Fri 26 Feb 2010 – 14.21
This crap has been going around the Internet for a while, but I thought I’d report on it. Pew Research has cooked up a little online quiz where users may determine for themselves how “Millennial” they are. That is, how much they have in common with us, the generation born after 1981. (nevermind that some of us in that age range already have kids in middle school!)
I’m 86. Probably would have been more if I had a tattoo or if I had played video games in the last 24 hours. Dunno if my parents’ marriage negatively affect my Millennial-ness, but that’s also a question.
Go take the test for yourself »
A study from The Oracle in synthesizes these and similar results, concluding that Millennials are more liberal, more confident, but less employed. And presumably more depressed. Or maybe that’s just me.
posted by Scott in careers, education, health & fitness, life.
Thu 07 Jan 2010 – 15.52
There is a feeling of rage mixed with exhaustion mixed with disappointment that comes from realising your own job prospects are dim. It’s almost a state of mind, where you view yourself in the third person, weighing events with both rational and emotional views, yet not being able to govern yourself with either faculty.
What can be done when you’re laid off, facing an impossible job market and ruthless competition? How can you come to grips with your own self-worth when the world around you says you are worthless? And how does one pay rent?
Recently, a friend relayed to me these feelings, in not so many words. She had been laid off from a job she didn’t exactly like, but now faces the task of finding something new. Being a middle twentysomething, it is difficult to assert expertise in a given field, but holding a degree (in her case, a Master’s too), you can’t market yourself as a penniless learner.
I, and she, have both found ourselves previously in such terrible job situations that we’d rather have no job at all. In my case, I quit this job in favour of the generally unfavourable lifestyle of a freelancer. In hers, she was laid off as a gesture of professional half-mercy, finally cutting her free from a job that was more trouble than anything else. (although the pay was good). But neither of us are eager to jump back into a job that we know isn’t brilliant. Or rather, we can’t tolerate that level of frustration again at such a critical time in our lives and careers.
Being a working twentysomething is a powerful thing. We are energetic and eager to learn, we don’t have personal baggage (mortgage, kids) so we can move from city to city, we don’t mind the late hours and enjoy making connections with co-workers, we’re plugged into the latest technology and can spew knowledge of all subjects in a manner unlike our parents. We have a lot to give. But in return we do have some requirements — simple requirements — for a fulfilling, or even tolerable, worklife.
We need to be taught. Resourcefulness can only bring us so far, especially when we are new to a field of specific role. We need to find a rhythm, even if that rhythm is a sort of managed chaos that may come from certain professions like journalism, (or blogging). We need to be led, for there is nothing worse than a spiteful boss who is constantly monitoring you, telling you what you’ve done wrong. We wouldn’t mind an industry-appropriate salary and maybe even a day off. And we need to know that there is, in fact, a tomorrow — that every step brings us forward. These requirements are somewhat philosophical, but with these in place the rest is just details.
What do we do now?
Should we just quit our jobs and hide out until the economy gets better? Should we travel or live on a farm? Should we move back with our families and write a book? Should we go back to school? (I would advise against that, though, unless you’re studying to be a nurse or engineer)
In the 4+ years since finishing grad school, I haven’t been able to shake these feelings. I haven’t managed to find the instant answer to finding workplace happiness and the general answer to career happiness. I don’t have iron-clad advice for weary friends and I don’t know how to un-fuck myself from the current situation. The feelings persist.
And yes, the title of this post is inspired by the James Taylor lyrics to “Shed a Little Light”… there is a feeling like the clenching of a fist / there is a hunger in the center of the chest. …
posted by Scott in careers, education, life, personal finance.
Job Prospects in the Recession
Mon 21 Dec 2009 – 9.33
The very excellent BBC Business Daily podcast has tackled the sensitive subject of job-hunting during the recession. While clearly it sucks, there are some subtitles in play. According to the program, workers who are hired during a recession are often hired in lesser roles, for lesser pay, and then have a harder time throughout the length of their careers. A scary sentence indeed.
