Aaron K. Chatterj, a member of Generation Y, has written a thoughtful commentary at the Philadelphia Inquirer on how his generation is facing the new economic reality:
...[W]ith the world facing the most serious economic crisis in a generation, we are now the ones who need advice. The millennials (as members of my generation are also known) now graduating from college face a dismal job market. Ready or not, Generation Y - the multitasking, entrepreneurial do-gooders alternately glorified and admonished by the rest of the generational pyramid - is about to be put to the test.
Spending time with many Belmont University Gen Y students and those we are meeting in eastern Europe gives me great hope that this generation understands the challenges they face and is ready to pass the tests that lie ahead. They are eager to lead us into a new era.
Here are some of our students during a visit to Corvinus University in Budapest.
I'm a Gen X-er myself, but can relate to today's graduates. When I finished my undergraduate degree in 1990, the country was in a recession and the headline in the newspaper on the day I graduated read, "College Graduates Face Worst Job Market Since WWII."
My advice to today's graduates is twofold. First, this won't be the first down economy that you'll face during your career. Two skills you'll need in business are creativity and resilience. A weak economy will teach you both.
Secondly, this phase of your career is all about laying the foundation for your body of work - whether it's in corporate America, or starting several ventures of your own. Focus on the quality of the experience that you're gaining at a job or internship right now. The monetary rewards tend to come later.
It's time for Generation Y to wake the hell up!: http://tinyurl.com/paj7sj