He wote “I am still thinking over things like this on a constant basis. Although the last few weeks have been so crazy with my son’s birth that I haven’t had the time to really think about it.  His birth has really it home that I am now the sole provider for my wife and child.  It has given me a little more “purpose” to put on my suit and tie…. but I know this won’t last and eventually I’ll be back to where I was a few weeks ago.” I think he’s spot-on with his assessment. Again, it points to a maturity that Generation Yers have that companies need to recognize.

My friend is in banking. He wrote “I guess I don’t know if banking is what I should be doing.  I think there are some serious problems with a Gen-Y’er being in a profession that is very ‘old-fashioned’.  No one will give a 27 year old any serious responsibility because according to his 53 year-old boss…. he is too young and doesn’t have enough experience and he ‘couldn’t possibly’ have enough experience yet.”

He has a strong desire to “lead” (i.e. manage) and he thinks that would make him content.  We have a mutual friend at a bank that has been a good example for both of us for all of this. He does such a great job with his employees and says he spends half his day just talking with his employees and most of the time it
isn’t about work related things. My friend says “problem is, I am pretty sure that banking is the wrong career choice for a 27 year old who wants to be in management”. I’m not sure if that’s the right answer though.

I made a comment about how I make a good salary but still find myself challenged with the same dilema. He responded by saying “as far as your comment [even though it pays well] that is something I can relate to and something I worry about.  I feel like I would like my job a lot more if I got paid more, but then I know that isn’t true because once I got more money I still wouldn’t be happy.  It’s almost like I am holding out for a big ‘pay day’ and keep thinking that will make me happy – but I know it won’t”. 

He wrapped up by saying “so in the end, do I need to find something new (outside of banking) because I really think I am only in it for the money – knowing that in 10 years the money should be really good.  I fear I would…look back on a 30 year career and be utterly disappointed. Problem is; I have no idea what I would do if I left banking. I don’t even know where to start.  Been in banking almost 7 years……. Any ideas?”.

So, onward I proceed to find a solution; for him, for me, for what seems to be a majority of our Generation.

Jonathan

I think everyone (well, most people) go through that feeling, and there is no real answer for it.  I think part of the solution is finding something that you love, then looking for ways to make money from it.  If you look for ways to make money, and then try to narrow it down to something you like doing, then you’re limiting yourself to your choices by trying to choose something that already exists.  If you can say “I love (activity), what are ways that I can make money doing this…” then you’re open to picking from existing jobs or finding coming up with something that hasn’t been done before.  Obviously it also depends on how much money you want to make, how much you have to invest in yourself and how long you want to do that career.

I know exactly how he feels when he takes an idea to management and they reject it without even really reviewing it.  I’ve told you at least one story from my last job.  That’s going to be the difference between forward looking companies and companies that get left behind…willingness to take direction from people that aren’t traditionally their leaders.  Our generation grew up learning how to do things better and faster, but industries haven’t adjusted the work place to fit the workers they have. The ones that can adapt the fastest will be the ones that are most successful in the next 3-5 years, because I think that’s all the amount of time that it will take for productivity to increase once a company is willing to implement the changes that could be made.

-Mike

so a gen-y buddy of mine emailed over the wknd…he just had his first kid a couple wks ago. he’s asking me how he can do something he loves and still provide a living. it’s easy to tell a gen-y to quit their crappy job and get one they’ll love, but if they have obligations – not so much. he’s in banking (i.e. very institutional) and knows he won’t make any money for 10-15yrs. it’s just how banks do it. those who stick around and make nothing for long enough, get rewarded. he had great ideas to allow their website to take application for loand etc, but mgmt told him they just weren’t ready for that stuff. so, more feeling unappreciated. he’s just at his witt’s end now. prob is, i really don’t know what to tell him. i don’t feel like i’ve figured out the solution, so how can i write or talk about getting there? any thoughts?

A couple of ways to approach the two audiences:
1. Generalize material where we’re not speaking directly to workers or to management, just to the reader.  I’m not sure this would work as well when trying to reach those in the work force as well as it would for managers.
2. Write it as two books.  Even though it would be one book, we could write it as one part for managers and one part for workers, and encourage them to read all of it to get a better understanding of what each needs, does, wants, etc. Have you ever seen a double issue magazine that has a cover on the front and a different one on the back, and the back half of the magazine is upside down from the front half?  Could that work as a book?
3.Just write it from our experiences as employees and managers.  If we speak in the first person, then the people we’re talking to are the audience no matter who’s reading it.  The problem with this is, we’d have to convince them that we’re some sort of experts.

A topic that should really be hit on is the option to get an associates degree, then get in the work force with all of the general requirements for a bachelor’s out of the way.  Once the employee is in the work force, they can take advantage of their employer’s tuition assistance programs to help them get their bachelor’s degree.  I’m 29 and don’t know what I want to do with my life…people that are 18 are pigeon-holing themselves into a career that they may want to change before they even get started.

-Mike