This
is a great article for young new job seekers. Our owner said he wished
this was spelled out for him 10 years ago. (Since it is an article to
20-somethings, it doesn't apply to him anymore since he just turned 30 this
month :) It is from Forbes.com. Enjoy!
.
20 Things 20-Year-Olds Don't Get (Forbes.com)
I
started
Docstoc
in my 20’s, made the cover of one of those cliché “20 Under 20” lists, and
today I employ an amazing group of 20-somethings. Call me a curmudgeon,
but at 34, how I came up seems so different from what this millennial
generation expects. I made a lot of mistakes along the way, and I see
this generation making their own. In response, here are my 20 Things
20-Year-Olds Don’t Get.
Time
is Not a Limitless Commodity – I so rarely find young professionals that
have a
heightened sense of urgency to get to the next level. In
our 20s we think we have all the time in the world to A) figure it out and B)
get what we want. Time is the only treasure we start off with in
abundance, and can never get back. Make the most of the opportunities you
have today, because there will be a time when you have no more of it.
You’re
Talented, But Talent is Overrated - Congratulations, you may be the
most capable, creative, knowledgeable & multi-tasking generation yet.
As my father says, “I’ll Give You a Sh-t Medal.” Unrefined raw materials
(no matter how valuable) are simply wasted potential. There’s no prize
for talent, just results. Even the most seemingly gifted folks
methodically and painfully worked their way to success. (Tip: read “
Talent is Overrated”)
We’re
More Productive in the Morning – During my first 2 years at Docstoc (while
I was still in my 20’s) I prided myself on staying at the office until 3am on a
regular basis. I thought I got so much work done in those hours long
after everyone else was gone. But in retrospect I got more menial,
task-based items done, not the more complicated strategic planning, phone calls
or meetings that needed to happen during business hours. Now I stress an
office-wide early start time because I know, for the most part,
we’re more productive as a team in those early hours of the
day.
Social
Media is Not a Career – These job titles won’t exist in 5 years. Social
media is simply a function of marketing; it helps support branding, ROI or
both. Social media is a means to get more awareness, more users or more
revenue. It’s not an end in itself. I’d strongly caution against
pegging your career trajectory solely to a
social media job title.
Pick
Up the Phone – Stop hiding behind your computer. Business gets done on
the phone and in person. It should be your first instinct, not last, to
talk to a real person and source business opportunities. And when the
Internet goes down… stop looking so befuddled and don’t ask to go home.
Don’t be a pansy, pick up the phone. Be the First In & Last to
Leave – I give this advice to everyone starting a new job or still in the
formative stages of their professional career. You have more ground to
make up than everyone else around you, and you do have something to
prove. There’s only one sure-fire way to get ahead, and that’s to work
harder than all of your peers.
Don’t
Wait to Be Told What to Do – You can’t have a sense of entitlement without
a sense of responsibility. You’ll never get ahead by waiting for someone
to tell you what to do. Saying “nobody asked me to do this” is a
guaranteed recipe for failure. Err on the side of doing too much, not too
little. (Watch:
Millennials
in the Workplace Training Video)
Take
Responsibility for Your Mistakes – You should be
making lots
of mistakes when you’re early on in your career. But you
shouldn’t be defensive about errors in judgment or execution. Stop trying
to justify your F-ups. You’re only going to grow by embracing the lessons
learned from your mistakes, and committing to learn from those experiences.
You
Should Be Getting Your Butt Kicked – Meryl Streep in “The Devil Wears
Prada” would be the most valuable boss you could possibly have. This is
the most impressionable, malleable and formative stage of your professional
career. Working for someone that demands excellence and
pushes your
limits every day will build the most solid foundation for your
ongoing professional success.
A
New Job a Year Isn’t a Good Thing – 1-year stints don’t tell me that
you’re so talented that you keep outgrowing your company. It tells me
that you don’t have the discipline to see your own learning curve through to
completion. It takes about 2-3 years to master any new critical skill,
give yourself at least that much time before you jump ship. Otherwise
your resume reads as a series of
red flags on
why not to be hired.