Yale economist Lisa Kahn remarks on one point with which I strongly disagree: that a graduate degree strongly improves your likelihood of finding a job. While the theory has been sound for generations, the practice observed by peers and colleagues (and by myself) is that the extra degree doesn’t matter for shit. In many cases a graduate degree is viewed simply as another line on a resume — easily skipped.
I write this now from behind the desk of an office where I am consulting. In many ways, I have found a job, but as the podcast reiterates, most of the hires in the last 18 months have been temporary, conditional, freelance, or otherwise non-permanent.
This all comes through the lens of my bourgeois middle-class existence. There are folks out there who literally can’t afford to look for work. The transportation, dry cleaning, printing, etc. are too expensive. And what about those factory and farm workers who are out of work. Unless there’s another factory or farm, their prospects look bleak.
So as I sit here on Madison Ave., dressed in a crisp shirt and tie, I wonder, how has your job-hunt been going? Are you out of the woods yet? I’m getting there.
•• Check out the episode entitled “Your future job prospects? 21 Dec 09″ »
posted by Scott in careers, education, personal finance.
The Multigenerational Workplace
Mon 07 Dec 2009 – 12.50
At Thanksgiving yesterweek, we got to discussing the bizarreness of work. At the table were seated no fewer than three family members who are, you might say, less-than-gainfully employed. My laid-off aunt and uncle have both reinvented themselves recently, and I, of course, have been mucking through the freelance world for far too long.
But the topic soon shifted from job seeking to job doing. As the youngest person at the table, the conversation became and odd referendum on my entire generation — and theirs. We concluded what many business writers are already saying: managing the multigenerational office is going to be an immense challenge for businesses in the 21st century.
To an extent, workplaces have always been multigenerational. Apprentices and Masters usually slotted into the age groups of sons and fathers, respectively, and the entry-level workers have often been remarked for their freshness compared to the veterans. “Do you even shave?” and that sort of thing. But in decades past, one’s working life was generally considered to be a single generation in magnitude — 30 years or so — and one would look to retire around 50, 55, 60, maybe 65 if they love what they do. However, the Baby Boomers put an end to that, and as more Boomers pass 60, they have no plans to retire. Instead, their children are joining them at work, not as novelty guests, but as co-workers.
posted by Scott in careers, life.
Thu 15 Oct 2009 – 18.56
Imagine that one day you’re working at a successful magazine, making $50,000 per year, and living the life in New York City. A twentysomething fantasy for many. But then suddenly you’re laid off. Now, with the market for journalism shrunk to a caricature of its former self, you’re forced to scrape by with freelance gigs and unemployment checks in search of a job that may or may not exist. Stinks, doesn’t it.
This isn’t fiction, it’s the story of Amanda Ernst, a twentysomething former magazine writer and editor of FishbowlNY, a blog about advertising, media, and journalism. Amanda recently went under the microscope and talked about her adventures on NBC’s Today Show, even disclosing figures to help align her struggle with viewers who may be suffering the same drama in their lives. Read the chronicle of events from her point of view on FBNY. (for her efforts, Amanda was blog-slapped, lightly, by Gawker) The result, in this case, is positive: Amanda survived, and is doing alright, although it definitely didn’t happen automatically.
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
Amanda Ernst discusses losing her job and coping with the financial strain
The thesis is fairly well-known: if your income suddenly drops (especially from getting laid off/fired) you need to restructure your life accordingly. Drop the expensive gym membership, cut back on lattes, quit buying fancy clothes, and of course keep track of all your spending so you know where every penny ends up. I’ve discussed personal finance at length, and even recorded a podcast episode about the cost of living.
But the struggle for employment and the fight against idleness stress more than the wallet, they tug at the very fabric of our existences. At least, they should for most of us twentysomethings, who are trying to establish ourselves in the world, trying to make sense of our careers and relationships, as well as finances. I suppose it’s like Maslow’s Heirarchy of Needs — after we satisfy our ability to eat and sleep, we start looking for more, and that usually means we need a satisfying work life.
