GREAT EXPECTATIONS, BROKEN

LISTEN | Educated And Jobless: What’s Next For Millennials? | NPR NEWS

Lately it seems not a day goes by that I don’t encounter something relevant in the news about 20-somethings. It may be that since launching this blog I’m paying more attention to the subject matter, or that this is just a very timely topic. Probably both. But as the one writer for this one little site, I can only cover and share my perspectives on so much (see BALANCE post from last week).

Busy-ness aside, I could not let another day pass without sharing this story from NPR’s All Things Considered which aired last Saturday. Whatever your generational cohort, I wholeheartedly urge you to listen to the podcast. In my opinion the story is spot on in uncovering today’s 20-somethings experience – as uneasy as it may be. It resonated with me so deeply that the entire time I was listening I could hear the little voice in my head saying “yes, yes, YES!” I was so happy this story was being told.

So here are some of my key takeaways in a nutshell (but seriously, please listen for yourself):

• Millennials were brought up receiving high praises from mom, dad, teacher etc. which translated into great expectations about what we could do with our lives. Essentially if we we worked hard and got a college degree, the world would be our oyster. Unfortunately the days of “I can do anything I put my mind to” are over.

• Undergraduates haven’t traditionally chosen their major based on job availability. The most popular paths are degrees in English, Sociology, Communications and the like because they are viewed to allow for more flexibility when the time to think career comes around. I knew I should have applied for that degree in Bowling Industry Management. ;-)

• 25% of people ages 25-34 live with their parents.

• 20-somethings like myself who didn’t meticulously plan out their first jobs during college years – and choose their majors accordingly – are struggling to hold down jobs that really only give us mediocre satisfaction, and at times, feelings of under-appreciation and  low self worth. We want to climb the corporate ladder but when the opportunity isn’t there (mainly due to the current job market and economy), our expectations are broken. Yes I know everybody has to pay their dues. But with really no sign of things getting better in the near term, it looks like we’re apparently going to burn out by 30 (women especially).

• That “perfect job” can be seen on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube – you name it. The digital closeness of someone doing something “cooler than you” fuels the false perception that the ideal career does still exist. And we’re still looking. Our expectations have simply not caught up to the times.

• 20-somethings may be at the forefront of redefining a satisfying existence. Find joy in other facets of life beyond career. At 9 minutes and 50 seconds in, psychologist Barry Schwartz puts it quite nicely.

I’d love to hear your takeaways and thoughts after listing to the story. So please share them by commenting below. Enjoy!

SEARCHING FOR BALANCE

I used to think I was a pro at getting it all done. I’m uber organized and relish any opportunity to craft a to-do list (and get especially excited when those items are crossed off one by one). But the recent addition of graduate school in my daily routine has forced a more pragmatic approach to what I can realistically check off. It has also inspired a deeper desire for and understanding of life balance.

I really strive for and appreciate balance across four aspects of my life:

Career, health and exercise, relationships and learning.

So with the decision to head back to school to get my Masters degree, you might imagine that the constant struggle to find the right balance across these four value sets has multiplied tenfold. And as I try to add more and more into the daily grind, I’ve found that I can only really do two to three aspects of my life really well – or at a level that I am proud of. Unfortunately as you take on more, something else will inevitably suffer. This is the reality of the culture we live in – obsessed with productivity, accomplishments and taking on as much as we possibly can.

Since being faced with mounting deadlines and what seem to be never ending to-do lists, I’ve slowly started to become more comfortable saying the word “no” to others and myself. In order to stay on top of my school work, for example, I have to be satisfied with only getting to the gym two to three times a week instead of my traditional five. Or not meeting up with friends for happy hour as often. I just can’t do it all anymore and I’m coming to terms with that.

Now I know the balance struggle is something people of all ages deal with, not just 20-somethings, but bear with me here. The desire for balance was actually a key piece of my decision to move back home for the time being – a growing trend for people my age today (see blog post “So What’s a Boomerang Anyway?” on Sept. 29). This article from The Seattle Time’s NW Jobs website almost hit it right on the nose: “Work/study: Sometimes, to get ahead, you have to go back (to school).”

I knew going back to school while holding down a full-time job (and still feeling somewhat good about my other two value sets: health/exercise and relationships) was going to be one of the biggest tests in life balance I would ever face. So I felt moving home and having my family as a central support system could only benefit my new working student lifestyle positively. It also cut my commute down down in half equalling more time in my day, and I have less social distractions since most of my friends live in Seattle.

But beyond establishing support systems of friends and family to be there for you throughout the journey, The Seattle Times article also offered some additional sound advice for going to school while working full-time that I found particularly relevant:

“Everyone has to understand that you must take time out of every weekend, so you may not be as available as you were” – Douglas Arnold, Antioch University

“Many returning students start to eliminate self-care, like not sleeping or eating well. Figure out what else you can cut out — maybe take one class a week instead of three.” – Stephen Coates-White, South Seattle Community College

“Find opportunities for your work to double as a school assignment.” – Gerald J. Baldasty, vice provost and dean of the UW Graduate School

So my question today is for all ages and asks about life balance. How do you find it? Do you have any tips and suggestions for getting there? And what life values do you prioritize?

SO WHAT’S A BOOMERANG ANYWAY?

They call us millennials, gen y’ers, boomerangers, kidults and twixters. Whatever the term, we are 20-somethings. Within the past decade this new life stage of emerging adulthood – a term coined by psychologist Jeffrey Jensen Arnett – has become acknowledged by academics and society, yet there is still a debate that persists.

There are those who believe that people in their 20s have a “failure to launch” syndrome, subconsciously prolonging their adolescence by reaping the benefits of decades of American prosperity provided by their boomer parents. And there are those who think this cultural shift is really something to take note of – and true support of this new life stage by society and our institutions may actually produce better, more productive citizens in the end. A “let them explore and experiment while they still can” kind of attitude.

To provide a bit more background on the 20-something situation, here are some striking facts that an article in the New York Times article presented last year:

• 1/3 of people in their 20s move to a new residence every year.

• 40% of people in their 20s move back home with their parents at least once.

• People in their 20s go through an average of seven jobs.

• 2/3 of people in their 20s spend at least some time living with a romantic partner without being married.

• And marriage occurs later than ever. In 1970 the average age to marry was 21 for women and 23 for men; by 2009 it climbed to 26 and 28 respectively.

So why this blog?

As a 20-something who just began grad school, holds a full-time job in marketing/communications, and oh ya, also just moved back in with my parents, I am experiencing the emerging adulthood trend first hand.

Through personal accounts, listening to the perspectives of others and a bit or research –

I want to inspire others to share their 20-something stories.

Whether it be about moving home to save, landing that first desk job, or opinions on when the right time is to get married.

It’s clear this decade is a defining one, as we 20-somethings are laying the groundwork for what the rest of our lives will hold. So I hope this blog will bring the realities of today’s 20-something life to light and help overcome the stigmas associated with my age group.

Sources:

Henig, Robin Marantz. “What Is It About 20-Somethings?” The New York Times. 18 Aug. 2010. Web. 23 Oct. 2011.