Welcome to the Real World, Class

My dear friend Jim Fister and I were having a conversation over lunch earlier this year about the time we've been spending individually on college campuses, at high schools, and in one-on-one meetings at work advising young people about their careers and their lives. It turns out that we have been focusing on a lot of the same themes and decided that it was a good idea to put our thoughts together and write an article that shares honest, straightforward insight for young people as they start their career journeys. Here it is.

For those of you approaching graduation from high school or college or have recently walked across that stage, this is for you. Right now, you’re likely occupied with the final celebrations of the holiday season, or maybe you’re planning your next Spring Break getaway. But first and foremost, you’re thinking that life is coming at you faster than it did before and that means it’s time to focus on the real world.

There’s nothing like the inevitability of a looming deadline to clarify your intentions for your life once the last notes of Pomp and Circumstance have sounded, the celebrations have ended, and you embark on your journey into adulthood. In so many ways, we cannot wait for you to get out here as many organizations across the business world and non-profit sector are eager for your fresh ideas and skills, unique perspectives, and openness to new, creative ways of solving tough, challenging problems. After all, much has been written about Generation Y, a 70-million-plus strong population of young, optimistic, and goal-oriented men and women who have embraced collaboration and multitasking, are on the leading edge of emerging technology trends, and want meaningful work/life balance.

What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You
At the same time, however, in our visits to high schools and colleges around the country, where we have the opportunity to listen to young people and advise them about their academic and career choices, we’re observing firsthand that many of you are not ready for this new world. A lot of you lack a clear understanding of what it’s going to take for you to succeed in the 21st Century marketplace. In this case what you don’t know can hurt you.

We’ve seen for ourselves what can hurt. We bring a wealth of practical experience, knowledge, and insight. Both of us have worked in high-technology developing business strategies, creating product plans, promoting new products and technologies, and all that time pursuing entrepreneurial ventures and being active members of our community. The point is we actually care about the next generation and the lives and careers you undertake. We’re here to support you with four key tenets to get your nascent career on track that go beyond what you’ll learn in the classroom or in your immediate social circles. These are developing good professional habits, learning how to network, understanding influence, and living and exploring life. This is the real deal, and your success will mean the future success of your community, your nation, and your world.

Professional “Hygiene”: Develop Good Habits
Did someone ever tell you that your face would freeze that way if you keep that funny look on it? In some ways, that person was right. While your underlying personality is what will carry you through life, your habits will make that journey either easier or harder. Habits are easy to pick up, and unfortunately, they’re also easier to drop. And clearly some habits can be bad.

If you want one area where you should develop good habits, work on communication. Speaking and writing clearly are a must in a world where you want people to believe in your ideas. As a practical example, how many of you take the time to write a complete sentence or a thoughtful e-mail reply? As professionals in a connected world, you’ll spend a lot of time putting your thoughts into clear, coherent messages intended for the receiver to take action. While it’s fine to “LOL” or “OMG” with your friends, it won’t always go over well when you’re introducing yourself in a professional context. Last year, Jim worked with a local student who was a summer intern at the company. The intern went out of her way to write complete, well-formed sentences and to use proper punctuation and capitalization. The impression was stunning, especially in comparison to the young “professionals” who otherwise filled the day. That’s a person worth remembering, for she landed a strong ally who helped her look for her next job. When asked about it, she merely said that she didn’t want to be like all the other kids who couldn’t think or talk. So she made it a habit to write well.

Another great habit is showing up on time. A good friend of ours who should know a lot better consistently shows up late to meetings. As a consequence, he extends the meeting to make up for the missed time, which makes him late for the next meeting. It’s a crazy cycle that’s cost him on occasion when he shows up late to a meeting where an executive is none too pleased to have been kept waiting. As we say, it’s “results, not excuses.” Take care of all the little things, and people will be convinced you can do something big.

