Gen X has had an interesting path that has shaped this generation into “…a generation of nomads,” as Dr. Schreier says. “Many never settle down into a job or a relationship. They adapt easily to new situations, but they also feel torn, like they are always floating and wondering ‘where do I belong?’”2 This group is marked by independence. They want it their way (think Burger King). They are somewhat irreverent, cynical, and indifferent— often refusing to live by corporate or societal rules. They question everything, including what is ethical and who made it that way. They want choices and that includes career choices. They typically have very little loyalty to the organizations they work for. They move from place to place, looking for a settlement that fits their desired lifestyle, but they never really settle.
Gen Xers like jobs with flexible hours and insist on work-life balance. They’re the ones who want to bring their dogs to work and take off for every child or family event. They are the first generation to fully embrace the Internet, and they are eager to use it in ways that fit their idea of work, such as easier telecommuting, video conferencing, and anything else that gives them increased independence.
Gen Xers tend to be impatient, to put a high value on their time, and to show little tolerance for having it wasted. They show little respect for authority. Doubting tradition is a virtue, a way of engaging for them. They were certainly not taught using “rote” memorization. They do not focus well on “logical steps” leading to a conclusion. The print medium that encouraged linear thinking is not their medium. They are more comfortable with one-on-one training, coaching and mentoring.3
Gen Xers want to have it all. They came into their own professionally where “in the Roaring 90s, people seemed proud of their idiocy. Consumption turned into a religion, growth seemed endless, new industries were popping up everywhere, and armchair philosophers were given a global voice in the form of America Online and other similar services.” 4
It was quite a ride. Money for nice cars and big mortgages and any halfway viable .net idea came easy. This generation ran up huge debts with little or no thought about paying them back. “I’ll just get another loan or shift money from one low-interest credit card to the other.” Imagine their shock when it all came crashing down in 2008 and 2009. Of course they weren’t alone; the Boomers participated in this money bubble as well. Regardless, it seems the age of arrogance is over, and the Gen Xers can no longer over-ego-ly maneuver from one high-paying job to another. For the first time, Gen Xers are celebrating when their peers get a job—any job. Welcome to the real world, Gen X.
And it doesn’t stop there. Gen Y is coming in one big massive force, and if they’ve seen their ride to the top as fairly straight forward, apparently they haven’t looked in the rearview mirror. There is an enormous, focused, goal-oriented throng of achievers coming around their back left fender, and if they don’t want to get passed, they better be sure that they are very engaged in the race.
On top of all that, the “timeless” Boomers won’t leave fast enough for some ambitious Gen Xers. So now they are facing new competition for the top seats, the seemingly inevitable bankruptcy of Social Security, disappearance of Medicare, shifting healthcare, and waning retirement plans in the face of their massive debt load that they have acquired during the Roaring 90s. So to use a Haitian phrase, they have “mountains beyond mountains” or problems beyond problems. But all is not lost.
Redeeming Qualities