The New Generation???
 

Try and read the whole article before commenting. I couldn't get past this portion:
[url=http://finance.yahoo.com/news/American-Dream-Is-Elusive-for-nytimes-1858628195.html?x=0&sec=topStories&pos=5&asset=&ccode=]American Dream Is Elusive for New Generation - Yahoo! Finance[/url]

[quote]The daily routine seldom varied. Mr. Nicholson, 24, a graduate of Colgate University, winner of a dean’s award for academic excellence, spent his mornings searching corporate Web sites for suitable job openings. When he found one, he mailed off a résumé and cover letter — four or five a week, week after week.

Over the last five months, only one job materialized. After several interviews, [B]the Hanover Insurance Group in nearby Worcester offered to hire him as an associate claims adjuster, at $40,000 a year[/B]. But even before the formal offer, Mr. Nicholson had decided not to take the job.

Rather than waste early years in dead-end work, he reasoned, he would hold out for a corporate position that would draw on his college training and put him, as he sees it, on the bottom rungs of a career ladder.[/quote]

I can't wrap my head around his reasoning. I've always thought; get your foot in the door, work hard, do what needs to be done - not necessarily the same as what is in your job description, and you'll get where you want to be - however you define that.

Re: The New Generation???
 

[quote=CRedskinsRule;711190]Try and read the whole article before commenting. I couldn't get past this portion:
[URL="http://finance.yahoo.com/news/American-Dream-Is-Elusive-for-nytimes-1858628195.html?x=0&sec=topStories&pos=5&asset=&ccode="]American Dream Is Elusive for New Generation - Yahoo! Finance[/URL]



I can't wrap my head around his reasoning. I've always thought; get your foot in the door, work hard, do what needs to be done - not necessarily the same as what is in your job description, and you'll get where you want to be - however you define that.[/quote]

Yep agreed. A degree means nothing without experience. Experience translates across job fields too, there is meaningful transferrable skills you can pick up even in a "dead-end" job. Especially in this economy... get your foot in the door somewhere and start building up your resume.

Re: The New Generation???
 

none of these kids want to do any grunt work. they all want top level jobs, at top level pay. this generation feels like they are owed a pay check- they don't have to work for it

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I find it pretty funny that he thinks that a claims job with a major insurance company is dead-end. I'm gonna take a wild guess that this kid has never flipped burgers.

Re: The New Generation???
 

[quote=Mattyk;711198]I find it pretty funny that he thinks that a claims job with a major insurance company is dead-end. I'm gonna take a wild guess that this kid has never flipped burgers.[/quote]
I don't understand this either. $40k to start, and with potential to move up, and he sees this as a dead-end? He wants to not be home, yet here is an opportunity to get the funds to be able to be independent, and he turns his nose at it? 6-12 months as a claims adjuster busting his hump and he could most likely be reconsidered for their managerial training program. With Mom & Dad's annual income, and Grandparents who paid for his Colgate education, it doesn't surprise me that he has this mentality. It's a shame he's letting an opportunity go because he feels it's beneath him.

Re: The New Generation???
 

Seriously,

40K, living at home for maybe a year-2, with no attachments (apparently) and he would be right on Schneed's path for life! - and I mean that in a good way.

Re: The New Generation???
 

Even if he rented an apartment after working for 2-3 months, he'd still be better off than staying at home and waiting for his perfect opportunity to drop in his lap.

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[quote=dmek25;711195]none of these kids want to do any grunt work. they all want top level jobs, at top level pay. this generation [B]feels like they are owed a pay check- they don't have to work for it[/B][/quote]

Welcome to America. It's not exclusive to this generation, the sense of entitlement just gets stronger with each successive generation.

Re: The New Generation???
 

[quote=cpayne5;711209]Welcome to America. It's not exclusive to this generation, the sense of entitlement just gets stronger with each successive generation.[/quote]

? I didn't grow up with that sense of entitlement. I know my Dad worked his behind off to make a way for my Mom and his kids. I know I have worked my behind off for my kids. Now do my kids have a sense of entitlement, maybe, but over the summer I make them work with me a couple hours a week, they "earn" a paycheck, and they are learning that if they want a video game, or that extra smoothie from McD's over the summer, they better be giving me a good effort on the mornings they are at work with me. If a child grows up with a sense of entitlement, in my opinion, it comes in a good part from a lack of training from the parents.

