A young woman works in an office wearing a headset. Picture: Thinkstock Source: Supplied
- Entrepreneur gives tips for twenty-something workers
- Young workers "should be getting your butt kicked"
- Read more books, less tweets, and protect your reputation
AT age 34, online business resources entrepreneur Jason Nazar admits he has made a heap of mistakes along the way. Today he employs a group of twenty-somethings who are making their own set of mistakes.
Here's his top gripes about Gen Y in the workplace.
Time is not a limitless commodity – In our 20s we think we have all the time in the world to A) figure it out and B) get what we want. Make the most of the opportunities you have today, because there will be a time when time itself is much more limited.
You're talented, but talent is overrated - Congratulations, you may be the most capable, creative, knowledgeable & multi-tasking generation yet. But there's no prize for talent, just results. Even the most seemingly gifted people have methodically and painfully worked their way to success.
Have you read?
We're more productive in the morning – While I was still in my 20's I prided myself on staying at the office until 3am on a regular basis. But in retrospect I got more menial, task-based items done. Now I stress an office-wide early start time because I know, for the most part, we're more productive as a team in those early hours of the day.
Social media is not a career – These job titles won't exist in 5 years. Social media is simply a function of marketing. It's not an end in itself. I'd strongly caution against pegging your career trajectory solely to a social media job title.
Pick up the phone – Stop hiding behind your computer. Business gets done on the phone and in person. It should be your first instinct, not last, to talk to a real person and source business opportunities.
Be the first in & last to leave – If you are starting a new job or still in the formative stages of your professional career you have more ground to make up than everyone else around you, and you do have something to prove. There's only one sure-fire way to get ahead, and that's to work harder than all of your peers.
Working in your twenties means you should be the first in and the last to leave. Picture: Thinkstock Source: Supplied
Don't wait to be told what to do – You can't have a sense of entitlement without a sense of responsibility. You'll never get ahead by waiting for someone to tell you what to do. Saying "nobody asked me to do this" is a guaranteed recipe for failure. Err on the side of doing too much, not too little.
Take responsibility for your mistakes – You should be making lots of mistakes when you're early on in your career. But you shouldn't be defensive about errors in judgment or execution. Stop trying to justify your F-ups.
You should be getting your butt kicked – Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada would be the most valuable boss you could possibly have. Working for someone that demands excellence and pushes your limits every day will build the most solid foundation for your ongoing professional success.
A new job a year isn't a good thing – One-year jobs tell me that you don't have the discipline to see your own learning curve through to completion. It takes about 2-3 years to master any new critical skill, give yourself at least that much time before you jump ship.
People matter more than perks – It's so trendy to pick the company that offers the most flex time, unlimited meals, company massages, game rooms and team outings. Those should all matter, but not as much as the character of your founders and managers. Great leaders will mentor you and will be a loyal source of employment long after you've left.
Meryl Streep plays the ultimate office bitch in The Devil Wears Prada. Picture: Supplied Source: news.com.au
Map effort to your professional gain – You're going to be asked to do things you don't like to do. Keep your eye on the prize. Connect what you're doing today, with where you want to be tomorrow. That should be all the incentive you need.
Speak up, not out – We're raising a generation of sh-t talkers. In your workplace this is a cancer. If you have issues with management, culture or your role & responsibilities, SPEAK UP. Don't take those complaints and trash-talk the company or co-workers on lunch breaks and anonymous chat boards.
You HAVE to build your technical chops – Adding "Proficient in Microsoft Office" at the bottom of your resume under Skills, is not going to cut it anymore. I immediately give preference to candidates who are technical ninjas regardless of their job position.
Both the size and quality of your network matter – It's who you know more than what you know, that gets you ahead in business. Knowing a small group of people very well, or a huge smattering of contacts superficially, just won't cut it. Meet and stay connected to lots of folks, and invest your time developing as many of those relationships as possible.
You need at least 3 professional mentors – The most guaranteed path to success is to emulate those who've achieved what you seek. Their free guidance and counsel will be the most priceless gift you can receive.
Gen Y savers Fabiola Escalante and Alana Peake, both 24. Picture: Glenn Barnes Source: National Features
Pick an idol and act "as if" – You may not know what to do, but your professional idol does. I often coach my employees to pick the businessperson they most admire, and act "as if". You've got to fake it until you make it, so it's better to fake it as the most accomplished person you could imagine.
Read more books, less tweets/texts – Your generation consumes information in headlines and 140 characters: all breadth and no depth. Creativity, thoughtfulness and thinking skills are freed when you're forced to read a full book cover to cover. Make sure to read a book a month (fiction or non-fiction) and your career will blossom.
Spend 25 per cent less than you make – When your material needs meet or exceed your income, you're sabotaging your ability to really make it big. Be willing and able to take 20 per cent less in the short term, if it could mean 200 per cent more earning potential. No matter how much money you make, spend 25 per cent less to support your life.
Your reputation is priceless, don't damage It – Your reputation is the most valuable currency you have in business. It's the invisible key that either opens or closes doors of professional opportunity. Guard it like the most sacred treasure. It's the one item that, once lost, you can never get back.
From Forbes
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