Customer Reviews

Plugged In: The Generation Y Guide to Thriving at Work

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Tamara Erickson's book "Plugged In" is geared towards Generation Y - those born after 1980 and before the year 2000. These are the next or current group of people entering the world of work, and so, Erickson decided to map out the differences between the Y's and the X's (and older generations). There is a decidedly different attitude that the Y's want to bring to their work, which the book explains in detail. Whether or not this attitude will come to fruition is another story.

I am a Generation X'er, so I thought it would be curious to see how different the Y Gen thinks versus how I think in today's work environment. I find a paradox between my own personal view of work, and that of what the Y wants. The paradox is that I find my own "wants" in a work environment to be similar to that of the Y, however, I also find that there are some fundamental business and economic "stuff" that still needs to be taken care of, which always seem to be the bumps in the road - mainly the idea of how to get your basic financial needs met while in pursuit of that balanced lifestyle.

Erickson paints a picture for the Y's that sounds easy and to get their aspirations met as innate in the generation they are brought into. In fact, the whole book is written in a style that is like a cross breed of a self-help book and an astrological reading. When I come across lines in the book like; "You like jumping into new challenges and learning as you go. You apply for jobs for which others might view you as underqualified and relish the opportunity to "figure things out"", it makes me suspicious that I am reading some new age text on how to feel better. But the writing is not an objective account, nor it is entirely subjective, and yet, I do not feel its balanced well enough to accommodate both points of view. The author attempts to mark the generation with statistical changes in attitude in Gen Y with general questionnaires. The major difference that I see is to ask the question, "what generation does the owner or head of the company belong to?" If you can answer that, you can get some idea of what kind of business model they are going by. More and more younger people are getting higher positions,(or simply creating their own business), and it follows suit that the business model would be indicative of which generation they grew out of. We saw in the 80's, young adults fresh out of college getting high paying jobs, top-tier positions, and changing the economic face by implementing what they wanted. Today's generation is making an impact at an even younger age, many without college education because computers cannot be learned adequately through a book, but hands-on experience. With so many kids growing up with computers, they already are experts by the time they graduate high-school. And with no need for college due to their being little to no training on a college level, High School grads are being employed. So experience is what is being rewarded, not degrees of knowledge.

Tamara Erickson does address the current technology and its heavy influence on our thinking, I also think she does not consider its influence well enough. In regards to "finding your passion", she relates a story about a person whose business tactics seem to speak for the Gen Y population, is summed up in a quote with: "With the world events, at any point in time, my life could be over - so never live in the future and never live in the past. Live for today." While this is good advice, it is universal advice for any generation. And what teenager do you know does not live by those words? In the late 60's and early 70's, the hippies and the communes and the Zen Buddhists and LSD trippers all had similar ideas about the world. The major difference is the technology they use to support their beliefs. In my opinion, teenagers of virtually every generation had the idea of "living for today". In order to fulfill those words, and have them stand on something, they seek for something to support it, and it usually is something external and present in many peoples lives. As I said, in the late 60's, religion and drugs were the means to support that lifestyle. Today, however, technology is giving the new generation that same support - the internet, cell phones, texting, instant access to information, etc., etc, are the support they need.

So what is the difference between the two generations? Businesses adapted the newest technologies, while they did not adapt Zen or LSD (understandably). So, their justifications, it might be said, is finally being supported and justified and, most importantly, accepted. So it might be said that it is less of the attitude that is changing, but more that business models and technology are finally in agreement which reflects that attitude.

In sum, I felt the overall book was an interesting read. Not a revelation, as anyone who spends time on the computer and talk with teenagers today can figure out what the general attitudes are for work. My biggest criticism of the book is the style that its written. Lots of "you"'s in there, which as I said, made me feel like I was getting my horoscope read. On the other hand, there are some questions within the text that did spark me to re-assess my own business and consider where I am, and what I have felt most important, is "finding my passion". I feel that it is important for people to do this, however, I also wonder if, although the Gen Y's have a propensity to want to fulfill their passion, how many will actually get to do this before they discover that "settling-in-your-job" sensation and forget all about their passions? Tamara Erickson writes positively about the changing of the times and is very optimistic about what the new Generation will being to the work environment. I volunteer for a small women-based community that has similar ideas about how business can be done on a horizontal plane, by connecting with other people, rather than in a hierarchical structure. So I am seeing it in action and wonder if big business will find it within their core nature to follow something similar. It is certainly worth reading if you are interested in changing the structure of your current business. If you are in the Y Gen population, I would recommend the book, but not as answer or a means to an end, but more like a philosophical treatise for business that would spark yourself to ask some questions about what you want and potential means of achieving them.

