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The Quarter-Life Crisis
[March 06, 2006]

The Quarter-Life Crisis


(India Today Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)Twenty three-year-old Aditya S.V. is a second-year student of the Faculty of Management Studies (FMS). An alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, S.V. is convinced the first employer on a curriculum vitae should be a credible brand name. For him, like most other B-school students, it is crucial to kick-start one's career from a "good place". "At the end of the day, it is about achievement; it has to be recognised," says S.V., who insists a young working professional's achievement is measured against that of his peers.



While S.V. knows he will have to wait before a meaty job profile comes his way, a majority of today's young working professionals think they know what they want-a glamorous designation and a pay-packet to go with it. And, they can't wait for their turn. These young members of India's workforce in their mid-and-late-20s are perhaps facing a crisis of their own. This case of misplaced priorities-or quarter-life crisis-is now taking over the traditional mid-life crisis. According to Pratik Kumar, executive vice-president, hr, Wipro Technologies, this leaning towards over-ambition and materialism is not limited to any particular industry; it is a characteristic of the entire generation. "A sign of the changing times," he says.

Competitive and talented, they are nevertheless, impatient. They start working early in life and want everything instantaneously-money, glamour, power. The option of easy loans further fans the desire to acquire material possessions like a car or a house at the earliest. "It is the prevalence of sheer consumerism," says Kumar. What was once achieved at the age of 40 or 45 years is now desired at 30. "And the market permits it," says Lata Narayan from the Unit for Child and Youth Research, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai. She agrees that the youth of today are in a fast-track mode and want things quicker. "There are no constraints as to where and how far they want to go," says Sandeep Murthy, secretary of placement committee in Jamshedpur's Xavier Labour Relations Institute.


Not in touch with the ground realities, they set very high standards and goals for themselves. And to achieve these, they push themselves hard, sometimes over the edge. In most cases, the difference between high expectations and ground realities creates stressful situations for both the employer and the employee. "By and large, today's crop of people have a heightened sense of early success. Their expectations are unrealistic," says Santosh Desai, president, McCann Erickson.

Unlike mid-life crisis, quarter-life crisis is essentially an attitudinal problem. Impatience and a lack of reality check are the key symptoms which result in a sense of disillusionment and at times streaks of over-confidence and arrogance. Failure to meet their great expectations even pushes some into depression and, as a result, causes psychosomatic disorders. However, the majority just grapple with confusion and disillusionment that results in frequent change of jobs and lack of dedication to their work.

Recently, one of the country's leading banks had to hand the pink slip to one of its young 'star' employees because he was over-confident, impatient and lacked perseverance. "We had to set an example for the rest," says the bank's hr representative. According to him, these young achievers are not clear about their life's goals and want job profiles based on what they perceive to be powerful and glamorous. "They want to start by handling mergers!" he says.

The attitude of easy-come and easy-go prevails, with most young professionals refusing to compromise on their social life and allot time and attention to work demands. Many find it difficult to balance responsibilities in the office and at home, crack under stress easily and lack the maturity to handle setbacks.

Jagdeep Chhokar, a professor of organisational behaviour at the prestigious Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A), reasons that this march towards materialism is a worldwide phenomenon. Though India has been a collectivist society, it too is now heading towards individualism. And these notions are simply filtering down to the young. "It is an effect of globalisation and free market society. There is and will be a decline in social values," says Chhokar, who holds the view that while the current crop of young professionals are undoubtedly smart, they are impatient and over-confident as well. On the other hand, Avirath Kakkar, 23, a student of IIM-Kolkata, insists that one has to aim high even if it is over the top. "I have to make a mark and I don't see any harm in aiming too high," he says.

