“The List”: Part 1

I have about 2 and half years of experience being in my twenties and there some things that I have noticed certain trends about being this age. I must say that I really hate reading lists about “Things every twenty-something should know” or “what ever twenty-something should be doing” because all they do is stress you out and make you think you’re living your life wrong. Which we already all think we are anyways.

But this is part 1 of my “list” of things that I have noticed during this short time of being in my twenties.

It really is all about “who you know” not “what you know”

It is unfair but it is what it is. I am all for networking except for when it leads to companies hiring under-qualified twenty-somethings, and then later complaining about how incompetent millennials are. I won’t complain too much because I got my current job solely through networking and being at the right place at the right time, but the emphasis on networking often gives young professionals false hope that they can get an amazing job from who they know, but come time to deliver quality skills, they are coming up short.

“Social Media is not a career”

Duh. I can’t even count the number of times I was told this while networking. Social media is a day to day activity and it is like breathing for a lot of people. There is no need for fourty-somethings telling me that I’m not going to make a living doing social media. Young people have been marketing themselves on social media since before professionals even realized it could be used as a valid marketing tool.

Generation Y invented social media and Generation X took it upon themselves to write articles about it and teach courses on it and call themselves “social media experts”. There is something wrong with a job posting requiring 7+ years of professional social media experience when Twitter itself was only created about 6 years ago.

Don’t expect to be taken seriously 

I worked in my last office for almost 5 years, and was always the youngest person working there. The department was failing and no one was open to suggestions. The point is, it doesn’t matter how many degrees you have, if you’re under a certain age, you still won’t be taken seriously as a professional. They won’t hire you, but they sure will ask you to teach tenured, 60-something PhDs how to right-click a mouse and compose an email.

Just be grateful, no matter what

This first year out of college has been an interesting time. I’m technically not even out of college since I made the ridiculous decision to go to grad school, but grad school is so different, it doesn’t even count. The point is, that everyone’s journey is different. I was lucky enough to find a full time job and find myself envious of my unemployed friends who get to do crafts and watch Netflix all day. Meanwhile, they’re willing to do anything to secure that 9-5 position. This time is so trivial when you look at the big picture that as long you’re doing something that makes you happy you should just be grateful to be where you are.

Networking: You mean…I actually have to talk to people?

Networking. Every college student has heard this term (ok, I’m generalizing). You meet someone you find interesting. Something about their job, the company they work for, or the field in general has sparked your interest. Networking, in theory, is so easy. You just walk up to someone, introduce yourself, have a conversation, be exceptionally charming, and then they give you a job. Right? It COULD happen. But instead of a job, they hand you a business card. As an up-and-coming professional, the rest is on you. If you’re like me, the realization of having to talk to actual people to find a job may have you reconsidering your path in life. You contemplate faking illness, or even possibly changing your major completely to something that consists of no human interaction at all. Okay I am being dramatic. But once you pluck up the nerve to make the initial connection, you may wonder what to do next. You have their contact information. First you send out that email.

“Hi,

We met at this event. I’m in the process of looking for a job, and you have a job that I want. I’m going to ask you a lot of questions about that job so you know how interested I am in it. I’ll probably ask  you about yourself. What you like or don’t like about what you do, or what your job is like day-to-day. But by now you’ve figured out that what I really want to know is how you got your job and what I can do to get a job like yours. Because face it, I’m in college and am just looking for that one foot in the door. We should get coffee and talk some more about your job and your life in general because I’m genuinely interested in getting to know you (not only because you can help me) because you seem like a very interesting person.

Please respond so I don’t feel so needy and annoying.“

Ok, I really hope no one’s ever sent an email EXACTLY like that, but you get the idea.

I used to think professionals thought I was really annoying until I realized that they really are happy and willing to help young professionals get their start. It’s all about putting yourself out there and stepping out of your comfort zone. Especially in PR, if you’re not willing to step out of your comfort zone and ask for favors, it’s likely that you’ll remain stagnant in your career pursuits.

However, for the socially challenged, LinkedIn is another great networking tool. Before meeting a professional ahead of time, you will likely be able to find them on LinkedIn. (If we’ve had a conversation, I probably looked you up on LinkedIn on the way home) You can add professionals or simply browse their profiles. Learn some stuff about them that you can bring up in conversation or use to generate interesting questions to ask. They will be impressed that you took the time to do your research.

Just keep in mind that as annoying or bothersome you think you are being to a professional, that they have all been in your position once before. It took me a while to realize, but professionals really are happy and willing to help young people, especially students, in providing them with the advice and guidance they need while looking for that first job. It did take a while to get comfortable with, but for me, networking eventually became second nature.

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