The Newsroom was a series on HBO starring Jeff Daniels as a news anchor who faces a crisis of confidence.
In episode 1, he is on a panel at a university answering questions from the students.
Skip ahead to the three minute mark
(Note there is some profanity in the video)
After the lengthy rant, is a second comment at about the 6:40 mark where our news anchor reflects upon an earlier time when (my language) courage and purpose set the compass for our time.
My friends, many of you talk the talk but don’t walk the walk about how you handle your careers.
You act as if the only thing you need to do to get a job is to do a good job.
You work to please your current boss but do little to impress your future boss by preparing to make an impression at your first meeting.
You think you’re entitled to a “big pay day” because you read something online or a friend said so.
You make little more than excuses to your friends, family and yourself for why your career has not gone the way you hoped for.
Folks, like our mythical anchor, I long for the time when people did not feel entitled but believed they needed to earn their success and recognition and were willing to work a full day and then go to school at night to improve themselves professionally and everyone in their family made the sacrifice without making it seem like they were doing a favor.
I remember the time when people actually tried to improve their job interview skills and resumes before starting a job search instead of blowing opportunities through their inertia.
And I remember when people would walk out of an interview and say honestly, “I did a poor job on that one but I’ll get’em next time,” go home and work like heck to never make mistakes like that again.
It is rare for someone to receive a job opportunity on a silver platter but it is rare for someone to work hard to develop the skills to create “a million dollar impression” with their future boss.
If I said to you, “Be at my office at exactly 10 AM Tuesday AM for the awarding of the $35 million dollar lottery prize,” I’m sure you would be on time for the meeting, having prepared for any contingency.
You get the point . . . what happened that changed so many people into a nation of people who have unearned and undeserved expectations?
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