The Gig

I was looking around on CNN Money for some tips on where to stash some cash that would earn a good return. I contribute to my 401(k) which apparently puts me ahead of the game of a lot of people in my age group. Then I stumbled upon The Gig blog by Nadira Hira on the Fortune Magazine section of CNN Money.

She wrote a so-called field guide to Generation Y titled Attracting the twentysomething worker, part of a series called Gen Y at work. I can't help but agree with a myriad of things she noted. Including the fact that we're multitaskers. Constantly on the move with two, three, four different things going on all at once. What can I say, we were born in an era where we were told that we could be anything that we could imagine. I think we aspire toward that. Whatever the "it" may be. Growing up, I was a habitual multitasker. Watching TV while doing homework. Listening to music while reading. And now, I find myself busy at work, with 6 or 7 tabs in my Firefox window, iTunes humming, and carrying a couple of conversations on Google chat and AIM. All the while, doing my work, and finishing it early. And those who question how I can do it, I question - why can't you?

However, I won't go as far to say that I need to be coddled or have my hand held to get through the real world. I would not want my parents to accompany me to a job interview or first day of work. Now, really, who does that? Where's the independence? That's what college is supposed to get you to simulate at the very least. Sure you can live off the of the dining hall food, and go weeks without doing laundry, but really, one should be able to live on their own, having gone through the university system. Granted, I still live at home, but that's for mere economic purposes. I live in one of the most expensive areas of the country, and trying to rent a place would be a waste of money. Luckily, my parents are awesome and haven't kicked me out just yet. They encourage me to save my money, and one day soon I can put a down payment on a piece of real estate.

Alas, this is the digital age. If you want to keep up with we Gen Y'ers, better get some skills in multitasking activities.