American Dream Is Elusive for New Generation

[nodnub]

American Dream Is Elusive for New Generation

http://www.cnbc.com/id/38126526/

 

Title is misleading: The american dream will never come true (unless by accident) for such lazy, spoiled brats. I would never hire anyone like this guy.

[Packer16]

You are right.  I hope more of American youth are more persistent than this guy.  He had at two leads where persistance (Hanover and Marine Corps) could have paid off but he gave up.  His parents/grandparents also seem to missing why they did well (persistance) with some chance.  It is hard to have chance work for you when you are not in the game or your expectations are too high.

 

Packer

[StubbleJumper]

I'd be ashamed if anyone in my family started life with a university education, no debt and then refuse a $40k job......and then agreed to do an interview with a journalist to whine about how tough things are.

 

I guess success is just supposed to be served on a silver platter?

[rkbabang]

I'd be ashamed if anyone in my family started life with a university education, no debt and then refuse a $40k job......and then agreed to do an interview with a journalist to whine about how tough things are.

 

I agree. It's one thing to be an unambitious lazy bum that wants his parents to support him his whole life unless the perfect job (whatever that is) is thrown into his lap from the sky.  It's another thing to want the New York Times to broadcast that fact to the world.  What an idiot.  Now no one who does a quick google search on his name and reads this story is going to hire this loser. 

 

And what's the matter with the reporter? In this economy he really couldn't find a truly sad case to write about?  Things must be better than I thought.

 

--Eric

 

[Opihiman]

I'd be ashamed if anyone in my family started life with a university education, no debt and then refuse a $40k job......and then agreed to do an interview with a journalist to whine about how tough things are.

 

I guess success is just supposed to be served on a silver platter?

 

Just because someone is willing to pay you to do something, doesn't make it worthwhile, or even meritorious. By your logic this guy should take any job, whether its using guerilla marketing tactics to sell addictive pharmaceuticals for off-label uses, or marketing candy bars and soda pop to school lunch rooms.

 

I would sleep under a bridge before taking some 'jobs,' money just isn't all that. Sometimes jobs comes with intangible costs that are hard for some to identify.

 

I'm not in a position to cast judgment on this kid's decisions, and give him credit for leading his own life.

[nodnub]

I'd be ashamed if anyone in my family started life with a university education, no debt and then refuse a $40k job......and then agreed to do an interview with a journalist to whine about how tough things are.

 

I guess success is just supposed to be served on a silver platter?

 

Just because someone is willing to pay you to do something, doesn't make it worthwhile, or even meritorious. By your logic this guy should take any job, whether its using guerilla marketing tactics to sell addictive pharmaceuticals for off-label uses, or marketing candy bars and soda pop to school lunch rooms.

 

I would sleep under a bridge before taking some 'jobs,' money just isn't all that. Sometimes jobs comes with intangible costs that are hard for some to identify.

 

I'm not in a position to cast judgment on this kid's decisions, and give him credit for leading his own life.

 

Opihiman, with all due respect, did you read the article?   The kid graduated 2 FULL YEARS ago. He has a degree in poli sci from a liberal arts college with a B average. His parents have paid all of his expenses for the last 2 years including his cell phone bill and life insurance premiums (probably a waste of money as he has no dependants). He has only done a few small jobs (fence for a neighbour). From other posters that went to Colgate: he only had a GPA higher than 3.3 in one semester (only won the dean's award once). Keep in mind that serious grade inflation has occurred in the last 30 years.

 

and give him credit for leading his own life.

 REALLY?  He is a lazy bum, I don't call that leading his life. He has wasted the last two years doing nothing useful for himself or society.  The article didn't mention anything positive that he had done in the last two years.

[StubbleJumper]

I'd be ashamed if anyone in my family started life with a university education, no debt and then refuse a $40k job......and then agreed to do an interview with a journalist to whine about how tough things are.

 

I guess success is just supposed to be served on a silver platter?

 

Just because someone is willing to pay you to do something, doesn't make it worthwhile, or even meritorious. By your logic this guy should take any job, whether its using guerilla marketing tactics to sell addictive pharmaceuticals for off-label uses, or marketing candy bars and soda pop to school lunch rooms.

