Sept. 24, 2012
Samantha Morley
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My generation needs to grow up, put our ego aside and get a job wherever we can. I do not think we should have to work in an abusive environment, but if McDonald’s will give you a position that pays for your survival, take it and appreciate it for what it’s worth.
The American job market hasn’t been in great shape. Between 2007 and summer 2012, the unemployment rate fluctuated between 4.6 and 9 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The younger generation, meaning people between the ages of 16 and 24, is growing increasingly frustrated with the situation. Because of this, the Baby Boomer generation is facing extreme criticism and blame. But they aren’t entirely at fault.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Baby Boomer generation, which consists of people born between 1946 and 1964, makes up 14.6 percent of unemployed adult men and women.
On the other hand, people between the ages of 16 and 24 make up 24.6 percent of unemployed persons. From this, many jobs don’t seem available for younger people.
However, it must be taken into consideration that the older generation holds positions that require years of experience and diligence. My generation isn’t going to get a job like that, at least not right away.
So here’s how I see it: there is plenty of work available for all ages; it’s just that young people have been bred to believe they shouldn’t have “lowbrow” jobs. This is when blame falls on the Baby Boomers.
People raised in the mid-1990s had no choice but to work in the worst kinds of jobs. Because of this, they didn’t want their children to experience the same misery.
Therefore, my generation has no desire to even apply to an establishment such as McDonald’s, which created 25,000 to 30,000 jobs in 2011. We’ve had it ingrained in our mentality that a job at a fast food restaurant is demeaning.
We should instead go to college, get an education and be better off in the future. But we don’t live in the future; we live in the now.
All of this produces a vicious cycle in which my generation desires an education, but we don’t have the money. In order to get the money, we need to get a good job. To get a good job, we need experience.
How do we get experience if we can’t get a job? How do we pay bills without money? How do we get a good job without proper education? There are volunteer options, but we can’t buy food and afford our homes off of goodwill.
Here’s a solution: get a job at a fast food establishment. If you’re hurting for money, don’t sit around and wallow in despair. Instead, do what you can to stay alive.
No one has to stay at the low end of the job scale forever. Work hard, move your way up and end successfully just like the Baby Boomers.