I’m beginning to wonder if Hillary Rodham Clinton is about to switch parties.
When she came down hard on Generation Y last week with comments to the effect that young people today have a feeling of entitlement when it comes to the workforce, I couldn’t help but agree — and for the most part, agreeing with Hillary Rodham Clinton is getting a lot easier to do these days, a Grrr in and of itself.
The liberal bloggers are all up in arms about it, but I couldn’t give a Grrr! about them.
And please don’t give me “Chelsea Clinton makes six figures as a consultant” bull-garbage either. Chelsea Clinton has done some extraordinary things in her young life, and no matter what your politics, you can’t take that away from her.
Nobody has ever accused Chelsea Clinton of not pulling her weight.
The simple sad truth is kids these days think that a college degree is tantamount to a $75,000-a-year job. They also believe that an internship is a guarantee of future employment once said intern receives his or her diploma.
I’ve seen this firsthand.
A former intern of mine once asked me to have lunch with her and proceeded to argue with me and pout (seriously) about why she hasn’t been hired at some television network.
There was no reasoning with her.
The fact that it wasn’t yet two weeks since she graduated wouldn’t assuage her sense of entitlement.
Also, when I asked her what she wanted to do, she couldn’t grasp the fact that “I only want to work in entertainment” seriously limited her prospects in New York City, a predominately hard news town — at least when it comes to entry-level positions at the networks.
My advice to her was to move to Los Angeles, or reconsider her job requirements. Needless to say, that lunch ended badly when I told her there was nothing more I could do to help her.
Now, there are certain industries that may reward the slackers and the “what about me’s.” How many of you work with people who don’t work a second past eight hours without putting in for overtime or a comp day, or who berate the boss day in and day out for a pay raise — and then get it?
Of course, it is not only Generation Y that is guilty of feeling entitled, and it is a false generalization to state that all young adults feel like they don’t need to work hard to get ahead.
There are very many hard-working kids entering the workforce. There are also many lazy, good-for-nothing, negative whiners who have been toiling away for years with the attitude that the world is against them.
I feel for the families of those types of people. What kind of an example must they be setting for their kids?
In my experience, the hard workers are not necessarily the products of great schools, great GPAs or great internships. For the most part, hard workers are the products of great parents, or the positive influence of some adult way back in an individual’s developing years.
That said, there are also individuals who don’t want to end up like their parents and subsequently work hard to get out.
Whenever I ask someone I’m impressed with where they get their drive, they usually tell me a story about a childhood experience that taught them that hard work is the only way to get ahead.
Inspiration is hard to put your finger on.
It could come in the shape of a book. Biographies of famous people, business leaders or educators might be what you need to help you strive for your goal. It could be movie like “Rudy” or even “Working Girl,” or it could be your mother or father, a boss, a co-worker or a coach who inspires you.
The bottom line is, nobody deserves anything. Not until we’ve earned it.
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