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David Crow

Connector of dots. Maker of lines. Rider of slopes.

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10 Reasons Gen Xers are Unhappy at Work

by davidcrow

Corporations really need folks in their 30s to early 40s, but there is a tentative relationship at best between that cohort and Corporate America – 10 Reasons Gen Xers are Unhappy at Work

This list, all but #8, feel strangely familiar. I hadn’t realized the impact of being part of Generation X and  Rae Days, Roger and Me, Reaganomics and Black Monday had on the underlying psyche of a generation. Tammy Erickson has a great article in Business Week. This coupled with the DIY ethic and punk rock nature of the first generation of web startups, it make sense that GenXers have issues with corporate america. Where was Johnny Bunko 15 years ago?

  1. X’ers’ corporate careers got off to a slow start and many are still feeling the pain.
  2. When you were teens, X’ers witnessed adults in your lives being laid off from large corporations, as re-engineering swept through the business lexicon.
  3. Most corporate career paths “narrow” at the top —the perceived range of options diminishes as individuals become increasingly specialized in specific functions or roles.
  4. Just your luck—the economy was slow when you entered the workforce and now its slowing once again—just as you are standing at the threshold of senior management.
  5. And then there are those pesky Gen Y’s.
  6. X’ers are, in fact, surrounded by a love fest—and not feeling the love.
  7. X’ers are the most conservative cohort in today’s workforce—and you’re surrounded by “shake ‘em up” types on both sides.
  8. Many X’ers’ are guarding a closely held secret: you’re not all as comfortable with the technology that is changing the way things are done as everyone seems to think you are.
  9. And if Boomer colleagues are annoying, the Boomer parents of your Y reports are down-right over-the-top.
  10. Finally, your own parenting pressures are at a peak.

Posted on May 19, 2008 Filed Under: Articles, Demographics Tagged With: careers, DIY, genx, geny

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