4.26k
GenX in the workplace
I am in my mid-40s and feel so caught between the 50-70 year old baby boomers who are in most leadership roles and the 20-30 something millennials who are taking over. I feel like our generation was hurt so badly by the recession we don't have the same upward mobility as our parents.
Thoughts?
Anonymous
03/09/20 at 10:11PM UTC
Thank you for this topic! I resent us being called the "Slacker" generation considering all of the hard work, grunt and ideal, to get my career opportunities. That being said, as a victim of recession and having to take lesser opportunities in recent years, my career is at a complete standstill.
When I worked with the older generation in the past, I felt a little alienated in some situations because they operated under outdated management models of command and control from their primes in the '80s and '90s. At the same time, after a brief stint out in Silicon Valley where I felt like I was on the playground, I began to recoil at the notions of disruption, ambiguity, and all the other buzz words popular in modern management parlance. I've been fortunate to have had some good experiences in between without feeling sandwiched, but I feel like the "do the work and be rewarded" model is being replaced by a hand-raising, constant collaboration mindset where one's independent contribution is undermined by a career popularity contest. I want to read influencers in a blog when I'm trying to find a new makeup product, not be subject to guru management techniques in my job just because someone is raking in 1million Twitter followers.
Robyn WickHiEd Professional/PT Fitness Inst
741
02/05/20 at 2:58PM UTC
I struggle being a single woman who has an aging, widowed mom who doesn't live near me. She is super mobile and healthy right now in her early 70's, but I feel immense guilt that she is on her own. I do have solid retirement savings, but I don't have a ton of expendable income and definitely feel the pressure that all of this is on me - my future and hers. She is happy in her small town and I need to work in the city to have the job I have (and love my life here). It just is what it is, but it is kind of this looming thing always there.
Stephanie DershawHR Director | Coach | Mentor |
64
01/31/20 at 1:07AM UTC
I honestly hadn't thought about this until now, but you have a great point. There are many "younger" people where I work in higher positions that have moved up very quickly, and baby boomers at the highest levels. I have moved jobs often as well (mostly due to the recession and various layoffs/job eliminations).
For me, this makes me realize that I need to find a way to stand out, showcase my skills, and not sit back and wait to be noticed. I believe we can catch up, but with effort.
WendyRMCareer change hopeful.
924
12/04/19 at 6:45PM UTC
Honestly, it often feels like we are so overlooked. We were called "slackers" in our youth. Now at middle age we should be called "ATM". We pay for everything. Including our career success. Sometimes it does seem like the Boomers held us back and the Millennials are stepping on our backs. Thing is, they still need us. The shrinking workforce will ensure the need for mid-life workers.
LISA MCCARTNEYDegrees in Business Management and Marketing.
300
11/27/19 at 3:20AM UTC
Actually there have been studies done.. we are now called the sandwich generation or Karens (like Boomers). We are being pulled at either end too, by failing parents and needy kids so we can't exactly focus on ourselves and our career. You are not alone.
Patti Working in tech in Colorado
466
11/10/19 at 4:34PM UTC
I have read more than a few articles about how we are the “lost” generation. Our numbers are smaller than Boomers and Millennials, and because of where we are age-wise we were hurt the most by the recession. My husband and I are just now getting over the recession. And how long ago was that? We both started jobs that have allowed us to move beyond “survival” and we can start thinking about the future. Fortunately where I work my managers are Gen Xers and understand the flexibility we need to balance family and careers.
Kara ColangeloPreparing our workforce to be #futurefit
17
10/28/19 at 6:28PM UTC
I often joke about being stuck in the middle, with the feeling that I will eventually be trampled :) In all seriousness, the tactics that served us well with the boomer decision makers (think...waiting our turn to be noticed, politely accepting every assignment even if it did not suit our preferred development track, adherence for/respect to the hierarchical decision structure) no longer benefit us. Many of the millennials grew up in a world where they were comfortable discussing their attributes, making sure decisions were beneficial to them, and where their authority figures were comfortable with discussion and collaboration. Because of the very challenging economic situations during their childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood, they have also lived their whole lives with the realization that organizations either can't or won't protect employees when profit is threatened. Of course these are broad generalizations, but I think we have seen some significant culture shifts in organizational, parenting, and adult/youth interactions over the last several decades. I know I can learn from this younger generation - they do a great job advocating for themselves and managing the reality that organizations may not offer the security that we as Xers experienced in our youth. It is a whole new world, but I have faith in our ability to thrive!
