Roy Paul - The Age of Independence is Getting Older: How Generation Y is Prohibited from Achieving the American Dream lyrics

Who changed the rules? For most of the 20th Century anyone willing to invest in higher education emerged with sk**s that allowed them to take on work that would make their company stronger and receive compensation that would allow them to support a family. Over the last thirty years, these prospects have evaporated and Generation Y, those aged 20-35 are getting pummeled. Wages have not kept pace with inflation. Job benefits are the exception instead of the rule. “Internships” have become a form of modern-day slavery, rather than an entry level opportunity to learn about the company you will be joining. If an individual is required to invest 40 hours of their time weekly, conform to a dress code, and have the sk**s required to complete a**ignments, as opposed to being trained on the job, the company should be obligated to pay that person for their contributions. Yes, it is true that workers need to help companies prosper, but it is also true that companies need to invest in the individuals who work for them. The average college graduate emerges thousands of dollars in debt after four years of full-time study. The tuition for one year of college at most institutions does not compare with an average entry-level professional salary that one would earn in their first year on the job. Yet the cost of college tuition continues to rise exponentially, while wages stagnate. That's a darn shame. From an investment perspective you'd have to be blind not to notice that the ROI of a college education is really not much different than purchasing junk bonds. Yet, the colleges insist it is not their priority to prepare students to become part of the future work force. Apparently education for its own sake is supposed to satisfy the aspiring adult. Add to this dire state of affairs the fact that we are building prisons faster than we are building schools, then it is no surprise that energetic and talented young adults are facing depression, despair and destruction. When homelessness is the only thing an otherwise healthy adult has to look forward to, life just got painfully real. What do you do when faced with trying to figure out how to breathe with a boulder on your chest? What does effective change look like? Neo-entrepreneurship in a post-civil rights society may be the answer. We must think outside the box created by the status quo. The time has come to take the initiative in developing your career path. There's no point in waiting for the recruiters to come knocking on your car window. Company executives know that today's job scene is a buyer's Market. They'll take what they can get – for free, if they can manipulate you into accepting their conditions. And many times they do. Taking on corporate culture is a daunting task, but what choice does a 21st Century job seeker have? Create your own opportunities. Since my own college graduation I have been pursuing a career in journalism only to narrowly avoid becoming road k**. I'd say the doors have been slammed in my face, but in fact the doors have been locked. I have work experience – lots of it. I ran a successful political campaign and was elected to the school board of my home town while still a student. I have networked my way into hosting and appearing as a guest on local television and radio programs. I have moderated panel discussions and been an expert panel member on many more. So why do professional opportunities elude me and my peers? The resume writing experts tell me that all work counts and that I am doing everything right. By their definition of “work” I have been working for years. What's missing is the pay check. The system is not going to change. You have to change the system.