Career development, as it is interpreted today, was not part of the equation for many Matures. As young adults, they were conditioned to believe that one should be thankful to have the job. They learned to keep their noses to the grindstone and work hard to get ahead. The ultimate goal was to move up within the organization, even if it meant working grueling hours. The one thing no one wanted to do was leave the organization.
Career development, as a genre, emerged with the Baby Boomers. Richard Bolles’ landmark book, What Color is Your Parachute? heralded the beginning of Boomers’ proactive focus on job-related self-determination. While this awareness opened new doors for them, especially after the layoffs began in the 1980s, relatively few rushed for the exits. Instead, they have traditionally focused on taking the initiative to manage their careers within one organization or at least one industry.
As the members of Generation X began to enter the workplace in the 1980s, they took a proactive approach to career development from the get-go. Having witnessed the mergers, acquisitions and layoffs their parents suffered, they resolved early on to take charge of their own destiny. The key word for them is versatility. The more degrees or experiences they can acquire, the more they feel they are able to manage opportunity. While some accuse them of having no loyalty an organization, to them loyalty to one’s self is paramount.
Millennials will enter the full-time workforce in large numbers over the next decade. But there is little doubt that they will place the same emphasis on versatility as Generation X. They have come of age with a media that lionizes executives who have rocketed to the top and parents who place extraordinary emphasis on getting the best education and positioning for future success. At the same time, the size of their generation will increase competition for plum job assignments and opportunities.