 

I would sleep under a bridge before taking some 'jobs,' money just isn't all that. Sometimes jobs comes with intangible costs that are hard for some to identify.

 

I'm not in a position to cast judgment on this kid's decisions, and give him credit for leading his own life.

 

 

If the kid were drawing an ethical line in the sand and was refusing to perform work of dubious ethics, then I would understand that (though I still would not accept the whining to a journalist).  However, this kid's point of view is not that the $40k job is somehow unethical, but rather that it is beneath him.  So instead of taking the entry-level job, he sits around the house waiting for somebody to offer him a job half-way up the corporate ladder.  And he has the audacity to whine to a journalist about how tough life is?

 

Shame on him.

 

SJ

[tiddman]

Well I can see two sides of the issue.  Warren Buffett and many other successful people often say "do what you love".  I think it would be hard to make the case that being an associate insurance claims adjuster is something that you can really fall in love with.  At the same time, when you're in your early 20's and just starting out, you can't be too choosy.  Entry level jobs are often unglamorous at best, so sometimes young people need a kick in the pants to get started.  But who is to say that starting out by entering the corporate world is the best choice?

 

I could also question the wisdom of spending a bunch of money to send your kid to an expensive liberal arts school to get a degree in political science and then just expect job offers to fall from the sky.  In this case the parents must take most of the responsibility.  If your goal is to become employed as effectively as possible, there are many other, better choices.  Here is another sad story of a young woman who ran up $88k in student loan bills and then discovered that she couldn't get a job.  

 

http://www.postgazette.com/pg/09244/994533-68.stm

 

Her degree was in "liberal arts" which apparently didn't improve her job prospects even though she spent a lot of money.  This is another thing that people don't often consider, they should look at college expenses in terms of return-on-investment rather than just something they are compelled to do.

 

But if entry level corporate jobs seem boring, perhaps the unemployed young'un could consider other pursuits that would be interesting and rewarding even if it doesn't bring in any money, such as joining the Peace Corps, volunteering for some socially responsible cause, or heck just traveling around the world for a year.  I don't think anyone ever did anything worth mentioning by sitting on the couch for 2 years.

 

[Guest ValueCarl]

Unless his parents, more than likely the incumbent beneficiaries in advance of him taking on a wife, are planning on collecting should this brat meet any untimely demise. Moreover, with a grandfather who is a retired stock broker, you can be sure it's "term and invest the difference!"  ;D

 

<and life insurance premiums (probably a waste of money as he has no dependants).>

[cwericb]

I have two kids who have bounced around in various jobs in a region with a high unemployment rate. They have both faced some tough times now and then, but I don't think either of them has ever been unemployed for more than a week in the past ten years. When they couldn’t find work near home they packed their bags and moved to where the work is.

 

During the pull-back last year one of them was cut from a $100k a year job. Within 3 days he was working elsewhere for $60k. But for someone like this Scott guy, fresh out of collage, to pass up a $40k job and to sit around his parents home waiting for the “perfect” job seems to me like the kind guy that no one would hire.

 

Its not the lack of jobs, it’s the lack of work ethic and the unrealistic sense of entitlement that is the problem.

 

Opihiman: The job(s) he turned down were hardly criminal. One was an insurance adjuster’s position, the other as an officer in the Marine Corp. However one thing is for sure, with his attitude he wouldn’t last long with the Marines. Perhaps you should read before you make comments.

 

Oh and by the way, if I was Scott and my Dad had taken out an insurance policy on my life, I think I would get real serious about moving out and finding a job real quick before Dad started getting ideas about collecting on that policy!

 

 

[Guest ValueCarl]

In the young man's favor surrounding his legitimate pursuit of a military career, I'm not sure this board is reading what happened to him as depicted in the article properly. If I read it correctly, he seemed to have been overlooked for a career in the service due to physical constraints specifically described as asthma.

 

Although the article didn't address his complete foray into that part of his journey inside the college system, it sounded like a Reserve Officer Training Program(ROTC). I have a young man in the US Air Force travelling a similar route.   