Learn the Art of Networking – It’s Not Who You Know, It’s Who They Are
We can’t say enough about developing a strong network. A good idea is one thing. A good idea properly placed in front of the right decision-maker with a strong endorsement is entirely another.

No doubt, the first question that comes to your mind is, “How do I get myself in front of those decision-makers when I’m just starting my career?” It’s a lot easier than you think. The first step is to think about your network – that is, who you know. We like to describe this as bringing people in the “background” of your life into the “foreground” at the right time. You very likely have many people in the background of your life – friends, family, professors, part-time job supervisors and co-workers, teachers, counselors, advisors – who you already know and can assist with a problem or opportunity you’re facing. In our travels to college campuses, a question we like to pose to students is how many of them really know their fellow students with whom they sit in classes every day. We try to impress upon the students that they could be sitting next to someone whose parents own a small business or work for a company in the field they’re majoring in and could be potential avenues to a summer internship or that coveted first job out of college. You cannot find out this information if you’re not taking the time to network with your classmates with that purpose in mind.

With the advent of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and other social networking sites, you have the distinct advantages of real-time communication and instantaneous connections that many in prior generations did not have. We strongly encourage you to use that advantage as you move into the business world. But tread carefully, for you must clearly differentiate your business and personal networks over time. It’s one thing to tell your pals what you did over the weekend, but it’s an entirely different thing to provide that to your customers. And remember what Monique calls the “Grandma Standard”: If you think your grandmother would be appalled or ashamed to read what you’ve written or to see you in a questionable pose in a photo, it’s probably best to not post it. In other words, be passionate but don’t be impetuous when you share information about yourself online because it will live in some shape or form forever. Doing something embarrassing now seems cute until it results in an opportunity lost years down the road.

Understand Your Influence
No matter your vantage point in life or in an organization, you have the power and ability to influence others to follow your lead. Terry Bacon, the author of Elements of Power and Elements of Influence, defines influence as the power you apply in order to accomplish a goal, with your success depending on a number of factors which you may or may not control. According to Bacon, your influence is comprised of the technique you choose, the skill with which you use that technique, your power sources within your organization, and your personal power sources.

In short, an effective influencer needs the right technique coupled with sufficient power sources and good skills – communication, assertiveness, interpersonal, and interaction – to make things happen. Take the case of a high school student who recently decided to organize a technology camp for young women. Being smart, she first asked her teacher who she should contact for help. He provided her with a list of people she needed to meet, including Jim. She diligently followed up with everyone and used that network to influence their networks to generate all the donations necessary to put on the program. She also found many volunteers to help in the process. Many of these adults now are on the watch for how to help her in her next endeavor. That simple influence point started with the teacher and extended to a new network and an enthusiasm about women in technology that will endure.

Live Your Life and Explore
Lots of people will tell you in the next few months and years that you’re young and you have time to figure things out. Everyone’s situation will be different, but whether you decide to go straight into the workforce or take some time off before your first job, you should live your life and explore and experiment before you settle down into a particular career path or make lifestyle choices that will have an impact on your priorities and time down the road.

Monique recently advised a recent grad of Oregon State University who studied computer science. An aspiring software developer, this young man does not know at this point if he wants to work in a traditional corporate environment or if he should pursue a start-up company. Either way, he knows that he wants to travel the world and expose himself to different cultures and people. Monique encouraged him to jump on the opportunity to travel right after graduation if he could afford it because it will only get harder to find the time as his life begins to take shape and he becomes a “responsible adult.” Also, she gave him a third option of being an independent software developer, which he wasn’t even considering. She suggested that if he starts his career as an independent software developer doing project work, that could give him the flexibility to work from anywhere in the world as long as he meets his commitments to his clients. At the end of the day, he desires the flexibility to choose the career route that best aligns with his interests and passions right now.

Yes, your life is coming at you fast. By developing good habits, learning how to build your personal and professional network, understanding how to influence, and living a full life, you will be prepared to succeed in an ever-changing, complex, and interconnecting world. We are waiting on you!