Julie litcott hames' new book is your turn, how to be an adult. The traditional definition of adulthood from the nineteenth century was, finish school, get a job, leave home, marry and have children. Today's workplace looks really different than it did from parents or grandparents of today's young adults. If you're a millennial or genzi, you can't count on a job, let alone a job with benefits, pension or even a living wage.