So now we’re set for the last few days of the year. I’ve been so busy working on different projects that I rarely took the time to reflect; now that the year is drawing to a close, this might be the time to say something. After all, it’s pretty rare that I don’t have something on my mind.

The first and foremost item that has affected the world has been the plunge in the economy, which started just over a year ago. Many were optimistic and hoped for an early recovery, but we’re faced with a situation that hasn’t quite resolved itself. When I think back to 2009, the year has been filled with an endless sense of trepidation and anxiety for those affected by the downturn. In the media, the trends are almost universally negative:  publications have been folding, advertising revenue has decreased and staff are being trimmed.

More and more people have been attracted to entrepreneurial ventures to bolster their fortunes. There’s a growing sense of dissatisfaction with the way cuts have been handled, and the job security that many believed they were signing on for hasn’t materialized. Several years ago, there were articles predicting the end of long-term employment, suggesting that people would sign on for contracts. Could this still be an option possibility, if only for a percentage of the workforce?

Of course, for recent college and University grads, especially of Arts programs, there’s no real change. Every graduating class awakes to find that the competition is that much stiffer, and their options much more limited. Yet optimism and hope for a better future hasn’t dried up.

This feature, entitled Generation X, was written by Douglas Coupland in 1987 for Vancouver magazine. It captures an attitude and mood about careers among my age group that hasn’t been weathered away over time:

“Alex is now waiting tables at a French restaurant before he decides what his next job will be. He hopes for something creative, fun, with flexible hours, and lots of attractive, bright, witty people to discuss European movies with all day. Anything less is a compromise.”

Well Alex, as Seinfeld would say, “Good luck with all that.“

This entry was posted on Friday, December 25th, 2009 at 2:23 am and is filed under Journalism, Serious Thoughts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.