t discover this until we had already graduated with out degree, took out at least $2ok in loans if we went to a cheaper state school, and put our life on hold for 4 years to get a piece of paper that didn’t qualify us for anything we felt was worthy of someone with a degree. Back in their day, fewer people had college degrees, so even if someone had a liberal arts degree, there were still federal and white-collar jobs to be had that paid a decent wage. Also, colleges were a lot cheaper back then. So all of this leads us to feel majorly screwed and disappointed. I have a lot of gripes about working with older workers myself…they are frustratingly slow and can only do one task at a time! ;p  Anyways, watch ‘The college Conspiracy’ on youtube. Wish I had watched it before college!

]]> By: Matt http://matadornetwork.com/life/gen-y-entitlement-and-the-future-of-the-workforce/#comment-90937 Matt Tue, 20 Sep 2011 19:55:00 +0000 http://matadorlife.com/?p=5797#comment-90937 Wow. I think you just proved the study right. Wow. I think you just proved the study right.

]]> By: Matt http://matadornetwork.com/life/gen-y-entitlement-and-the-future-of-the-workforce/#comment-90938 Matt Tue, 20 Sep 2011 19:55:00 +0000 http://matadorlife.com/?p=5797#comment-90938 Wow. I think you just proved the study right. Wow. I think you just proved the study right.

]]> By: Matt http://matadornetwork.com/life/gen-y-entitlement-and-the-future-of-the-workforce/#comment-90939 Matt Tue, 20 Sep 2011 19:55:00 +0000 http://matadorlife.com/?p=5797#comment-90939 Wow. I think you just proved the study right. Wow. I think you just proved the study right.

]]> By: Leigh Shulman http://matadornetwork.com/life/gen-y-entitlement-and-the-future-of-the-workforce/#comment-55286 Leigh Shulman Tue, 15 Jun 2010 22:44:31 +0000 http://matadorlife.com/?p=5797#comment-55286 These days, I'm not sure graduate school is worth it unless you know exactly what you want to do with it. And to be honest, travel or living abroad first is probably a better way to figure out what you want then school. There are also plenty abroad options for people in the US and elsewhere that are far cheaper. But the state of the education system in the US is a relatively new phenomenon. Programs like study abroad, AP and SAT that were initially designed to support students seem to be more money making machines than they used to be. The same applies to many schools and their tuitions. Fifty years ago, it wasn't a given that everyone in the US go to college. Now, if you don't, you're considered lacking. In the end, it's incumbent on the individual to do the research and figure things out for themselves. It's not like these "elders" are the only source of information. And in fact there is a smallish but growing group of people who are opting out of the traditional American education system. These days, I’m not sure graduate school is worth it unless you know exactly what you want to do with it. And to be honest, travel or living abroad first is probably a better way to figure out what you want then school. There are also plenty abroad options for people in the US and elsewhere that are far cheaper.

But the state of the education system in the US is a relatively new phenomenon. Programs like study abroad, AP and SAT that were initially designed to support students seem to be more money making machines than they used to be. The same applies to many schools and their tuitions. Fifty years ago, it wasn’t a given that everyone in the US go to college. Now, if you don’t, you’re considered lacking.

In the end, it’s incumbent on the individual to do the research and figure things out for themselves. It’s not like these “elders” are the only source of information. And in fact there is a smallish but growing group of people who are opting out of the traditional American education system.

]]> By: Carlo http://matadornetwork.com/life/gen-y-entitlement-and-the-future-of-the-workforce/#comment-55285 Carlo Tue, 15 Jun 2010 22:10:09 +0000 http://matadorlife.com/?p=5797#comment-55285 I wonder if it would be more responsible for the "elders" to educate the younger generations on the realities of post-school life. What is being told to highschoolers these days? Are degrees/masters/doctorates the only value that is impressed on young people? If everyone has a masters, who's going to do all of the other jobs? It's funny, the vast majority of 20-somethings I've come across in recent times are either going or going to go to graduate school. Especially Americans...who then end up with 100K debt at the end because of the exorbitant costs of school in the US. Is it really worth it? I wonder if it would be more responsible for the “elders” to educate the younger generations on the realities of post-school life. What is being told to highschoolers these days? Are degrees/masters/doctorates the only value that is impressed on young people? If everyone has a masters, who’s going to do all of the other jobs? It’s funny, the vast majority of 20-somethings I’ve come across in recent times are either going or going to go to graduate school. Especially Americans…who then end up with 100K debt at the end because of the exorbitant costs of school in the US.

