The Icepick Cometh

We are so plucky, are we not? Just check out the end of this Forbes column for proof. So if you're a Gen Xer (or a younger, unnamed generationaly grouped person), don't worry about the coming (arrived) recession — those pesky perky Baby Boomers will only be partly hanging onto those jobs. And if you get laid off, it's all good. We "expect" to switch jobs frequently — it's just that, it used to be by choice, not by layoffs. Here's an excerpt:

In the immediate future, if there are widespread layoffs, younger generations will likely handle it differently than their older peers, says Mary Crane, a career consultant who specializes in bridging the generation gap. "They've come into the workplace never suspecting they'll take one job and have it for life," says Crane.

"Lots of them will look at it as an opportunity to explore career opportunities. They might take six months off-- that's how long recessions last--and work on a political campaign because they can build their resume and make great contacts. Or they'll teach. They look at this as opportunity."

So just go out and take this “opportunity” to take advantage of this “opportunity” of being laid off to not earn money and go and build up your contacts — and build up your credit card debt, too, while you charge basic groceries to live (if you haven't already been doing that). At least you won't need to charge gasoline to commute, since you won't be, you know, commuting any more. Oh, and tell the landlord or the bank that you won't be making the rent/mortgage this month, get used to bean sandwiches and (gasp!) dump that latte for a Stewart's coffee (which just went up 10 cents to $1.20, tax included, just to keep my priorities straight).

Or while you're at it, go teach. Just like that. Because teaching is a great, you know, fallback option — maybe it could be a hobby!

Oh, just to fill it out: opportunity, opportunity, opportunity, opportunity, opportunity. There, now I said it more than Forbes.