If Generation Y is "born after 1980" I don't suppose I quite fit into the category. But I'm within a few months of that cut-off, so I thought I might find the book useful.

I was turned off by the book at the beginning because it makes some very broad generalizations about an entire generation. I don't generally care for being lumped in with an entire group of people, particularly if the majority of things don't apply to me. Perhaps this information would be useful to older generations who are trying to understand the perspective of Gen Y as a whole.

What I was really looking for, based on the title of the book, was a "Guide to Thriving at Work." I'm not sure it really lives up to the title. The book got better towards the end, when the author started to give some practical advice. Wish that would have started earlier!

The book is an interesting look at a generation that is just starting to swell the ranks of the working world. I guess if I can take one point from the book and use it to improve my career, it will have been time well spent reading the book.

I read this book not as a member of Generation Y (the books intended audience), but as an older member of Generation X seeking to understand some of the "cultural" differences between the two generations in the workplace. This book proved to be highly insightful, showing how different experiences in out teen years (primarily world events) and different parenting styles as well as the expansion of the internet and other technology have led to different world-views among the generations. This book helped me understand the differences and how to approach situations with these differences in mind. Much easier to come up with win-win options when you undertand where the other guy is coming from. Recommended for people of any generation. As the parent of some of the youngest members of Gen Y, I also found this book useful in thinking about my relationship with my children.

Contents:
Part 1: Who Are You And What Does That Mean For Your Career?
Chapter 1: The Outlines Of Your Generation
Chapter 2: The Events & Trends That Have Shaped You
Chapter 3: Shared Views & Common Ground
Part 2: What Work Is Right For You?
Chapter 4: Find Your Passion
Chapter 5: Identify Your Preferences
Chapter 6: Target Your Place
Chapter 7: Align The Practical Realities
Chapter 8: Find The Perfect Job
Chapter 9: Leverage Your Advantages
Part 3: You Got The Job -- Now What?
Chapter 10: Make A Multigenerational Workforce Work For You
Chapter 11: Business Basics -- Communication & The Language Of Business
Chapter 12: Business Finesse -- Soft Skills for Tangible Results
Conclusion

It's a quick and easy book to read and recommended for anyone.

I was on the fence regarding this book.
Either 3 stars or 4.
It's a little long winded, and really delves more into demographics than is really ncessary, but would provide a young reader with a good history base of who they're dealing with.

I think the main strength of the book is really in it's final couple of chapters. That is the thing for me that pushed it up to 4 stars.

I think it is solid and helpful information that would give a person pause to try to look at multiple facets of a situation.

While I didn't care for the "situational comparison charts", that gauge how different generations would see different situations. (not enough practical advice here...possibly a few case studies would be better)

All in all, I think this contains some solid advice, but probably won't hold the attention of its intended audience.

As we welcome Generation Y to the workforce (People born after 1980), the rules change on how life and business is perceived. With "plugged in - THE GENERATION Y GUIDE TO THRIVING AT WORK", Tamara Erickson really does a great job in looking towards the life of the GEN Y, looking at the differences that has faced this generation compared to previous generation's and features data, research and does a great job in illustrating and providing the reader the differences that today's generation faces in the workplace.

As a person who grew up as part of Generation X but several years not too far off from Generation Y, there are some key points that Erickson writes that I have to agree with.

First off, Generation Y has grown up under a time where there have been major global events such as terrorism at an unprecedented level. Sure, we grew up during a time of the fear of nuclear war but today's generation has lived through terrorism in our homeland and abroad.

Another key point is that they grew up with technology. The Internet, broadband, iPhone's, text messaging and MP3 players, as well as downloads, social media sites and so forth. Erickson even touches on the Metaverse and how MMORPG's such as "World of Warcraft" features a collaborative effort of problem solving, leadership, etc.

But more surprising is how her research has shown that for many people, many want to become successful but not defined by money. Not wanting to become the boss because they don't want to be stuck living in stress but wanting to balance their life with doing well but also enough time to have time for their social lives and families.

So, with "Plugged In", the first quarter of the book, Erickson focuses on showcasing the differences between this new Generation and previous generations. The next quarter of the book focuses on the Generation Y and features different scenarios and where they stand in their thoughts of career and where they want to be at. Choosing a workplace that makes you happy than chasing a workplace that you just do, for the money and to provide for the family.