Is it really worth it?

]]> By: bobby c http://matadornetwork.com/life/gen-y-entitlement-and-the-future-of-the-workforce/#comment-55277 bobby c Tue, 15 Jun 2010 16:39:53 +0000 http://matadorlife.com/?p=5797#comment-55277 I've felt this about myself, a Gen-Y-er, on more than one occasion. But I know where it comes from. Your parents and teachers tell you that if you get good grades and go to college, that a high-paying job will be waiting for you on the other side and you'll never want for anything. But after you do those things, you find out that the world isn't just giving away money to anyone with a college degree (or with a masters for that matter). You only make the big money if you chose one of a handful of lucrative careers like finance (before the recession, anyway). But if you didn't, it's a little hard to take. If this is called "entitlement," then so be it, I feel entitled. I’ve felt this about myself, a Gen-Y-er, on more than one occasion. But I know where it comes from. Your parents and teachers tell you that if you get good grades and go to college, that a high-paying job will be waiting for you on the other side and you’ll never want for anything. But after you do those things, you find out that the world isn’t just giving away money to anyone with a college degree (or with a masters for that matter). You only make the big money if you chose one of a handful of lucrative careers like finance (before the recession, anyway). But if you didn’t, it’s a little hard to take. If this is called “entitlement,” then so be it, I feel entitled.

]]> By: Candice http://matadornetwork.com/life/gen-y-entitlement-and-the-future-of-the-workforce/#comment-55249 Candice Sat, 12 Jun 2010 02:11:54 +0000 http://matadorlife.com/?p=5797#comment-55249 @Leigh: Yeah, it really does work both ways...If Gen Y and Gen X are set against each other, a change in the workforce will never, ever happen. @Kate: I hear you, but why does someone need their coffee fetched for them at all?! I mean, I understand seniority commands instant respect, but such roles are going to get harder and harder as many Gen-Y folk commit a job for a few years rather than 25 years. But yeah, the kids plotting vacation before they even ask permission is kind of a serious flaw in personality, not just in work ethic. @Anne, Leah and Nick: Thank you all for your comments! I love seeing people so fired up about this. And I'm glad we're the strong-willed, dynamic generation we've become. @Leigh: Yeah, it really does work both ways…If Gen Y and Gen X are set against each other, a change in the workforce will never, ever happen.

@Kate: I hear you, but why does someone need their coffee fetched for them at all?! I mean, I understand seniority commands instant respect, but such roles are going to get harder and harder as many Gen-Y folk commit a job for a few years rather than 25 years.

But yeah, the kids plotting vacation before they even ask permission is kind of a serious flaw in personality, not just in work ethic.

@Anne, Leah and Nick: Thank you all for your comments! I love seeing people so fired up about this. And I’m glad we’re the strong-willed, dynamic generation we’ve become.

]]> By: Nick Potter http://matadornetwork.com/life/gen-y-entitlement-and-the-future-of-the-workforce/#comment-55196 Nick Potter Fri, 11 Jun 2010 02:12:01 +0000 http://matadorlife.com/?p=5797#comment-55196 Great article Candice! It inspired me to add some of my own reflections here: http://re-be.com/blog/intergenerational-stone-throwing/ When some older people express their disdain at the selfishness of younger generations, I wonder if they are actually masking the guilt that they feel for their generation’s part in creating a more individualistic world. The louder that these people label other generations as greedy or individualistic, without questioning their own part in this process, the more likely this seems to me. Regardless of whether we think young people are part of “Generation Me” or “Generation We”, it’s time to stop throwing stones between the generations. Great article Candice! It inspired me to add some of my own reflections here:
http://re-be.com/blog/intergenerational-stone-throwing/

When some older people express their disdain at the selfishness of younger generations, I wonder if they are actually masking the guilt that they feel for their generation’s part in creating a more individualistic world. The louder that these people label other generations as greedy or individualistic, without questioning their own part in this process, the more likely this seems to me.

Regardless of whether we think young people are part of “Generation Me” or “Generation We”, it’s time to stop throwing stones between the generations.

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