This is the topic constantly discussed on the Chief Happiness Officer blog, which I highly recommend. For a more academic, but heartily interesting, perspective on work and life, check out the new book from Alain de Botton, The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work. And if you’re one of these Internet bloggy people, try this post from Serena Renner, a co-worker of Amanda, no less.
The great sea of the economy may be swollen and unsteady, but it will calm in time. But no matter the condition, twentysomethings will look out onto the horizon and wonder what awaits. Our careers, and our lives, are in constant motion, with waves and tides that will surely shake us loose when we least expect it. But isn’t that part of the fun.
For an amusing diversion from the often-depressing existence of twentysomething unemployment (or perhaps, non-employment), check out this article which outlines in most pityous detail, the plight of the upper class, who are struggle to pay all those private school tuitions, and whatnot, in this sour economy. Lifestyles of the Rich and Needy »
Perhaps a solution to it all is to work a different job literally every day. I know that folks change jobs more frequently in this, our new century, but this is taking things to the extreme.
posted by Scott in careers, coffee, education, health & fitness, life, real estate.
In Puerto Rico. Contribute Your Thoughts.
Fri 31 Jul 2009 – 14.50
Yesterday’s post wasn’t entire a whisper thought of the season, it’s timed to my vacation to Puerto Rico. Those who know me will note the irony that I, who has been famously out-of-work for the better part of 3.5 years in running this blog, is taking time “off” from whatever it is I do.
I’m heading to visit my family, and to see my parents who live there during summers. Also, this will be the first time in 5 years that both my sisters and I will all be on the island at the same time. We’re also hoping to stay in a hotel at least for a little while, which will serve as a sort of vacation from our vacation. (trust me, after a few days at my parents house, you begin to miss the comforts of home … like hot water, reliable electricity, internet, and not having roosters crowing ALL FRIGGIN DAY right in my ear.)
But I’m also hoping to sit down with my laptop for a while. Not to surf the web, as usual, and poke around with podcasts, but to write out the first draft of an e-book I’ve been planning to a while. I’m going to write a sort of manifest for the 21st century workforce — things to be aware of, things to be angry about, ways to improve your work life, etc. etc., but I could use your help.
If you have any opinions on work — the good, the bad, or the ugly, please shout it out. If you work in a remote office, or you’re crammed into a cubicle just like your father and his father, let me know. Is your job awesome? Is it terrible outdated and backwards? Do you hate big stupid corporations or do you love how often you’re allowed to use the word “synergy” on a typical day? Let me know your thoughts.
Write your opinions and thoughts in the comments. Tell me what you’d like to see addressed, what tips you wish you had, what tone and manner you’d most enjoy reading. If you don’t want your comments to be public, send it over to twentyhood@gmail.com
Thanks in advance for the input.
posted by Scott in careers, life.
Thu 30 Jul 2009 – 14.50
It’s a fair assumption that as twentysomethings, we still remember our school days. We may still be friends with our school chums, we may still have our old school clothes, and chances are, we miss our summer holidays.
Obviously, summer is a good time to be outdoors. We love the sun, the heat, wearing shorts, running around, playing with dogs and children (since those lucky bastards are off from school). There’s outdoor movies and concerts, you can sit at sidewalk cafes, and the sunlight lasts all night. Too bad you’re stuck inside.
There is a dreadful cycle of guilt and pleasure that comes from skipping out on work duties to go outside, only to return and realise how much work you’ve got to do. Generally speaking, the two are mutually exclusive — you can’t bring your office to the park, and even with a laptop, you’re only half working. If only I could knock down the entire wall of my office and work at my desk, while enjoying the outdoors.
Working holidays are tempting, but somehow end up as a fiction. When you arrive at your summer destination, the last thing you want to think about is work. And then somehow you suffer the same summer guilt for not getting things done while you’re still on vacation. Not exactly relaxing.