Re: The New Generation???
 

[quote=Mattyk;711198]I find it pretty funny that he thinks that a claims job with a major insurance company is dead-end. I'm gonna take a wild guess that this kid has never flipped burgers.[/quote]


I was going to say the same thing!!!!! What a little brat, good luck finding something now.

Plus $40k right out of school is pretty good money, IMO. I think I made $25k in my first career job and that was 1996.

Re: The New Generation???
 

[quote=dmek25;711195]none of these kids want to do any grunt work. they all want top level jobs, at top level pay. this generation feels like they are owed a pay check- they don't have to work for it[/quote]


I agree with you but I am guessing this concept is nothing diffrent then in the past. I think it is a fact of life that older generations feel younger generations don't work as hard.

Re: The New Generation???
 

[quote=mredskins;711212]I was going to say the same thing!!!!! What a little brat, good luck finding something now.

Plus $40k right out of school is pretty good money, IMO. I think I made $25k in my first career job and that was 1996.[/quote]

In 1991, after law school, my first legal job was an 18K position that was actually a paralegal slot - I told them I would take it and they could use me as a lawyer at the paralegal pay. I busted my butt and moved around when opportunity presented itself and w/in 12 years had one of two senior counsel positions in a 12 attorney office.

It ain't all about where you start, it's what you do with your start.

Like Matty said, this kid needed to flip some burgers in his life. Did anyone else notice his tuition, room & board were paid by his grandparents? 40K right of school with no student loans? So sorry that is below you.

Re: The New Generation???
 

That guy is a moron. If I'm his father he is getting kicked out...might even cut him from my will.

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[quote=saden1;711236]That guy is a moron. If I'm his father he is getting kicked out...might even cut him from my will.[/quote]

I can tell you don't have kids.

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^^ After turning down a 40K job, his parents are paying for 2K a month for his share of an apartment in Boston. Amazing.

I gotta believe this kid is not the norm.

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[quote=firstdown;711237]I can tell you don't have kids.[/quote]

What can I say? I believe in the power of kicking out a bad seed before it ruins the soil. I'm sure the wife isn't going to have it. Oh and military school is always an option too.

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[quote=firstdown;711237]I can tell you don't have kids.[/quote]

If at 24 my son says to me, while living at home, "Dad I turned down a well paying job b/c I didn't think it was going anywhere". He and I would have very long talk about his rent-free status in my home. It is one thing to be supportive in hard times, it is another to encourage a sense of entitlement.

The company who offerred the guy the job had initially turned down his request for a management training position but thought enough of him to call him back in for the lesser opening. So take the job, work your ass off and reapply in a couple years for the managemnt training.

When opportunity knocks, answer the f'ing door.

Re: The New Generation???
 

I had a kid in my last office get hired at an entry level position I say it was probably in the mid- 30 range, he had gone to graduate school right after college so he had no work experience.

He asked my boos every other month for raise, after he had done nothing to deserve it. Eventually my boss asked him to quit or stay but he would never promote him. The kid left two weeks later, we all laughed at his sense of entitlement that he had for himself.

He was so bad that if you made a mistake in my office you didn't f up you pulled a Josh.

Also if you were to Simpsonize him into a cartoon you would just have a drawing of Millhouse. They looked exactly a like.

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I don't know if he's a representative of my generation. I'm fresh out of college, I had a job lined up before my last semester (making considerably more than he did) and it seems like he and I probably had similar grades as well. I'm a little surprised that his job hunt is starting after graduation, that makes me think Colgate doesn't do a great job at career services...that, or the kid is lazy.

Please don't judge people my age on this guy, my wife and I both just graduated from college last may, we make a lot more than he was offered, pay down my (considerable) student loans, got married and we were able to purchase a home because we work hard. We're not all entitled.