The third quarter of the book then focuses on getting the job but first selecting it. But also, for Gen Y'ers to understand the people that they work with and understanding their point of views...may they be the traditionalist, Boomers and Generation X.

With the final quarter of the book dedicated to understand the multiple generations one would be working with:

The Traditionalist (Born between 1928 and 1945)

The Boomers (Born between 1946 and 1964)

Generation X (Born between 1965 and 1979)

This goes into situations much thorough than the first quarter by actually comparing Gen Y'ers to each of the following other three generations.

Again, being a Gen X'er, I agree with Erickson's perspective of the differences between Gen X and Gen Y but personally, I think that there are some overlap between the two generations especially when it comes to technology and exposure and use of the Internet and technology in their daily lives. Also, depending on what kind of work environment that they are in. I have friends and associates and even my wife who definitely fit the mold of what Erickson would look at as the typical Gen X'er but then there is another side of Gen X'ers that were working for tech-based companies, involved in startups, their lives changes because of the recent events in the last decade, may it be due to terrorism, bad economy especially now and just changed our whole perspective on life, business and the way we do things.

Erickson's chapter on "Business Finesse" is a chapter that I do agree with. For many people who have graduated Magna Cum Laude, involved in various clubs and organizations, volunteering and doing internships...at one point, it may have been important but in these times, I know more and more people who fel that it's no longer good enough. As one of those people who worked hard all my life for the good grades, the honor societies, volunteering in clubs and organizations, yes...it's not enough. It's about how you market yourself, how much confidence you have and how much knowledge you have and making sure the work gets done. Erickson points out how there are employers who are hiring people out of high school. Heck, there are college students who tell me that there are high schools and junior high schools that have better classes and better computers and updated software than at their own university.

But the "Conclusion" using the film "The Devil Wears Prada" as an example to see how each generation would see that film of the main character choosing her final decision of whether she would stay or won't stay with the company that she's worked for, despite being succesful at her job. For those who saw the film, where did you stand?

So, this book really puts things into perspective!

I enjoy reading "Generation" books but really enjoyed Erickson's "plugged in" because this upcoming Generation has a lot being offered to them that previous Generation's did not have. These teenagers and young adults are graduating high school with already proficient knowledge thanks to technology on various software (it seems like a lot of the Gen-Y knows how to operation Adobe Photoshop and use CSS it seems), many are tied into not just people locally but around the world thanks to social media sites such as MySpace and Facebook.

In 1998, I was in college sporting the latest in PDA technology taking my notes and watching Mpeg's and thought I was quite efficient in handling data without having to resort to a Daily Planner that my Boomer mentors had carried. Fast forward a decade later and it's all about the new iPhones, Google Map on a G-Phone and Internet on the spot.

But with ease of technology comes other challenges such as higher costs for college tuition, depression (possibly due to debt because of the college loans) and other things. But the book is about making wise decisions. Knowing the people you work with especially if you have a traditionalist, Boomer or Gen X boss.

Granted, like any other "generation" book, some may not agree with Erickson's perspective and granted, depending on one's upbringing and cultural backgrounds, life situations will be different for everyone. But I do like how Erickson does add data on how Gen Y'ers in America and even in other countries such as India have made their workplace decisions and what is important to them.

Well-written, well-researched, it's not a manual for how a Gen-Y should live their life, it's just a resource of helping you make those hard decisions and giving you various ideas to help ease things in their lives.

All in all, an enjoyable book!

"Plugged In" is about how the generation now entering the workforce can be successful. As the book points out, this generation was raised believing they could do anything and therefore ended up being able to do little. Often Generation Y lacks even the basic skills of finding and keeping a job, let alone the requisite skills of excellence and success.

Plugged in largely consists of six steps suggested to determine and find your career:
1. Find your passion
2. Identify your preferences: what you want to do, with whom, compensation, i.e. lifestyle wanted, and social activity
3. Target your place: where are you most likely to realize your passion, both geographically and in the workforce? Do you want to be a corporate titan or an entrepreneur, or somewhere in-between?
4. Align practical realities: your desires and passions must be considered within the practical realities of your abilities, resources and drive to achieve your goals.
5. Find the perfect job
6. Leverage your advantages