People
Matter More Than Perks – It’s so trendy to pick the company that
offers the most flex time, unlimited meals, company massages, game rooms and
team outings. Those should all matter, but not as much as the character
of your founders and managers. Great leaders will mentor you and will be a
loyal source of employment long after you’ve left.
Make a conscious bet on
the folks you’re going to work for and your commitment to them will pay off
much more than those fluffy perks.
Map
Effort to Your Professional Gain – You’re going to be asked to do
things you don’t like to do. Keep your eye on the prize.
Connect what you’re doing today, with where you want to be tomorrow. That
should be all the incentive you need. If you can’t map your future
success to your current responsibilities, then it’s time to
find a new
opportunity.
Speak
Up, Not Out – We’re raising a generation of sh-t talkers. In your
workplace this is a cancer. If you have issues with management, culture
or your role & responsibilities, SPEAK UP. Don’t take those
complaints and trash-talk the company or co-workers on lunch breaks and
anonymous chat boards. If you can
effectively communicate what needs to be improved, you have
the ability to shape your surroundings and professional destiny.
You
HAVE to Build Your Technical Chops – Adding “Proficient in Microsoft Office”
at the bottom of your resume under Skills, is not going to cut it
anymore. I immediately give preference to candidates who are ninjas in:
Photoshop, HTML/CSS, iOS, WordPress, Adwords, MySQL, Balsamiq, advanced Excel,
Final Cut Pro – regardless of their job position. If you plan to stay
gainfully employed, you better complement that humanities degree with some
applicable
technical
chops.
Both
the Size and Quality of Your Network Matter – It’s who you know more than
what you know, that gets you ahead in business. Knowing a small group of
folks very well, or a huge smattering of contacts superficially, just won’t cut
it. Meet and stay connected to lots of folks, and invest your time
developing as many of those relationships as possible. (TIP: Here is my
Networking
Advice)
You
Need At Least 3 Professional Mentors – The most guaranteed path to success
is to emulate those who’ve achieved what you seek. You should always have
at least 3 people you call mentors who are where you want to be. Their
free guidance and counsel will be the most priceless gift you can receive.
(TIP: “
The Secret to
Finding and Keeping Mentors”)
Pick
an Idol & Act “As If” – You may not know what to do, but your
professional idol does. I often coach my employees to pick the
businessperson they most admire, and act “as if.” If you were (
fill in
the blank) how would he or she carry themselves, make decisions, organize
his/her day, accomplish goals? You’ve got to fake it until you make it,
so it’s better to fake it as the most accomplished person you could
imagine. (Shout out to
Tony Robbins
for the tip)
Read
More Books, Fewer Tweets/Texts – Your generation consumes information in headlines
and 140 characters: all breadth and no depth. Creativity,
thoughtfulness and thinking skills are freed when you’re forced to read a full
book cover to cover. All the keys to your future success, lay in the past
experience of others. Make sure to
read a book a
month (fiction or non-fiction) and your career will blossom.
Spend
25% Less Than You Make – When your material needs meet or exceed your
income, you’re sabotaging your ability to really make it big. Don’t
shackle yourself with golden handcuffs (a fancy car or an expensive
apartment). Be willing and able to take 20% less in the short term, if it
could mean 200% more earning potential. You’re nothing more than penny
wise and pound-foolish if you pass up an amazing new career opportunity to keep
an extra little bit of income. No matter how much money you make, spend
25% less to support your life. It’s a guaranteed formula to be less
stressed and to always have the flexibility to pursue your dreams.
Your
Reputation is Priceless, Don’t Damage It – Over time, your reputation is
the most valuable currency you have in business. It’s the invisible key
that either opens or closes doors of professional opportunity. Especially
in an age where everything is forever recorded and accessible,
your
reputation has to be guarded like the most sacred treasure.
It’s the one item that, once lost, you can never get back.