I will say that I know a few people like him, but most of my friends are very successful and driven, not entitled.

Re: The New Generation???
 

[quote=CRedskinsRule;711205]Seriously,

40K, living at home for maybe a year-2, with no attachments (apparently) and he would be right on Schneed's path for life! - and I mean that in a good way.[/quote]

Yeah, you too can make $40K out of college and within three years become an internet asshole!

JK. But seriously, that's how I rolled. I came out of college (a pretty good one, but not very top teir) with an average GPA, and it was a recession. I took an entry level finance job for $36K (probably now equates to $42K given inflation). Lived at home with the 'rents for 18 months while I paid down student loans and got an MBA at night. Started getting promoted and got things rolling.

You got to come in and be willing to put in the time and effort. Start somewhere, and prove to people that you can do more. But you have to show you can handle increased responsibility before they'll give it to you, that's the way to [B]earn[/B] more $.

Damn kids. My mom and dad handed me a real nice upbringing and 85% of a private school college education. But the world won't hand me anything like they did, I've got to earn it from the world. Mom and dad may have handed you this Colgate education, bub, but don't expect the world to do the same.

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[quote=JoeRedskin;711243]If at 24 my son says to me, while living at home, "Dad I turned down a well paying job b/c I didn't think it was going anywhere". He and I would have very long talk about his rent-free status in my home. It is one thing to be supportive in hard times, it is another to encourage a sense of entitlement.

The company who offerred the guy the job had initially turned down his request for a management training position but thought enough of him to call him back in for the lesser opening. So take the job, work your ass off and reapply in a couple years for the managemnt training.

[B]When opportunity knocks, answer the f'ing door[/B].[/quote]
great line.

Re: The New Generation???
 

[quote=jdlea;711259]I don't know if he's a representative of my generation. I'm fresh out of college, I had a job lined up before my last semester (making considerably more than he did) and it seems like he and I probably had similar grades as well. I'm a little surprised that his job hunt is starting after graduation, that makes me think Colgate doesn't do a great job at career services...that, or the kid is lazy.

Please don't judge people my age on this guy, my wife and I both just graduated from college last may, we make a lot more than he was offered, pay down my (considerable) student loans, got married and we were able to purchase a home because we work hard. We're not all entitled.

I will say that I know a few people like him, but most of my friends are very successful and driven, not entitled.[/quote]

I think you're right, it's unfair to judge a full generation based on this. But to me, I wouldn't judge the kids anyway, I'd judge their parents.

Parents need to be mindful of instilling work ethic and appreciation in their kids. If you're going to give your kid a car for his 16th birthday, make sure he understands most of the parents in this nation can't do that. Make sure he understands that if he wants to live in a nice house like he grew up in, he needs to be as successful as his mother and father are/were. The second the kid under-appreciates those things, yank the rug from underneath them and give them a rude awakening.

Re: The New Generation???
 

schneed ,your very full of your-self when it comes to parenting. remember what they say about the best laid plans...i really hope it all works out. i did the same things with my kids. for one it worked

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[quote=dmek25;711273]schneed ,your very full of your-self when it comes to parenting. remember what they say about the best laid plans...i really hope it all works out. i did the same things with my kids. for one it worked[/quote]

I'm full of myself, period.

:)

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[quote=JoeRedskin;711243]If at 24 my son says to me, while living at home, "Dad I turned down a well paying job b/c I didn't think it was going anywhere". He and I would have very long talk about his rent-free status in my home. [B] It is one thing to be supportive in hard times, it is another to encourage a sense of entitlement.[/B]

The company who offerred the guy the job had initially turned down his request for a management training position but thought enough of him to call him back in for the lesser opening. So take the job, work your ass off and reapply in a couple years for the managemnt training.

When opportunity knocks, answer the f'ing door.[/quote]

Exactly. My parents have always said they'll help my brother and I if we help ourselves. There were times in the past during and right after college where I was hurting for money, but I was always willing to work my tail off doing whatever to make ends meet. They weren't bankrolling my entire life, but they certainly helped with bills/rent here and there- as long as I was working hard both in school and at a job.

