all-encompassingly

Being labeled is, perhaps, a rite of passage for every crop of twentysomethings. In their day, baby boomers were rabble-rousing hippies, and Gen Xers were apathetic slackers.

Now, deserved or not, this latest generation is being pegged, too — as one with shockingly high expectations for salary, job flexibility and duties but little willingness to take on grunt work or remain loyal to a company.

“We’re seeing an epidemic of people who are having a hard time making the transition to work — kids who had too much success early in life and who’ve become accustomed to instant gratification,” says Dr. Mel Levine, a pediatrics professor at the University of North Carolina Medical School and author of a book on the topic called “Ready or Not, Here Life Comes.”

Although Levine also notes that today’s twentysomethings are long on idealism and altruism, “many of the individuals we see are heavily committed to something we call ‘fun.’ ”
[source ]

in response to the “entitlement generation” moniker, one of the accused penned this
response:

Dear current Management-Generation of Cubicle Land, please understand that:

1. My generation was misinformed—by elders and fortune—about the value of our college degrees. $120,000 of your/our money now buys, career-wise, just a hair more than your free high-school diploma used to. As many of my peers now lament, “A law degree is the new B.A.” We’re the best-educated generation in American history, yet the job requirements haven’t changed.

2. We are treated, at the entry-level, quite poorly, though it’s understandable that you might not realize it. Though we’re without your valuable professional experience, we just might be smarter than you and, if you keep us subservient though boredom, we will owe you no loyalty. You must challenge or educate us. Otherwise we’re leaving.

3. Are you aware of how little time it actually takes us to do things? One reason my peers ask for schedule flexibility is because much of their day is spent killing time. If we can’t contribute something valuable, we want to waste time at home with our friends, families, pets, books, and X-Boxes.

read it all

my work experiences after graduating from college completely fit with the entitlement generation description. i used to think i was the only one who had a problem. these pieces of the dialogue help frame things for me.

to be continued….