Career Opportunities

Helping to build the career you deserve!

A weekly ComputorEdge Column and twice-weekly podcast by Douglas E. Welch
Other WelchWrite Blogs: A Gardener's Notebook -- My Word with Douglas E. Welch -- TechnologyIQ -- Careers in Podcasting


Home -- Search -- Forums
Douglas' Events, Appearances and Seminar Calendar


Sunday, July 02, 2006

Today's young workers should expect more

(This was written in response to a Los Angeles Times editorial in June 2006 -- Douglas)

It has become fashionable to bemoan the naiveté, if not outright stupidity of young workers in expecting more from their first jobs than those who came before them, but today's youth are right to expect -- and even demand -- more of their potential employers. My generation, and many before it, was sold a bill of goods that work was something tedious and depressing that you escaped through hobbies, alcohol and finally, retirement. But our complaints are sour grapes. We are simply angry that it took so long for society to figure out that work can, and should be, energizing, exciting and fulfilling. Today's young workers aren't naive. They are simply refusing to walk down the well-worn path that served their mothers and fathers so poorly.

The reality of work has changed. Young workers won't be satisfied with poor paying, low fulfillment jobs anymore, nor should they be. They will seek out companies that are having an impact on the world, rather than simply churning out the next "New Improved Product X". Companies that fail to understand this will find themselves with the least qualified and least motivated section of the work force, while other companies will reap the rewards of the most highly educated, highly motivated and, more importantly, highly fulfilled workforces ever imagined.

Young workers want to work for a company that is changing the world, and the truth is, working in the mail room of an excellent company offers greater rewards, both monetary and spiritual, than being a manager at yet another company that hasn't changed since the Nixon Administration. These workers will drive our country and the world to great new heights, because they are doing something they believe in, not simply taking home a paycheck.

Is it easy? Of course not. Competition will be fierce, companies will be resistant and old codgers, like myself, will call them stupid and naive. Still, the secret has been revealed and cannot be denied any longer. Work doesn't have to be drudgery. It can be the means to a successful and fulfilling life. We should have expected better. Our children are right to demand better.

Technorati Tags: , , , , ,


0 Comments:

Post a Comment

Links to this post:

Create a Link

<< Home


Subscribe!

Receive each new episode automatically

Subscribe or

Subscribe with



See more in the WelchWrite Store!

Live Web Cam


Please complete our audience survey. It helps us learn more about you and what you like most about this podcast.


Join in the Career Discussion!

FiT Consolidated Forums

Feedback, questions and discussion for all Friends in Tech shows



 

Column Archives

Career-Op 2003 Career-Op 2002 Career-Op 2001 Career-Op 2000 Career-Op 1997-1999

Blog Archives

May 2004
October 2004
January 2005
February 2005
March 2005
April 2005
May 2005
June 2005
July 2005
August 2005
September 2005
October 2005
November 2005
December 2005
January 2006
February 2006
March 2006
April 2006
May 2006
June 2006
July 2006
August 2006
September 2006
October 2006
November 2006
December 2006
January 2007
February 2007
March 2007
April 2007
May 2007
June 2007
July 2007
August 2007
September 2007
October 2007
November 2007
December 2007
March 2008