It's also hard to slide back into the other direction — what I call “blue collar teen jobs.” The restaurants I've worked at since graduating have been extremely slow, people tip less (since Oprah told them to), and there is fierce competition for shifts (you don't even want to know about the competition just to get hired).

Not intending to sound too much like a whiner, but six-months in has taken a toll on me and my peers. Our next life phase — the young professional lifestyle — has been stalled. There's a struggle to identify ourselves now. We're no longer students, nor quite professionals “in transition.”

There are more pressing issues beyond the identity crisis, like for example, surviving Swine Flu without health insurance. We're too old to qualify under our parents health insurance, but decades too young to be eligible for Medicare. We were the ones that did everything right, and it doesn't feel good blaming joblessness on the economy.

The entry-level world has been adopted by an older crowd, and it seems we're often forgotten by the media at large. Though few of us have hefty adult responsibilities such as mortgages and children, we do have the largest sum of student loan debt than any other generation, and we will undoubtedly be the ones caring for our inadequately savings-funded parents while trying to save MORE ourselves amidst a declining buying power, inflation, and higher taxes.

Lastly, has anyone noticed the correlation between the fall of the economy and the rise of social media? I think whenever Gen-Y can put its soccer trophy-champ feet in the door, we're *really* going to accelerate the transformation and integration of old/new media. Also see the book “Plugged In: The Generation Y’s Guide to Thriving At Work” or my blog post about it at http://bit.ly/3qlYaY

Thanks for your honest look into what’s you’re experiencing. Stats are one thing, but an actual look into your own experience and how things really are really seem to put thing into perspective. Thanks for sharing.

I’ll do some research and find some information on the virtual internships. Maybe I can get a current virtual intern to talk about their own experiences? I’ll let you know what I come up with. Thanks!

It’s also hard to slide back into the other direction — what I call “blue collar teen jobs.” The restaurants I’ve worked at since graduating have been extremely slow, people tip less (since Oprah told them to), and there is fierce competition for shifts (you don’t even want to know about the competition just to get hired).

Not intending to sound too much like a whiner, but six-months in has taken a toll on me and my peers. Our next life phase — the young professional lifestyle — has been stalled. There’s a struggle to identify ourselves now. We’re no longer students, nor quite professionals “in transition.”

There are more pressing issues beyond the identity crisis, like for example, surviving Swine Flu without health insurance. We’re too old to qualify under our parents health insurance, but decades too young to be eligible for Medicare. We were the ones that did everything right, and it doesn’t feel good blaming joblessness on the economy.

The entry-level world has been adopted by an older crowd, and it seems we’re often forgotten by the media at large. Though few of us have hefty adult responsibilities such as mortgages and children, we do have the largest sum of student loan debt than any other generation, and we will undoubtedly be the ones caring for our inadequately savings-funded parents while trying to save MORE ourselves amidst a declining buying power, inflation, and higher taxes.

Lastly, has anyone noticed the correlation between the fall of the economy and the rise of social media? I think whenever Gen-Y can put its soccer trophy-champ feet in the door, we’re *really* going to accelerate the transformation and integration of old/new media. Also see the book “Plugged In: The Generation Y’s Guide to Thriving At Work” or my blog post about it at http://bit.ly/3qlYaY

If you get the chance, could you possibly post a blog expounding on virtual internships? I’ve heard some good and bad things about them and am not sure how much truth is behind the rumors.