From the archives, first posted by Elizabeth Albrycht in 2005:

One of the “Entitlement Generation” Speaks Out

“In response to the AP Entitlement Generation article that came out last Sunday, a member of this so-called generation wrote the following open letter:

Dear current Management-Generation of Cubicle Land, please understand that:

1. My generation was misinformed—by elders and fortune—about the value of our college degrees. $120,000 of your/our money now buys, career-wise, just a hair more than your free high-school diploma used to. As many of my peers now lament, “A law degree is the new B.A.” We’re the best-educated generation in American history, yet the job requirements haven’t changed.

2. We are treated, at the entry-level, quite poorly, though it’s understandable that you might not realize it. Though we’re without your valuable professional experience, we just might be smarter than you and, if you keep us subservient though boredom, we will owe you no loyalty. You must challenge or educate us. Otherwise we’re leaving.

3. Are you aware of how little time it actually takes us to do things? One reason my peers ask for schedule flexibility is because much of their day is spent killing time. If we can’t contribute something valuable, we want to waste time at home with our friends, families, pets, books, and X-Boxes.

4. If you’d let us, we could make the computer system work right.

5. Having specific educational training, for example in Computer Science or Business Management, indeed justifies higher salaries. But, employers for other lines of work in metro areas: if you don’t start paying salaries commensurate with the cost of living, a) you’ll be left with 50 software engineers and 0 sales associates and b) there’ll be no one supporting your costs in old-age, let alone anyone younger able to support their own. We understand all of this is based on market conditions. But really. We know how much you make, and we know how things fall apart when we’re not there. We’re valuable.

6. Watch out, particularly if you’re at a bigger company. It takes us less than a year to learn your systems, copy your skills, and identify your company’s flaws. 10 million unchallenged, vindictively creative young people will decimate your business.

So. The entitlement generation? No. That assumes we think we’ve earned something from an educational system and media infrastructures provided by the last two generations. We’re more humble than that. We’re thankful. We are. As the most promising generation since the last, we’re ready to work harder than anyone expects.

Just stop getting in our way.