How Different Age Groups View Their Careers

Crown Financial Ministries says that different age groups view their careers differently as follows:

People born before the Great Depression are very loyal and stayed with the same company for 40-50 years.

Builders, those born from the Great Depression to the mid 1940s, viewed a career as a way to make a living and take care of their families.

Baby Boomers, born from 1945-1965, saw career as the central focus of life; their work defines them.

Busters, those born from 1965-1985, see work as an irritant. It distracts them from what they want to do. Work is a necessary evil.

Millennials, the latest generation, born between 1985-2005, view work as a place to serve.

In the link above they don't list this as having come from any research/study, but I thought they did when I heard it on the radio. Anyway, the characterizations seem "right" to me.

I'm right on the edge of the Boomers and Busters and I must admit that I've seen work as both defining who I am (isn't the first question guys ask each other, "What do you do for a living?" when they meet?) and as an irritant over the course of my career. But now I'm in that "happy place" that's so hard to find for so many -- I LOVE my job, the people I work with, and the company. If I work here the rest of my career, I'll be a happy camper.

So what do you think of the characterizations from Crown?

Comments

[Kyle]

As a buster, I think they are probably right. Work does kind of feel like a necessary evil but that makes you wonder if you are just doing the wrong kind of work. I don't think I like being called a buster...

[Beth]

Seriously? I think these characterizations are way off base! Yes, they describe some people, but there's as much difference among groups as there is between groups. It's silly to try and make such broad generalizations.

If anything, I think younger generations are fussier about their careers and more willing to look for work that they're passionate about.

Besides, this survey completely ignores women. There weren't as many career women in past generations, so for many of us "work" means a lot of freedom, independence and a chance to pursue our goals and dreams. I guess this list is really stereotypes about how men feel about work!

[Christy]

I fall under "Buster" - 36 y.o. female

I wouldn't necessarily say work is an "irritant". But it does seem to me that it's a necessary evil. I have a mortgage to pay and a kid to support, so I don't feel I get to be too choosy about my job. For example, I think I would really enjoy working at a nursery or garden shop. . . but then who will pay the bills and take care of my kid when i'm making $7/hr and working retail hours?

I also agree with Beth, it's silly to try and make such broad generalizations about people.

[Johnson]

This has about as much relevance as astrology!

[MattJ]

meh...

I was born in 1974, which makes me a 'buster' according to this. Except for a brief period of just a couple of months when I was an undergrad, I've always enjoyed working and usually loved my job(s).

My guess is that if there's any validity at all to these characterizations, it has more to do with the ages of each cohort than when they were born. That is, wait 20 years and ask the "Busters" the question again and you may find they answer much like the "Boomers" answer now.

[cybergal]

Why are you perpetuating stereotypes? Plug in different ethnicities here and see how stupid it reads.

[Old Limey]

I was born in 1934 which makes me a "Builder" and I must admit that the stereotype fits me and also my colleagues. It was on my watch that the first women engineers entered the workplace. We weren't that happy about it at first and very chauvinistic remarks were passed back and forth between the males and we used to think that it was fine as long as the new arrivals were very attractive. However the company provided classes for us on how to behave properly in the workplace and in no time at all they were accepted, fitted right in, and did the job that was expected of them and it worked out really well. It helped that these groundbreaking women were also some of the best students from the best universities. I also was working long before computers were around and that was another learning experience for us when the first large mainframe computers appeared on the scene and we were sent off to class to learn how to use them.

[Apex]

The categories may be close except for the last one. Millenials see work as a place to serve? Everything I have heard about Millenials and some that I have worked with see it more as a place to be served not to serve (not all I work with one that is great and one that fits description).

They seem to have high expectations of what THEY get from their work. They expect things to be done their way, to get things they want out of their work and to get it in a way that fits their lifestyle and schedule.

I also agree that some of it is just age and will change with time but companies I have heard talk about Millenials talk about all the ways they need to meet the high expectations of the millenials. I always found it surprising that companies were willing to try to meet these high expectations. I am a buster and have always felt that it was my job to meet my company's expectations not the other way around. However, this was a few years ago when the economy was much better. I suspect in this economy, if you have expectations that your company needs to meet, you can expect to find yourself remaining unemployed.

[Jim]

Where is Generation X? I don't know where they come up with "Buster" for my generation.

Every generational comparison is basically amounting to the fact that younger people differ from older people. 40 years ago the baby boomers were rebellious hippies not stand up corporate citizens.

[Crystal]

My grandparents, "Builders", definitely fit the stereotype...jobs were used to support their families. My grandma was a secretary until they started having kids. She ran their finances after that. My grandpa worked in multiple fields and jobs over his 60 years of employment and retired as soon as his kids were on their own and my grandparents were able to save enough for retirement.

My parents, "Baby Boomers", seem to fit the stereotype too...my step-dad defined himself through his job as a Civil Engineer and worked with the same company for 30 years until he retired last year. My mom was very proud of being a Biologist but retired 20 years ago to raise my little sisters. She definitely defined herself as a SAHM instead of making her own life out of hobbies or friendships. My parents are working on forming their own lives right now.

My husband and I are "Busters" since we were born in 1982 and 1983. We do both see work as a necessary evil. It allows us to afford our "real" lives...board gaming with friends, vacation traveling, sports officiating and video games for my husband, and volunteering with animals for me.

My little sisters are "Millennials" since they were born in 1990 and 1995. I don't know how the youngest would view a job, but the one born in 1990 pushes herself in her college courses. She's really looking forward to her summer internship. She seems excited by the field of Petroleum Engineering. I think she's in it for the challenge and the money...not in a bad way, but she wants to be financially comfortable and make my parents proud. I kinda' let them down by "not living up to my full potential" and she has always made sure to push herself more. She's already said she would like some financial advice from me when her internship starts...I'm so happy. My little sisters are awesome and way more motivated job-wise than me.

I think stereotypes are stereotypes for a reason...they fit more often than not. :-)

[MC]

I think this is fallacious because it doesn't take into account the difference that age makes in how one views their career.

So probably there's no real difference between the generations, there's just a difference about how a person views their job at different points in their lifetime.

Younger people are less likely to have settled on a career and also are less likely to have achieved enough at that career to have gotten rewards--therefore, they find it unsatisfying and don't identify with it. As they get older, they spend more time at their career, become known as an expert in that area, get paid more, and therefore identify with it. ie if an older person changes jobs, they are likely to get a job that uses their experience--ie they will identify themselves as the kind of person who works at that type of job.

I'm a Boomer woman (b.1961) and yes, I do love my career and I view it as part of my self-image. However, in the 1980's before I went to grad school, I viewed my job at the time as a necessary evil/irritant that interfered with my "real" life.

[Ace of Wealth]

It's interesting to see these stereotypes and match yourself up to it to see how close it is to reality. I am close to the Millennials, and I actually love my work right now. I could see myself there for a while.

[Jclimber]

I'm a Gen-X'er (b. 1969) and I love my work so I definitely don't think it's a necessary evil. Though I know people my age who think otherwise as well so I think the stereotype thing is stupid.