Response: Generation Y Yuppies Work Harder Than Their Parents!
Huffington Post wrote an article explaining the reason behind Generation Y unhappiness. Apparently, it is laziness and “specialness”.
While I totally agree, that blaming our “specialness” and laziness makes a great buzz-worthy article, it hardly tells the whole truth.
Well, mainly because a) me and majority of my peers very happy, and b) we work very hard.
Hard work is a question of perspective, anyway. In a way, we work even harder than our parents.
And here’s why …
Try to stay hopeful without security and find the inner strength to get things done against all odds! Then mash-up your multiple skills to stay employable in ever- changing work force and have your foot in several doors at the same time. It is a hard work! My mom and dad’s brain wouldn’t handle this stress!
Older generation might have worked longer hours, but they didn’t have to stand on the ever-moving treadmill, juggling all the uncertainties, they knew what to expect in a year’s time.
Unfortunately nowadays, “hard work” isn’t rewarded as it was in our parents’ generation. Baby boomers could join a company back then and know that if they worked “hard” they’d have a steady job until the day they retired. That isn’t so today. New job titles are created every few years (there were no Social Media Managers or Bloggers 4 years ago). If you want to stay in job, you have to keep up!
And when it comes to describing how my generation approach work, well I know that I’ve met many young people, who had to try, try and try again until they got anywhere near the job they wanted, just like me. They’re determined to get ahead and pursue every single opportunity to get into the job they want – often beginning with free work experience (something that older generation didn’t have to do).
The life was easier for Generation X: growing up in a smaller generation, they never had to compete for a work placements or uni places as hard as we do, there were usually few competing for each slot. We, on the other hand, are competitive by nature, we are used to fight for everything!
What does hard-work mean to you? Do you measure it by the time spent at the desk, or by the delivered results?
