Written By Cari Borden

Somewhere between avocado-toast millennials and TikTok-savvy Gen Z sits a generation that refuses to fade quietly into the night.

We’re Gen X — the latchkey kids, the mixtape makers, the problem solvers who grew up without Google, Wi-Fi, or participation trophies. And now, in the modern workforce, we’re often told without words (but with plenty of sideways glances) that we’re… in the way.

You’re too young to retire.
You’re too old to hire.
But let me be clear, you’re also too sassy to give up.

We’ve Been Here Before

This isn’t our first round of proving people wrong. We came of age in a world that told us to figure it out ourselves, and we did. When the economy crashed? We adapted. When technology rewrote job descriptions overnight? We learned it. When corporate cultures shifted to “fit in or get out”? We carved our own lane.

We’ve been underestimated before, and if history has taught us anything, it’s that our power comes from being counted out.

Why They Can’t Write Us Off

1. Experience You Can’t Google – We’ve lived through enough cycles to know what actually works. That’s not outdated, that’s time-tested.
2. Adaptability is Our Middle Name – We’ve been upgrading our skills since floppy disks. Change doesn’t scare us; it motivates us.
3. Work Ethic Meets Boundaries – We’ll work hard, but we’ve learned the hard way that burnout is not a badge of honor.
4. Wisdom With Wit – We don’t just have answers; we have perspective, and yes, the sass to deliver it with style.

The “Too Sassy to Give Up” Mindset

Being Gen X in today’s job market is not a slow fade. It’s a strategic pivot. It’s deciding to take all the hard-earned knowledge, resilience, and dry humor, and channel it into the next act, whether that’s a career reinvention, a side hustle, consulting, or mentoring the next generation of leaders.

We’re not just surviving, we’re outlasting.

If You’re Feeling Invisible Right Now…

Let this be your reminder: you are not done. The value you bring isn’t measured by how “on trend” you are with office slang or how fast you can adopt the latest platform. It’s in your ability to see the big picture, stay grounded when everyone else is panicking, and bring wisdom into rooms that are drowning in noise.

Gen X was never about following the script. We’ve been making it up as we go, and that’s exactly why we’ll keep going.

Because we’re too young to retire, too old to hire… and far, far too sassy to give up.