Do something BEFORE you embark on your career
Posted on August 26th, 2008 in Leadership |
I have been putting together an e-hints and tips for new graduates thingie ( I still have to decide whether it is a book/document/flyer/sheet….tying myself in knot on it) and my friends over at HR Bloggers have pitched in with some good advice. When I logged in today I found this one from Dan - and with his permission I have reproduced what he says in its entirety here because I am so taken by
a) his different take on the question and
b)the passion and wisdom in his advice
Thanks Dan
ADVICE TO NEW COLLEGE GRADUATE: Don’t listen to HR Bloggers until you have lived a little.
First, I am not arguing that all of the advice in the above posts is good career advice. In fact, I am sure it is excellent career advice. However, that is not the title of this post. The post is about advice to give to new college graduates. So with much respect to all of the respondents, here is my way of pissing in your cereal.
Very few people know exactly what they want to do out of college. If this is you….you are normal. Didn’t do the “right” internship while you were in college? Have no clue what the hell your “passion” is? While you stay in touch with “Moose” or “Sully” from your frat, they probably don’t count as a networking opportunity? This is all normal…no matter what HR people tell you. YOU, as a new college graduate, have an opportunity that you will never have again in your life: To do something without any concern for money or career advancement and just for “the fun of it”.
For me, I joined the Army. Admittedly not for everyone. However, I wanted to do something that barely anyone I knew was doing. I signed up after 9/11 knowing I would go to either Iraq or Afghanistan. I did this because of a firm belief that everyone deserves good leadership and talent and when I looked around at all the “smart” kids no one was doing it. I never considered the Army as a career, however it was something I wanted to do. I signed up, joined the Infantry, went to Airborne School and Ranger School, and swiftly went to Iraq for a year. I learned things in Iraq that would have taken me years to learn in the private sector: Standing on principle when people make the wrong decisions, Realization that even though you made the right decisions it doesn’t always work out well, and most importantly, where my niche is as a leader.
That was my path and as I said the Army is not for everybody. My best friend followed his girlfriend to Singapore after graduating from Georgetown with a Foreign Affairs degree where he promptly turned his back on everything he learned in college and took a job making TV shows for a Singaporean??? network. He produced, wrote, and directed reality shows and documentaries before finally moving to New York a year ago and getting a job with a small production company. He is currently working on a documentary for Sundance Film Festival on the last Tour de France. Did we look at him in college and say “wow he is going to be a filmmaker.”? No, he had to go on his own personal journey to find this out. No networking, no internships, no passion to follow…just the journey.
As I read even the comments on “Advice to college graduates” I am get the feeling that everyone is leaving something out of their life experiences that drew them to where they are now. Even in Laurie’s post she talks about being a good judge of people and having good instincts. Did she gain these from college or life experience? I would assume that life experience would be the answer (I am wondering where the punk rock comes in and I assume this was not part of her college coursework).
Careers aren’t for everyone. It is ok if it isn’t for you. One of the smartest people I know just wants to run a surf shop in Puerto Rico. He life guards along the California coast saving up money for this dream. YOU might be one of these people. Simply be aware of that fact and try not to make yourself miserable in the meantime.
As HR people (Yes I said YOU people and I meant YOU people), I feel that we get so wrapped up in career progression and acing the interview and writing an excellent resume that we can’t stand letting talent get away. Are we really looking out for the employees self interest? Or is that person just an interesting addition to our talent management strategy or succession plan. Just because someone can succeed in business does that necessarily mean they should? I could do a lot of things and be excellent at them…I just don’t WANT to.
There will be no other time in your life where money matters less than it matters now. You may feel like you are dying in debt, but somehow you are able to afford beer every weekend. I say glorify in this. Join the Peace Corps (little brother is going that route) live in Ghana for a few years doing business development projects or teaching villagers how to brush their teeth properly. Move to a country (any country) and just take whatever job you can find until you find your passion. Follow a rock band around until you stop liking their music. And for God Sakes if an HR manager comes up to you and wants to talk to you about where you fit into THEIR succession planning…RUN! At least until you know their succession plan is crap and you could do it better.
11 Responses
It’s interesting most people, myself included, immediately jumped to the conclusion of interviewing advice when we heard the phrase, “recent college graduate”. I think Dan has it exactly right. Looking back on my own “career path”, I spent 4 months traveling around Europe after college, and I thank God for that experience before jumping into the work force on a more or less permanent basis.
That was what I intended with the question Brad. I am thinking about grads who are ready to go into their careers They may take a break later in their working lives. But I am speaking to Dan about doing something to share experiences like yours and his too. Watch this space.
I had the blessing of spending 6 months in Europe (my dad got a field assignment and the whole family went with him) while i was still in High School. As a result, I had a whole world opened up to me when I was at an impressionable age. It’s never left me, either, and I would highly recommend EVERY kid to experience another culture at some time early in their lives.
Bob - experiencing another culture or an different lifestyle can really make you think. Thanks for that!
Hi Jackie,
Interesting to see the response to the post. I am trying to figure out what exactly the essence of my whole after college experience and the closest I can come to is: I took a risk and learned from it. Maybe it is just the confidence to do something completely different when necassary. Would be interested in what your readers think about that.
Good heartfelt advice, positively put!
But why restrict it to recent graduates. It’s valid all the time. If our succession plan, mortgage or whatever else seems to be blocking opportunity rather than opening it up, then it is time for some soul searching and commitment to change! It may take a little while to sort things out, but begin!
Great repost!
Hi Dan - I too “took a risk” and did something different and boy did I learn from it. In my case did not have to travel far. I engaged with my local community. What I learned was massive - about myself and about the world around me.
Thinking of a follow up post.
Yes - Jo - I agree. Dan’s advice applies to everyone. Taking that first step is the challenge - but without doing so you will never know what could come of it.
Jo,
I also agree. I think the main point is it will never be easier to take the sort of personal growth experience/risk as right out of college. It only gets harder to do after that. Not impossible–just more difficult.
Outstanding advice for sure.
I think we have to share with new college grads that at some point beyond graduation, they really need to be able to look back and identify a specific experience that they can say influenced the rest of their life.
It’s hard to know where that will come from so they should be encouraged to look for it.
For me, I think it was during my time as an Air Traffic Controller when I developed skills I didn’t even think were possible, honed my instincts, learned a lot about my strengths, learned to ask for help, learned to collaborate, worked with teams, was mentored and explored global cultures.
By the way, I am so with the guy who wants to run the surf shop in Puerto Rico!
I shared some information on Exploring Gap Year Alternatives on one of my college career blogs.
Marcia - you were an air traffic controller? wow…now using what you learned in that job really must be useful now. You make the point very well. Glad you came by and thanks for the comment.