For Young Adults Just Starting Out
But I’m Just a Kid!
As a senior in high school, you’re asked, “Where are you going to college?” and “What do you want to be?” You smile politely and mumble something, while in your head you’re screaming, “How should I know?!” Right now, you don’t have enough experience to even begin gauging your options but you might have a vague idea of what you would hate to do all day long. So really, a better question would be, “What do you not want to be when you grow up?”
If you decide to go to college, don’t worry so much about the one you select. Yes, your parents, guidance counselors, teachers, and “people who know best” will tell you it’s all about which college you attend. But it really isn’t. It’s actually all about hard work, industriousness, good manners, and intent. First, you need to learn how to make decisions and then you need to learn how to make good decisions on a consistent basis, and no institution of higher learning will have these things in its curriculum. It’s just stuff you have to learn on your own. Whether you skip college altogether or go to a tiny community college, out in the middle of nowhere, you can still go on to be a raving success. Alternatively, you can graduate from a top-ranked university but end up failing dismally.
Case in point: One of the most compelling education paths I’ve ever seen on a résumé was of an early-career product manager. He came from a single parent home where there was no money for college. He self-funded his education by working full-time during the day and attending school part-time, in the evenings. It took him four years to obtain a two-year associate’s degree; it took him another four to earn the bachelor’s degree, and four more years to complete a two-year MBA program. In all, it took him 12 years to complete what most would have done in six. However, he also came out of school with zero debt, a strong work history, and a track record of persistent determination.
The bottom line? The school you attend will not inherently make a major difference in your career. Your success and legacy will come from your work ethic, character, integrity, intent, kindness, and honor. Whatever you choose to do, just work harder than anyone else and success will follow.
Your First Job
Your first job out of school does not define you. It truly is just a single step in a very long journey. If you’ve just entered the workforce and the only available job is driving a forklift in a warehouse, then take it. It’ll put money in the bank, you’ll learn a cool skill, and it’ll highlight your work ethic and industriousness. Who cares if your old high school friends think it’s a schlump’s job? You’ll be employed with money coming in the door. Moreover, you just never know what kind of springboard that job will become or what connections and opportunities you’ll find while there.
My Pitch for Community College or Trade School
Not everyone needs a bachelor’s degree. The way the world is right now, you might just have greater earnings potential if you go into a trade as opposed to a professional job. Plus, tuition is so much cheaper!
The Best Advice I Can Give You
Work hard and become an expert in those mundane tasks that no one else wants to do. Be willing to go the extra mile, be kind to everyone, and be thankful for what you have; without complaint for what you lack. Whatever the task, aim for excellence. If you’re cleaning a toilet…make it gleam! Hard work and an honorable attitude always pay off in the end.
Life tip:
It’s okay to make a lot of mistakes…just don’t keep making the same ones over and over. Ten years of experience is always better than one year of experience, ten times over.
Stories from the trenches…
The description of an introvert who, while at a dinner meeting, wasn’t engaging anyone in conversation: “He was having an intimate relationship with his menu.”