 

On the other hand, this board's consensus seems to be spot on, that being, the young man needs to start somewhere and should dip his toe in the water wherever the opportunity lies while keeping his mind open in conjunction with pursuing other opportunities and dreams as they progress!       

[rkbabang]

successful people often say "do what you love".

 

It sounds to me that he is doing just that.

 

 

I still don't understand how the journalist didn't talk to this guy for about 3 minutes and move on.

And how an editor let this through, and with that headline. 

 

--Eric

 

[Opihiman]

Well, anyone here who has written for a living knows that if you send twenty writers to this kids home, you will get twenty different stories. Read two of those stories side by side and there is good probability you wouldn't even guess they address the same family.

 

Just one further point:

 

- The kid obviously doesn't know what he wants to do, though he seems clear 'claims adjuster' isn't on his wish list. There is tremendous value in taking downtime to discover oneself. Some kids backback across Europe, or around the world. Or sail a boat around the world. This kid is spending time with his grandfather. Who's to begrudge him that? I'd give a million bucks for a quiet year getting to know my grandfather. But some of you would rather see him 'adjusting' insurance claims. Frankly, I don't get the logic.

 

I'll give you another example: read the history of John Steinbeck, one of America's greatest writers. He dropped out of college and lived under his parent's roof and did odd jobs for a decade before he published a book. Sometimes self discovery takes that long, and is better off for the wait.

 

Anyway, this debate doesn't interest me terribly, so I'll leave it at that.

[nodnub]

I could also question the wisdom of spending a bunch of money to send your kid to an expensive liberal arts school to get a degree in political science and then just expect job offers to fall from the sky.  In this case the parents must take most of the responsibility.  If your goal is to become employed as effectively as possible, there are many other, better choices.  Here is another sad story of a young woman who ran up $88k in student loan bills and then discovered that she couldn't get a job.  

 

http://www.postgazette.com/pg/09244/994533-68.stm

 

Her degree was in "liberal arts" which apparently didn't improve her job prospects even though she spent a lot of money.  This is another thing that people don't often consider, they should look at college expenses in terms of return-on-investment rather than just something they are compelled to do.

 

Tiddman I agree with you, but I can't bring myself to feel sorry for the girl in the article you linked.

 

some quotes:

 

It wasn't supposed to be this hard for the young couple who married in May last year. They thought they'd done the right things. They worked hard, got an education and went about their day-to-day lives doing pretty much the same things they saw friends and relatives doing.

 

"I went to school like we were taught our whole lives to do so I can be successful, and now I can't find a [better] job or pay my bills."

 

She was taught to go into debt to get a liberal arts degree to be successful? Really?

 

After paying about $12,000 -- using their savings and credit cards -- for the wedding and reception in May 2008, they settled into married life with $10 in the bank and thousands in debt. The weeklong honeymoon in Virginia Beach didn't seem extravagant compared with the exotic getaways in St. Lucia and Bahamas some of their friends had enjoyed.

 

After graduating with a bachelor's degree in liberal arts and $88,000 in private student loans, she took a job as a home health aide making between $300 to $500 every two weeks. She thought it would be temporary while she planned for the wedding.

 

In addition to the student loans, both of them have car loans of about $6,000 each. Mrs. Obringer has another $6,000 in credit card debt, and Mr. Obringer has about $5,000 in credit card debt, a $650-a-month mortgage and a $250-a-month payment on a home equity line of credit.

 

Mitchell Allen, author of the new book, "A Survival Guide To Debt: How to Overcome Tough Times & Restore Your Financial Health," said the Obringers, like many others, may have to consider right-sizing their life. That means giving up one of their cars, giving up their house and moving someplace more affordable even if it's with family members.

 

"They are living paycheck to paycheck, and that's the situation that 53 percent of Americans are in," Mr. Allen said. "There's a sense of entitlement, especially among the younger generation who wants things right now. "They have a sense that tomorrow will be better than today and they don't always plan for the worst. They had no savings going into the marriage and serious trouble occurred."

