Monthly Archives: June 2016

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We’re Doing Just Fine

Millennials and Their Jobs

It’s the season of the year for graduations. My fellow classmates and I from the class of 2012 have been out of college exactly four years. Which means that w’ve had the same amount of time post-college as we had in college. And after having so many expectations about what it would be like to be in the working world, we can now look around and see what reality looks like.

[Disclaimer: This post is based on anecdotal data I have on my peers, interpreted by my own perception of their LinkedIn profiles, Facebook pages and what they’ve told me about their experiences.]

Here’s my take on the job situation for new and recent graduates: We’re doing just fine.

We started college in 2008, which means that for our whole college career, we were told the job market had tanked, it would be tough to get jobs, and we should plan for the worst. Sure, the career counselors were upbeat. But they were also very present. Professors gave advice on internships and informational interviews. As a liberal arts major in particular, I got the sense that the situation was grim.

Because we started college in this climate, however, it was all we knew. We didn’t feel we’d had a specific future taken away from us. We felt that nothing was going to be handed to us, and it was up to us to figure out a way to do meaningful work and support ourselves.

And guess what? We’re doing just that.

I am so impressed when I look around at my friends and peers. Not just in my graduating class of 2012, but in the classes surrounding mine. Sure, many of us started out working multiple part-time jobs, or perhaps are still doing this. (One significant help in this area, for those who have this privilege, is the option to stay on our parents health insurance for a few more years.) But we are moving into professional careers.

Some of us have gone to grad school, though perhaps fewer than would have in earlier decades. Grad school is less of a default or backup choice, and those who go know they are making a sacrifice to do so. This cost forces us to be thoughtful about the opportunities we pursue and the choices we make.

I also see many of my peers staying with companies for multiple years, not jumping from job to job. Once we have our foot in the door at a place, we get a chance to show that company our value. And often that leads to success, in the form of increased responsibilities, raises and promotions. Yet even with success under our belt, we feel there’s no guarantee we’d be able to land an equivalent job at another company. When you have a good thing going, and the rest of the market is a giant question mark, there’s incentive to keep climbing the ladder you’re already on.

The nice thing is, good things come when you’re at a place over time (sticking closely with the same industry over time can lead to similar outcomes.) You come to have experience in a variety of circumstances, enabling you to make sophisticated observations and decisions. Your name comes to mind when higher-ups have a project that needs additional people on it, or when recruiters see your years of experience building up on your LinkedIn profile. You’re available to lead when a superior is out on vacation or tied up with other responsibilities. And my peers and I, we get that. We’re learning how to be successful and establish ourselves in the working world, the working world of this moment and time.

Sure, technology is going to continue to cut out more of the tedious, monotonous work. But we know that we’re going to have to keep up. Nothing is certain, and our futures are not secure.

You can analyze us millennials all you want. My take is, we’re doing just fine.

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Focus on Form

Maintaining Structure When Life is Overwhelming

Have you ever felt overwhelmed? What helps you move through it to the other side?

When life is overwhelming, we rely on our personal discipline and mental will to move forward (even if that means reaching out to ask for help.) Sometimes, our mental will is weak. Perhaps it’s tired from us taxing it and pushing to the limits. Or perhaps it’s fighting against us, encouraging us to give up the struggle.

One way to keep moving forward when you feel overwhelmed is to have good form. What do I mean by good form? It’s an idea that comes from my experience as a runner.

Going through high school and into college, I was a cross-country runner. Of the many lessons I learned during that time, the call to have good form is one that I return to often.

Having good form as a runner isn’t about how well you’ve lifted weights, toned your abs, or hydrated that morning. It’s about taking your body, in whatever state it is, aligning your head and torso, and then moving your arms and legs in the most efficient way possible.

It means not flailing or flopping your arms around. It means keeping your shoulders back instead of hunched over. It means keeping your eyes up instead of staring at the ground.

Here’s how I remember the advice: “Marie, when you’re getting to the end of the race, you’re going to be tired. This is when you need to focus on your form. It will keep you from wasting unnecessary energy. It will propel you forward.”

So how does this apply to regular life? When we’re tired, busy, and overwhelmed, it can feel like each day is a grueling race. It may feel like the finish line — be it the weekend, the end of a project, or being reunited with a friend or family member–is still far off. Often, it won’t work to focus more or try harder. You’re probably already maxed out, and there’s little you can do to improve your performance by willpower alone. But what you can do is focus on your form.

Good form, in the context of my life, looks like this:

  • Going to bed early, or simply at a decent time, instead of staying up worrying or distracting myself.
  • Planning meals for the week, buying groceries for those meals, and prepping food ahead that can be stored.
  • Exercising, even when it’s the last thing I want to do.
  • Calling loved ones, whose conversation encourages me and lends perspective to my circumstances, even when I think I don’t have the time.

It takes willpower to take these types of actions. But when you do them, the benefits are immense.

Your body will serve you instead of hindering you. You won’t feel guilty for time wasted or poor choices made. You may find yourself exhilarated by the confidence of knowing you’re doing your best.

Do you want to move through each day feeling that you’ve done the best you could? Of course you do. So focus on your form.

What does good form look like in your life? What routines help you maintain good form, in order to go through life at your optimal level?