Not only does Plugged In define a process but discusses the skills needed to perform and succeed once you are on a career/life track:
* Think positively
* Show initiative
* People can't read minds, learn how to clearly communicate
* Reason and financial logic is important in the business world, not feelings
* Make the most of every experience, good or bad, by learning from it
* Pragmatism is good: what works for others can work for you
* Walk fast, carry a stack of papers, and drink coffee: the importance of being perceived as purposeful
* Clear the air and move on: discuss, resolve, let go, and move on
* Don't underestimate the power of grace under pressure
* Keep 3 months salary in the bank: create for yourself the power to walk away

Even though Plugged In is about Generation Y, the books advice on advancing a career and finding a job is useful for everyone. Plugged In discusses the balance between values and necessity, between money and leisure, work and life, family and business. Not only will you learn more about an important demographic (young workers) but Plugged In will provoke reflection on your own life and your own choices.

This is a good book to give your children or for people searching for "themselves" well after they should know. This is a good book to read for understanding those you have to manage and give guidance to. Plugged In is well written, succinct, and has good career advice no matter what your age..

A difficult read for a Gen Xer, but interesting to see how the yoof of today see us. They get a lot wrong, apparently, but why wouldn't they? I'm sure...well, no, I'm not sure there are all kinds of Boomer profundities we're missing, but am willing to be schooled on the subject.

Two key points about us, Tamara, plus a minor one:

One, our years were not by any means quiet. We grew up with catastrophe in the air: everpresent threat of nuclear war (which I find Millennials, far from Hiroshima and SALT, assume must be like any other kind of war), the ebbing of the American century, the loss not just of "mom in the home" but the presumption of stable employment, career, the ability to raise a family without wondering daily where the next paycheck might come from. The Cold War ended as we came of age: an orgiastic time, but one that's left us adrift, as a nation, ever since. What you seem to see as irritation with your optimism has more to do with what we regard as a dangerous, but inevitably correctable, naivete, and in this you're certainly like your parents, who are getting a beating with the reality stick as we speak. (Retirement? What retirement?) You grew up in a time of easy, if often imaginary, money, raised by people who grew up while America was riding high, and it shows. It just doesn't reflect current and likely future reality. Which is why so many of us are handling this recession without psychological breakdown. We've seen this before; it was our trial by fire.

Two, we worry about your lack of independence, and your tendency to avoid conflict by bouncing to the superficial (and, if that doesn't fix things, out the door). Really worry. Not for you. For us and our kids, and for the nation. You're going to be running the show when we're old, and to some degree before we're old, but your parents have (checking calendar) only about twenty, 25 lucid years left on the clock. We're afraid that being left alone in the world, to fend for yourselves, is going to be so traumatic that you're going to shut down. Just freeze. It'll happen when you've got yourself locked into lots of obligation: to mortgages, children, careers...and you'll find at that point that mistakes are quite expensive. Only you won't have any practice making mistakes, and that's not the kind of thing you learn to do well at the last minute. This seems to me an unpromising setup if you're going to be in control.

Three, this business about hierarchy and protocol: Almost, not quite. You're right in that we do work very well in loose networks. However, for loose networks to function, protocols have to be standard. Saves enormous time and money; you don't have to hash everything out new and risk misunderstanding. Innovation is welcome so long as it's not likely to cost us big, which means you have to know what you're doing and meet some pretty high skepticism bars. Your problem is that you don't yet have the experience to come to us and say, "This will work and here's why," and have it likely be true. Xers generally embrace change readily when it looks like a good and feasible thing. As for hierarchy...well, you're going to get this in any group where the people who are there have actually had to fight to get there. They've earned it. They're also planning to hang on. You may have (increasingly worried) parents who welcome you home if all else fails, but many of us no longer have parents, and we have growing children, mortgages, and useless-graduate-degree loans to support. And we are aware that it gets harder, not easier, to bounce back from unemployment as you get older. So yeah, if you do something that threatens our place an organization, no matter how wonderful your intentions, we're probably not going to take it lightly.

My generation's kids are on their way and will be joining you in ten years or so, and I think you'll find them much more hardnosed than we are. Although we grew up with anxiety, upheaval, and a fading economic picture, we at least had a pretty coherent society, materially. Parents, for the most part, had jobs. College didn't involve mortgage-sized debt. Most of us started out with married parents. We didn't shift elementary schools all the time. And childhood poverty existed, but was rare. Everyone had health insurance, everyone went to the dentist.