But the expectations are not commensurate with the capabilities and, more importantly, with experience and maturity levels. A yearning to be the next CEO or head honcho, coupled with a lack of reality check, presents a classic case of misplaced priorities. The fact that B-schools teach students to be "good managers" leads most to assume that their natural progression would be to a managerial post and, hence, are averse to "dirtying their hands" with other work. Many view their admission to a top-notch B-school as a ticket to the top. However, society also has to share the blame for this over-confidence. "If you graduate from iim-Ahmedabad, you have to perform at the international level, therefore, expectations are higher," says Professor P.K. Sinha, chairman of IIM-A's placement committee. In fact, Sinha agrees that according to some recruiters a few students from the institute do have an inflated opinion of themselves. According to Siddhartha Butalia, 23, iim-Lucknow, societal measures of success have changed over the years, and the seemingly over-zealous attitude of the cosmopolitan youth is nothing more than a reflection of this change.

Alok Garg, 23, another student of IIM-L, nurtures an ambition of starting his own company. According to him, most of his peers believe they have done the spadework by securing a place in a good college. "They are willing to compromise for a designation and a pay packet," he says. In fact, placement cells of some of the country's noted B-schools concur that brand name, pay packet and job profile are key criteria for job selection.

"Ambition levels have gone up along with salary expectations," says Professor C.D. Bhattacharya, dean of FMS. However, Professor Pankaj Kumar, chairman of IIM-L's placement committee, insists that companies, too, are to blame for raising the bar and luring candidates with hefty salaries and perks.

The services industry, it and BPOs, in particular, offer a plethora of job opportunities. With a sea of alternatives, it is easier to switch jobs today if the current one does not meet expectations. An increase in salary or a better designation is deemed reason enough to make a move rather than looking at the bigger picture. This is one deterrent for companies to invest in their lot of young trainees. "Very few intend to work for a company for years. Most are looking at adding brand names to their CVs and leveraging that," says Sudeep Chawla, 24, general secretary of FMS' student body.

Meanwhile, these fast-growing services industries set examples and role models which might not be realistic and applicable to other sectors. "People became CEOs in 10 years. And this has been passed on to the campus," says Sumeet Mathur, director, HR, KPMG. While not all can be CEOs, these achievers know they are the best. "And this affects the way they behave," points out Mathur.

They might be young and restless, but they are talented and well-informed as well. Unwilling to settle for anything mediocre, today's young professionals tend to be over-ambitious. While they need to manage their expectations and set tangible goals in tune with their capabilities, Wipro's Pratik Kumar is of the opinion that young trainees should interact closely with their seniors to comprehend ground realities and bridge the gap between reality and perception. "Management schools should explore the international module that relies on work experience instead of just case studies," agrees Mathur.

Peer pressure plays a crucial role at college level. In some cases, success is measured against the pay slips of their counterparts, according to Dr Madhu Vij, placement adviser, FMS. "Their expectations are higher because their friends are getting higher salaries," she says.

On the other hand, students leverage each other's interests through various Yahoo groups. These informal online groups act as perfect platforms for the alumni and current batch to interact. Apart from utilising them as routes to gain valuable information from the experience gleaned by seniors, some students also use them as channels to voice their opinions. "If they don't like a job, they just post a note to these groups, discouraging others from joining the firm," says the hr representative of a leading bank.

Interestingly, while recruiters expect institutes to arm students with life skills, B-schools insist the onus lies on corporates to help trainees slip into their new role. According to Professor Kumar, the recruiters, alumni and the institute, all need to work in tandem to help students focus better. "Some things you learn only from day-to-day interactions," says Professor Bhattacharya. "They can't be taught in classrooms."

While most companies have summer training programmes where students acquaint themselves with real-life issues, some B-schools like IIM-A and FMS hold seminars and workshops regularly to help students comprehend their roles as managers.

"Eventually, it is hard work and efficiency that pays. It is not necessarily the high-flying type who started with a great first job who win," says Dr Vij, who urges students to be more dedicated and patient once they enter professional life.

"You've got to learn the ropes yourself to be in the position of a top manager," says Piyush Pandey, executive chairman of O&M. Translation: the best way to the top is up the ladder. Otherwise, it could easily become a greasy pole.

BOX

SYMPTOMS

Easily bored

Frequent job changes

Frequent disagreements with colleagues and superiors at work

Impatient, looking to break or bend rules

Choosing career based on public perception or peer pressure, not aptitude

Frenetic social life and frequent use of stimulants

Tendency to switch relationships in personal life

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