Generation "Why"?

At the end of a job interview, the interviewer asked the young Graduate what starting salary he was hoping to get.

"Around $75,000, depending on what extra benefits there are", the graduate replied.

"Well, that would be six weeks holiday; we would pay your private health insurance fees, give you study leave and pay your university bills, and give you a company car."

"You're kidding!" replied the Graduate

Interviewer: "Yes I am, but you started it."

But, who really started it? With over-inflated packages being touted by many of our competitors, is it wrong for a candidate to expect an employer to deliver? Let us not forget that Generation Y is the creation of Generation X and the "Baby Boomers"! Also, let's not forget that Generation Y have received the best education that has ever been available, have grown up in an age of great technological advancement and as a result are better qualified than their predecessors.

Is it right for the blame to be put on "Gen Y" when in reality, jokes such as the one above are fuelled by true stories of employers offering "lifestyle benefits" that 10 years ago would have been unheard of. What should we do, write articles like this outlining our jealousy or our disdain for the "stereotype" in general? How about embracing the new found benefits that employers bestow upon us, why not take advantage of technology and learn new skills and if all this is too hard to take in, why not take a 6 month sabbatical to "do Europe"…

Susan Anderson , Principal Consultant

susan@recruitr.com.au