New Careers For Old: Young Adults In A Changing World

July, 2010

In the tale “Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp,” Aladdin’s wife hears a street vendor crying “New lamps for old, new lamps for old!” She exchanges the magic lamp for a shiny new one, and Aladdin has to go through many adventures to retrieve the original lamp, which offers him riches and a successful life.

Over the last ten years, many parents of teenagers or young adults have seen their offspring pursuing “new careers for old,” rejecting the educational and career paths of the older generation and striking out into strange new paths. Some of these parents wish that their children had held onto the old “magic lamp”! As print media decline, many journalists begin their careers writing blogs or on-line interviews and essays. As the nature of advertising changes, young graphic artists focus on interactive digital skills. Jobs that formerly came with the security of a full-time salary and benefits are now replaced by unpaid internships and free-lance work. Maintaining health insurance has become a challenge and an end in itself.

As a psychotherapist working with many young adults negotiating an uncharted career world, I need to be open to the existence of obstacles and also opportunities that did not exist when I made my way as a young adult; my clients know things that I don’t and experience things that I never did. At the same time, my common sense and experience can go a long way in helping these clients find their path, set realistic goals, develop needed skills, learn to network, and learn to present themselves to others in the most confident, realistic and effective way.

As a psychotherapist working with parents of such young adults, I can serve as an “interpreter” between the generations, helping bewildered parents appreciate the strengths and courage of their offspring, and helping them to accept the changed world that their children have inherited. Psychotherapy is not just a “last resort” in times of crisis. It can be a valuable tool in navigating turning points in our lives, and a valuable resource in new and changing situations.

Deborah Rubin, LCSW, PhD

Deborah Rubin is a clinical social worker and psychoanalyst with extensive experience dealing with careers, relationships, and other life transitions.