Plus there’s that whole unspoken competition of who has a better tan. When did that become a measure of one’s worth?
We’re hard-wired from all those years of education to view summer as play time. This is especially troubling for freelancers and those who are less-than-traditionally-employed, who are forced to be their own time-managers. Looking for work, following up with clients, managing projects, and otherwise not slacking off can be Herculean labours when placed into the arena of a July heatwave. Plus when friends start calling planning trips and weekends, it’s all the more tempting to shove work aside.
So how do we break the cycle? How do we enjoy the summers while still fulfilling the duties of our life and careers? Is summer simply a lost season, where we should expect to get nothing done, or is it an opportunity to take the lead over the other slackers who are off sunning and prancing?
posted by Scott in careers, education, health & fitness, life.
Ten Interview Tricks to Get the Job
Wed 29 Jul 2009 – 9.40
Ok, we’ve heard this all before — tips like “be on time”, and “iron your clothes” are standard for any advice listing for the would-be job seeker. But today I’ve uncovered a list of slightly more candid and subliminal tips on how to get the job. Maybe a bit of social engineering is just the trick to put you over the top.
- Wear glasses
- Lose 10 pounds
- Cover the tattoos
- Get tall
- Try a little sweet talk
- Get a conservative-looking watch
- Mirror, mirror
- Shut up
- Lose the shoes
- Answer the illegal question
Check out the full article from The Huffington Post »
I’ve been on several interviews recently and have to testify that I often screw it up by talking too much. (#8) Does anyone else have this problem? Not that I get too touchy-feely about my past jobs, or reveal something inappropriate, but I do try to express my passion and professionalism, even if it means I’ll raise a point of controversy or some hot-button issue.
Incidentally, this is the same ill-tactic that screws up many a first date. Maybe I should keep my love of Shakespeare and Pokémon to myself, at least for the first few hours.
posted by Scott in careers.
Is Higher Education the Next Bubble to Burst?
Wed 01 Jul 2009 – 10.33
It’s almost a taboo to speak of colleges and universities as businesses. The decisions they makes aren’t based on profits, they’re based on academics, right? Well, sort of. Higher education is a business, where the “products” are the graduates, and the effort is to sell those graduates to the world with the goal of getting more raw materials, students. And money. And prestige. It’s tricky.
But in America, as well as other nations, higher education carries with it a massive pricetag; attending is a sure-fire way to start your young adult life in debt. While most parents and economists alike will tell us that it’s an “investment” in our future — one that will increase the earning potential over our lives as a whole — the upfront costs are painful enough to warrant some evaluation. After all, the most basic laws of capitalism show us that if the the price of goods and services gets too high, people will stop buying! This even applies to supposéd critical purchases like gasoline, clothing, food, and now education.
I read recently, for the first time, the notion of higher education as a bubble that will soon burst. An over-inflated industry taking risks on its own future, which is now less-than-certain. The main point here is about the ever-rising costs of tuition and fees, making education unaffordable for all but the super-rich. Here’s a sobering statistic:
According to the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, over the past 25 years, average college tuition and fees have risen by 440 percent — more than four times the rate of inflation and almost twice the rate of medical care.
posted by Scott in careers, education, personal finance.
Thu 18 Jun 2009 – 11.54
When it rains, it pours. The old cliché has nothing to do with weather, although this June finds that metaphor especially apt. Things are busy lately.
After many months, if not years, of suffering through the various gradients of employment, I find myself once again working a regular schedule. I hadn’t worked a 40-hour week between mid-January and early June. Add to that two commutes and the general exhaustion that comes from starting a new routine and it’s become predictably exhausting.
In addition, and with timing most strange, I’m getting a lot of clients calling to do some work with me outside of my daytime gig. So I’m doing what designers do from time to time, and going home for a night shift in an effort to fill the creative, if not financial, holes in their day-to-day.
So yes, I’m busy. And while busy-ness is generally a good thing, it has obvious drawbacks.
posted by Scott in careers, coffee, health & fitness, life, relationships.