My parents have money, but my Dad was raised dirt poor as the oldest of 7 kids, and paid his own way through college and law school, and wasn't ever given a penny after the age of 18 by his parents. If he ever caught any whiff of entitlement from my brother and I while growing up, he nipped it in the bud real fast.

The little shitburger in this article needs to get his head out of the clouds and learn what it means to WORK for a living.

Re: The New Generation???
 

[quote=CRedskinsRule;711211]? I didn't grow up with that sense of entitlement. I know my Dad worked his behind off to make a way for my Mom and his kids. I know I have worked my behind off for my kids. Now do my kids have a sense of entitlement, maybe, but over the summer I make them work with me a couple hours a week, they "earn" a paycheck, and they are learning that if they want a video game, or that extra smoothie from McD's over the summer, they better be giving me a good effort on the mornings they are at work with me. If a child grows up with a sense of entitlement, in my opinion, it comes in a good part from a lack of training from the parents.[/quote]

I didn't either, but I don't think that either of us are the norm. It's probably not the norm for the folks on this board that are my age (just turned 28) either (think about the demographics of the posters here). But, going to college and just growing up in general with my generation have made me think the way I do about "us".

I grew up pretty poor. My parents never made much money at all. I figured out from an early age that I didn't want to be poor. I worked hard in school and am doing very well for myself, all things considered. My sister grew up in the same environment, but took a woe-is-me attitude. She always played the sympathy card and sought handouts. She just turned 24, has had about 20 jobs over the past two years (because nothing pays well enough for her) yet currently unemployed, is expecting her second child, and living off of my 80+ year old grandparents.

It's just my opinion based off anecdotal evidence that I've witnessed in society.

Re: The New Generation???
 

I'm 23, right out of college. I'm looking for a job that will last me from now through the time I finish my masters. (Which I'm starting next year)

At this point I will do ANYTHING. 40k... I would sell my soul for 40k. A full time job, for 40k annually sounds like a dream. I went through college and only have $2k of student loans so basically I have nothing I have to pay towards except moving out. I swear, kids my days aren't this dude. Most I know are dying to work anywhere with full time hours, a salary and a little benefits. Oh did I mention I'm uninsured too?

I've been searching for a job from before I ever put on that cap and gown (in May) till now. I've been on numerous interviews (At least 10+ since June) and nothing has materialized. A good friend of mine, graduated from MD, interned with the Redskins (as a journalist) for the past season. And couldn't get a job for over 4 months.

If you graduated last year, this year, or probably next year.. You're basically screwed.

But seriously. I am so desperate for a full-time job, I've thought about asking you guys where I should start. I'm willing to take anything that pays over 25k. Ideally, I'd like to start around 30k. Anything having to do with law or social work type things I'm down for.

I'm looked for government jobs but they want people with office/clerical experience, which I have none of. I only have 4 years of customer service experience. Damn... I guess I am screwed. :(

Re: The New Generation???
 

I guess the positive spin to this article is that the job was given to someone who actually appreciates the opportunity. Hopefully.

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[quote=DynamiteRave;711315]I'm 23, right out of college. I'm looking for a job that will last me from now through the time I finish my masters. (Which I'm starting next year)

At this point I will do ANYTHING. 40k... I would sell my soul for 40k. A full time job, for 40k annually sounds like a dream. I went through college and only have $2k of student loans so basically I have nothing I have to pay towards except moving out. I swear, kids my days aren't this dude. Most I know are dying to work anywhere with full time hours, a salary and a little benefits. Oh did I mention I'm uninsured too?

I've been searching for a job from before I ever put on that cap and gown (in May) till now. I've been on numerous interviews (At least 10+ since June) and nothing has materialized. A good friend of mine, graduated from MD, interned with the Redskins (as a journalist) for the past season. And couldn't get a job for over 4 months.

If you graduated last year, this year, or probably next year.. You're basically screwed.

But seriously. I am so desperate for a full-time job, I've thought about asking you guys where I should start. I'm willing to take anything that pays over 25k. Ideally, I'd like to start around 30k. Anything having to do with law or social work type things I'm down for.

