Greatest Career Challenges

**SuccessGenX** · 04-11-2012 06:37 AM

What are the greatest career challenges you face? I'm interested!

**INFJAnimal** · 05-31-2012 05:59 PM

For the first 30 years it was trying to find the right fit of job for my temperament. I found it in wildlife photography in my late 30s-early 40s.

**SuccessGenX** · 05-31-2012 06:48 PM

Originally Posted by INFJAnimal

For the first 30 years it was trying to find the right fit of job for my temperament. I found it in wildlife photography in my late 30s-early 40s.

Kudos to you for finding it! I think we continue to find our right fit throughout our lives, as we change and as circumstances change around us.

**Still Standing** · 06-01-2012 04:31 PM

I still haven't figured out what I want to be when I grow up after 5 "vocational changes" in college and university and doing 5-6 different types of jobs afterwards.

As a member of Generation X, I also think it's more difficult for us to find work, because the Baby Boomers are hanging on to the more interesting jobs while hiring the younger cohorts (Gen Y) for the those jobs that are available because they're supposedly easier to train and require less pay.

**walking tourist** · 06-02-2012 05:27 AM

I'm not a GenX person but my career challenges have been nightmarish. When I graduated from journalism school, there were no jobs! This was during one of the earlier waves of newspaper closings (1983). I worked on lowpaid freelance jobs for years until my poor, sickly career passed away. I now have a tiny gardening business... but a "real job" eludes me.
So... whatever you do... journalism isn't it!!!!
Best wishes to you.

Originally Posted by Still Standing

I still haven't figured out what I want to be when I grow up after 5 "vocational changes" in college and university and doing 5-6 different types of jobs afterwards.

As a member of Generation X, I also think it's more difficult for us to find work, because the Baby Boomers are hanging on to the more interesting jobs while hiring the younger cohorts (Gen Y) for the those jobs that are available because they're supposedly easier to train and require less pay.

**INFJAnimal** · 06-02-2012 05:31 PM

That was the tough part of being on the late end of the babyboomer range. All the good jobs were taken up by those who were born in the prime years that gave them the advantage to get into those positions first. Same with the early Gen X, If it wasn't the early and mid-range Baby Boomers that had the prime jobs...there were the pre-Boomers who were wanting to hold on to their jobs, so the job pickings were getting more and more scarce. Those of us who wanted to make a career had to go into business for ourselves. That was the only way of securing an income unless we wanted to spend years and years in a McJob.

**walking tourist** · 06-02-2012 08:22 PM

That is all so true. In fact, for years, it seemed that people were graduating from college to jobs in which they were all required to say, "Do you want fries with that?" And they were saddled with student loan debt. There was no way to pay off all of that student loan debt with a McJob.

Originally Posted by INFJAnimal

That was the tough part of being on the late end of the babyboomer range. All the good jobs were taken up by those who were born in the prime years that gave them the advantage to get into those positions first. Same with the early Gen X, If it wasn't the early and mid-range Baby Boomers that had the prime jobs...there were the pre-Boomers who were wanting to hold on to their jobs, so the job pickings were getting more and more scarce. Those of us who wanted to make a career had to go into business for ourselves. That was the only way of securing an income unless we wanted to spend years and years in a McJob.

**Alexxandra** · 06-02-2012 08:26 PM

I'm pretty young but I already know what I want my career to be. It might change but I HIGHLY doubt it. I am an aspiring novelist/screenwriter/director. The hardest part thus far was probably finding the perfect literary agent. Since that is done, now the hard part is finding the perfect publishing home. Hopefully everything goes along well :)

**walking tourist** · 06-02-2012 08:32 PM

That is awesome! Congratulations!!!!
I am thinking about writing a book.
Do you have any tips for me on how you find the perfect literary agent? I would be more grateful than you know.

Originally Posted by Alexxandra

I'm pretty young but I already know what I want my career to be. It might change but I HIGHLY doubt it. I am an aspiring novelist/screenwriter/director. The hardest part thus far was probably finding the perfect literary agent. Since that is done, now the hard part is finding the perfect publishing home. Hopefully everything goes along well :)

**Alexxandra** · 06-02-2012 08:42 PM

@walking tourist Well you need to write the book first :) That's the hardest part! haha. Also, read the book 2012 Writer's Market and 2012 Guide to Literary Agents. It will help with any questions about publishing houses, literary agents, also it gives some helpful advice on writing. If you were to start writing, I would also read Stephen King's On Writing. The On Writing section is very informative and helpful.
Anyway, go to this website "http://www.agentquery.com/" once you need to find your literary agent once you're done with the book. It cuts out all of the frauds and keeps the professionals. :)