Our kids are growing up in a profoundly different world, a harder one than we knew, certainly a harder one than you knew. They know home loss, prolonged parental unemployment, blended and re-blended families, struggling schools with seriously behavior-disordered children, frequent moves, and many disappointments, along with a deep commitment to family. There has been an economic crisis for much of their young lives; as far as they're concerned, we've always been at war against terror. It's a much tougher world, and they're growing up much tougher than we did. They figure out what they need and how to get it, they negotiate, and they're not just aggressive but diplomatically aggressive. They expect little help and are accustomed to refraining from asking parents who are busy trying to keep roofs over their heads, teachers who are busy with the behavior-problem kid. They've also absorbed an ethic of working in a focused manner with friends, moving easily from group to group, but keeping themselves covered. And because we grew up so independent and understand its value, we're careful of our kids' safety, but we don't hover like your folks did. We push them to do things for themselves. You know that stabilizer that holds the rocket up before launch? That's us, rolling back. We're not planning on hosting them when they're done with school. So I think you're going to find them very interesting to manage. My bet is that you'll find that they're covertly, cooperatively, efficiently, and perhaps a bit ruthlessly managing you.

In the end, you know, a lot of this is moot, and this book is already in some sense dated. The main differences between the generations are economic and technological, and this economy will, I think, have all of us thinking in much more similar ways before the decade is out.

:) For all that. A boomer friend whose 25-year-old daughter is still texting him with complaints about jobs and friends tells me parents of kids these age ask, with increasing desperation, how to get the kids to leave. "That one's easy," I said. "You change the locks." And I meant it.

This book did make some interesting observations on a broadly general level, but I felt that the tone was a bit condescending towards Boomers and Gen xers. I am 47. Technically I'm a Boomer but I never related much to anything that's been written about them. I relate more to the GenX-ers but don't feel I really belong to that generation either. I agreed with some of the Gen Y attitudes also even though I call that generation the Entitlement Generation rather than Gen Y. I guess call me part of the Jon Stewart Generation! :)

Seriously, what generation Coming Of Age DIDN'T think they knew it all? And only to have Life give you a good slap in the face and a bucket of cold water over your head as a Welcome to the Real World down the road? I did. So did the generation before me and so on and so on....It's a natural generational process rather than some sort of special group of young people Who Doesn't Get Those Crazy Oldsters. Gen Ys grew up with computers. Period. That's it. Big Deal. Remind me to tell you about punch cards one day kid. ;)

And really... that example she gave of someone's MOM calling their boss about a bad review? I guess I AM an Xer then because I can't think of anyone that wouldn't laugh out loud (oh excuse me "LOL!") if that really happened. Can young people really be that naive? I certainly hope not for their sake. I think this book lumps groups of people into stereotypes that may or may not help a young person in the workplace if they believe this stuff word for word. Listen up young people... we are ALL different! You might meet someone your own age who thrives on security and a Boomer who loves risk and has new ideas (yes! older people can have new ideas too! Surprise!) I liked this book somewhat but would take some of the "truths" with a grain of salt.

Plugged in is a pretty good book (I am a Gen Y so I guess my opinion counts). I don't really care for books of this type but as I was the target demographic I thought I'd give it a try. Overall, the author makes some good points. Nothing particularly ground breaking, but that is my general problem with these types of books. Personally I liked the demographics, but as a social scientist I'm predisposed. In the end I think its a good book, but I personally didn't get that much out of it as I have problems taking strategies from a book and integrating them into my life. That may be completely different for someone else.

I give kudos to Erickson for trying to introduce Gen Y'ers to the five-generational workplace. As a marketing professional I appreciate the complexities of so many differences of background and perspective mixed in one place. In fact, I think these are so complex I wouldn't try to approach the subject in the way she did.

How Erickson did it set her up for a very difficult task and one that ultimately she could not live up to. Her "plugged in" reads mostly like an ethnograph of the early 2000's, and in reaching for generalities to compare the generations, she ends up button-holing them.

The Gen Y she writes to are socially-active tech and marketing professionals working on laptops for progressively-organized Fortune 1000 companies. Little in here helps the medical personnel, field-specific non-IT analysts, and law enforcement and retail workers who will comprise a substantial portion of the workforce, though. She writes of Gen Y's forebears in the workforce as being inculcated by world experiences such as the Cold War, Civil Rights Movement and phenomenon such as conspicuous consumption. Nevermind Drucker, Iacocca and the Seven Habits. Erickson's CEO's went to the Kennedy School for Public Affairs, in lieu of MBAs from Thunderbird or CPAs from Illinois.

Despite her efforts, this remains a very academically-focused text written in a style for pop culture and thereby conveying little substance.