What’s Next, Gen X? Keeping Up, Moving Ahead and Getting the Career You Want

Citation

Erickson, T. (2011), "What’s Next, Gen X? Keeping Up, Moving Ahead and Getting the Career You Want", Human Resource Management International Digest, Vol. 19 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/hrmid.2011.04419aae.001

What’s Next, Gen X? Keeping Up, Moving Ahead and Getting the Career You Want

Article Type: Suggested reading From: Human Resource Management International Digest, Volume 19, Issue 1

Tamara Erickson,Harvard Business Press,2010,ISBN: 9781422120644

What’s Next, Gen X? helps Generation Xers (those born between 1965 and 1979) to identify what to do next in their career choices. The author states: “One critical and timely consideration is how to manage what have traditionally been the peak years to your full advantage, given today’s turbulent economy.” The text is also useful to those of other generations seeking to understand the relationships and dynamics across generations.

Part 1 explores the influences that have shaped the generation and identifies the effects of critical world and workplace changes. It outlines the differences (and sometimes similarities) between the other four generations, namely the Traditionalists (born between 1928 and 1945), the Boomers (1946-1964), Generation Y (1980-1994) and the Re-Generations (born after 1995).

Part 2 helps the reader to consider the changing workplace and evolving opportunities. It explores the effects of future influences on the individual and the organization and what the shape of future jobs may be. The author provides practical advice for defining success and planning how to achieve it in an organization.

The book is well presented and structured and overall the reader is not overwhelmed with the volume of text. A notable achievement in this regard is the inclusion of Your Voices highlights in each chapter, which represent the views of those with whom the author has had discussion or contact. Their inclusion boosts the relevance and practical nature of the text.

This is a thought-provoking text, throughout which Tamara Erickson remains optimistic, which is a key strength of the book.

Reviewed by Alan Cattell, University of Bradford, Bradford, UK.

A longer version of this review was originally published in Industrial and Commercial Training, Vol. 42 No. 3, 2010.