Here we examine the traits that define each generation and speak to two women on either side of the age divide.

Generation X
Born: 1961-1977
Traits:

• Career-oriented, but tend to embrace change in the workplace
  Commonly labelled the "me" generation - considered to be too selfish for marriage and children
  Highly cynical and suspicious: they want Generation Y to work harder
  Money-focused
  Having grown up with divorce, they are more self-reliant
  Entrepreneurial
  Pessimistic
  Currently seeking a good work/life balance

Generation Y
Born: 1978-1994
Traits:

• Impatient: this "technology" generation wants instant gratification
  High-achievers: they demand success quickly, yet want a job that they are passionate about and is flexible - eg, willing to go part-time, downshift
  Success is personal: old stereotypes "doctor or lawyer" no longer apply
  More traditional values: don't want to leave marriage and kids too late
  Fun-loving outlook
  Swamped by choice
  Friends are the new family; they're staying at home longer
  More concerned about the environment

Generation X
"Starting my first job in the early 1990s, I believed in the concept of "working my way up". And after finding my niche in event and conference management, I did exactly that for the next eight years - putting in the hours, fitting into the culture, and steadily scoring promotions.

"Generation Y don't seem to understand this concept. They keep asking, "How can we fast track?" and my answer to them is, "You can't, really, because you need to make your mistakes along the way and learn from them." - Lisa Messenger, 36, is the managing director of Messenger Marketing and Messenger Publishing in Sydney.

Generation Y
"I've had three different jobs in three years, increasing my annual income by $15,000. Like most people my age, I don't feel obliged to spend years in a job before I progress; I even have a rule that if I haven't been promoted or I'm not being challenged after 18 months, I'll leave.

"A fun working environment is essential. In my first job as a publicity coordinator for a charity, I left after nine months because I had nothing in common with my colleagues at work." Lisa Newman, 23, is a features executive for News Limited in Melbourne.

To find out more about the differences - and similarities - between Generation X and their younger Gen Y colleagues, see the July issue of marie claire.

HAVE YOUR SAY
What are the differences between Generation X and Y? Are there benefits or disadvantages of working with a Generation Y colleague? Have your say below.