 

----

Why do people think they will be okay if they do the same things that they see everyone else doing (getting in debt $90k for liberal arts degree).  It's their life, they have to learn think for themselves.  I'm sorry, but if they can't see that then they have received a piss-poor education, both from their college and from their parents.

 

Why do people insist on driving nicer cars than they can afford?

 

Why do people insist they deserve material things only because their friends can afford them? (You often can't tell exactly where your friends get their money (family), and usually do not hear about their own private debt problems).

[Guest ValueCarl]

Without a doubt, at the core of a nation's woes throughout the ages lies "The Bank." Yes, it would be better for Americans and their global counterparts to read the truth about how their "dreams," especially their freedoms to speak openly and independently will be trounced upon in the name of FIAT CURRENCY and the CONTROL FREAKS at the center of it all!

 

It's interesting how this astute observer refers to that mythical man from Omaha too.

 

I'm rooting for the REPUBLIC to be restored and these BANKSTERS to be thrown out on their asses! For then, "DREAMS" will be lived! imo

 

http://www.zerohedge.com/article/rats-are-cornered

 

 

Ok, so this fits into a lot of what I have been warning about for some time now.  Namely that once they lose control they will go to the next plan which is pure desperation.  They will single out the two greatest threats to their power and I think those two things are: 1) Gold and Silver (independent money) 2) The Internet (free speech).  If they can’t control the population with inane television and propaganda they will demonize these major threats.  This will probably be sold to public in the name of national security since who could argue with that (if you do argue you will be labeled unpatriotic or a terrorist).  So expect more and more announcements of Russian and Chinese cyber attacks or the like, which will be used as an attempt to censor the web and there will also be more and more news stories related to gold and silver being used by terrorists or those that wish to harm “America” (which is not the Republic but a small group of corporate, financial and political elites from both owned parties that have control via the monetary system).  This group will then use “national security concerns” as a further justification to grab even more power and wield it in the name of protecting us from whatever threat they wish to use, real or fabricated. 

[twacowfca]

Well, anyone here who has written for a living knows that if you send twenty writers to this kids home, you will get twenty different stories. Read two of those stories side by side and there is good probability you wouldn't even guess they address the same family.

 

Just one further point:

 

- The kid obviously doesn't know what he wants to do, though he seems clear 'claims adjuster' isn't on his wish list. There is tremendous value in taking downtime to discover oneself. Some kids backback across Europe, or around the world. Or sail a boat around the world. This kid is spending time with his grandfather. Who's to begrudge him that? I'd give a million bucks for a quiet year getting to know my grandfather. But some of you would rather see him 'adjusting' insurance claims. Frankly, I don't get the logic.

 

I'll give you another example: read the history of John Steinbeck, one of America's greatest writers. He dropped out of college and lived under his parent's roof and did odd jobs for a decade before he published a book. Sometimes self discovery takes that long, and is better off for the wait.

 

Anyway, this debate doesn't interest me terribly, so I'll leave it at that.

 

 

And Faulkner was the town liar for many years until he put pen to paper and received honors instead of ridicule.  Nell (Harper) Lee struggled  to earn a living as a writer until someone staked her for a year to compose To Kill a Mockingbird.  Some layabouts deserve a swift kick in the rear, but history would certainly have been much different if Einstein, "that lazy dog", as one of his professors called him, had had a full work schedule at the Swiss patent office instead of loafing most of the time, thinking about the big clock on the square.

[Myth465]

I think the guys kind of a bum. He needs to recognize that we arent in a bubble economy and most people dont do what they love. Put together a plan and get there. No one is looking for a Liberal Arts major who graduated 2 years ago and has done nothing of value but build a fence. What I do is menial, boring, and adds very little value. I am paid ok for it and dont plan to do it for the rest of my life.

 

Those who graduated from 2008 till probably 2012 are hosed and will suffer due to the economic shift. Outliers discussed this phenomenon. Its not fair, but one has to work with it / around it vs. against it. There are people with 4 - 8 years of experience without jobs. He needs to ask himself why one would hire him over them?