“Millenials will be the first generation to make less money than their parents.” “College degrees don’t mean anything anymore.” “There won’t be social security for your generation.” “Millenials all move back in with their parents.” “They don’t know what they want.” “Job satisfaction at all-time lows.”
Wow… That sucks. We know that human behavior is guided by emotion and feelings. Emotions and feelings are guided by our thoughts. Our thoughts are stimulated by events, and we generally have a starting gate mindset that is the lens through which we see challenges. The above headlines are developing stereotyped mindsets about what Millenials (and other generations of course!) should expect in their future. Kind of gloomy if you ask me.
The truth is, those headlines are only your truth if you let them be. It is correct that if you expect to be in the same job for 30 years, you probably won’t make as much as your parents. We live in a world where raises really come from career moves, not from staying in one place. I’m not talking about disloyalty, being ungrateful, or some kind of career shark (oddly this is how people sometimes perceive themselves in their effort to “level up,” but that’s a separate conversation)- I’m talking about doing good work in a job while you are there, networking, learning and growing in your trade, accept opportunities as they come along- while still being grateful and always leaving the last job in a better place than you found it. We also live in a world where stats are projecting that the number of self-employed individuals is on a sharp rise that will continue for the foreseeable future. If you are scared and feeling hopeless, that is pretty scary. Here is some info about these trends:
Forbes
NY Post
Bureau of Labor Statistics
More Forbes
With all of these changes and shifts- recent college grads and those going into college are in a bit of a pickle. We are the sum of our experiences so we often judge our future based on what we know from the past. With parents as role models who are retiring from 30 years of doing the same job, it’s confusing to figure out what success actually is. I work with a lot of people who are afraid to get “stuck” in a job they hate forever- almost unable to acknowledge that staying in a job is a choice. Again the result of mindset. Your thought is you are stuck, your feeling is to be afraid and overwhelmed and your behavior is to stay put. Stuck. You don’t even imagine what else could be out there. Stuck. You think there aren’t many jobs out there and there is always someone better for the job than you. Your parents or support system also don’t know what to say to help you. Stuck. Stuck. Stuck.
The truth is there is a ton of opportunity for finding a lucrative, flexible, and satisfying career- but your mindset has to shift for you to find it- it’s really hard to do that on your own. If you are struggling within your career or about how to approach your professional future, whether you are deciding whether or not to go to college or at year 25 of a successful but currently unsatisfying career- it may be time to check and evolve your mindset. It may be time to inventory your skills, abilities, interests, qualifications, and experiences. It may be time to imagine what could be and actually take steps to educate yourself about the steps it would take to get there. It may be time to figure out what’s getting in the way of your happiness. It’s not always a diagnosis. Sometimes it’s just about finding meaning, purpose and value in what you’ve committed or plan to commit your life’s work to.
If you think it’s time to take a look at your mindset, give career counseling a try. We can help with finding your passion and even more importantly how to gather the information and courage to take a first step. Oh and for the record- Millenials aren’t the only ones who can do the hustle. Age 65 and up is a rapidly rising group of self-employed folks doing the hustle in retirement! Change is always an option… if you believe in it enough to try.