I'm looked for government jobs but they want people with office/clerical experience, which I have none of. I only have 4 years of customer service experience. Damn... I guess I am screwed. :([/quote]

Ever go to Manpower?

[url=http://www.manpower.com/]Manpower Inc. – Employment services industry leader offering permanent, temporary, contract recruitment; employee assessment and selection; training; outplacement; outsourcing and consulting services.[/url]

They are temp jobs but the usually in the DC area theyend up being permanent jobs.

Re: The New Generation???
 

$40K per year ain't the same as it used to be.

I'm not defending this kid -- he should take the job and continue looking -- but $40K/year = $20/hour and that's not much in this economy.

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[quote=GhettoDogAllStars;711469]$40K per year ain't the same as it used to be.

I'm not defending this kid -- he should take the job and continue looking -- but $40K/year = $20/hour and that's not much in this economy.[/quote]

In an economy that has 9% unemployment I don't think anyone should complain about $40k, and for a kid fresh out of college he could do a hell of a lot worse.

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Again $40K starting out, and no obvious expenses, is a helluva lot. no disrespect GDAS, if he had a high rent place yeah maybe 40K would not be a lot, but that's not the case. And 40K isn't the topped out max, but a foot in the door, not his ending salary, and if he is capable, his income would rise soon enough. and last I checked $40K >> $0 even after the government gets its share.

I wonder if he is counted as 1 of the uninsured in the US? should our tax dollars provide him health care? Should there be a clause in the health care, like there is in unemployment, that if you are able bodied, and turn down employment, then you get no health care benefits? Just asking.

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He lives in MA, so he has healthcare

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still taxpayer funded right? is that "fair"?

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[quote=CRedskinsRule;711474]still taxpayer funded right? is that "fair"?[/quote]

It's what the people of Mass voted on, but you make a good point. It seems bogus to me, but I wouldn't want to live there.

Re: The New Generation???
 

[quote=GhettoDogAllStars;711475][B]It's what the people of Mass voted on,[/B] but you make a good point. It seems bogus to me, but I wouldn't want to live there.[/quote]

Did they vote on healthcare for a 24 yo with a 40K job in hand turning it down, or did they vote on the idea of a child sick and unable to get needed medicine due to a mother on welfare and a deadbeat dad.

But the State has that right, I just think it exemplifies the abuses that will be pervasive in far more complex Federal system.

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With the good comes the bad. No system is going to be perfect.

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Damn kids too lazy to even pick pocket now-a-days.....

[url=http://www.slate.com/id/2286010]The lost art of pickpocketing: Why has the crime become so rare in the United States? - By Joe Keohane - Slate Magazine[/url]


But even if Fagins abounded in the United States, it's unclear whether today's shrinking pool of criminally minded American kids would be willing to put in the time to properly develop the skill. "Pickpocketing is a subtle theft," says Jay Albenese, a criminologist at Virginia Commonwealth University. "It requires a certain amount of skill, finesse, cleverness, and planning, and the patience to do all that isn't there" among American young people. This is "a reflection of what's going on in the wider culture," Albenese says.

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it's because erryone wearing tight ass jeans now

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[quote=mredskins;711324]Ever go to Manpower?

[URL="http://www.manpower.com/"]Manpower Inc. – Employment services industry leader offering permanent, temporary, contract recruitment; employee assessment and selection; training; outplacement; outsourcing and consulting services.[/URL]

They are temp jobs but the usually in the DC area theyend up being permanent jobs.[/quote]

Man, I wish I knew about this site back when I was unemployed for 6 months. I've been working at a Mazda dealership as a car salesman for about a month now, and I was fortunate to get this job given my driving record. I don't understand that kid's line of thinking at all, and the fact that his parents are paying an extra 2k a month for his apartment is even more ridiculous. Not a single one of my friends are like that guy. 40k a year? I've never made more than 22k in a year, and granted I've taken the work now/put off college till later path, but gd. You can't be picky when so few opportunities are available.