Things 20 Year-Olds Don't Get(forbes.com)
forbes.com
Things 20 Year-Olds Don't Get
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jasonnazar/2013/07/23/20-things-20-year-olds-dont-get/
3 comments
My favs:
1) Don’t Wait to Be Told What to Do
2) Take Responsibility for Your Mistakes
3) Speak Up, Not Out
Having read this I think it is great advice for anyone of any age.
Spending less then you make is a great one though especially when you are young as it will form a habit that will benefit you throughout your life.
Another important one is managing your network and your reputation. I was given conflicting advice on this when I was younger but I definitely am a fan of having a strong network of quality individuals. I prefer to have a smaller network with higher caliber people as opposed to a massive network comprised of people of dubious character. My definition of "higher caliber" is not determined by the status of their job, networth, or family connections but more on the quality of individual they are.
Spending less then you make is a great one though especially when you are young as it will form a habit that will benefit you throughout your life.
Another important one is managing your network and your reputation. I was given conflicting advice on this when I was younger but I definitely am a fan of having a strong network of quality individuals. I prefer to have a smaller network with higher caliber people as opposed to a massive network comprised of people of dubious character. My definition of "higher caliber" is not determined by the status of their job, networth, or family connections but more on the quality of individual they are.
"You’re Talented, But Talent is Overrated" - maybe, but this is also very often used just as a buyer's tool in negotiation.
"We’re More Productive in the Morning" - although I do not disagree on anatomical grounds, I almost always find myself surrounded by noise and interruptions in the morning, when everyone is active. That is a bad environment for me to get the things done and for that I very much appreciate the late evenings. My advice is to study yourself and the environment before committing to decisions.
"Pick Up the Phone" - this is amusing.
"Be the First In & Last to Leave" - if this comes as an advice then it's propaganda. If one wants to get ahead and finds useful staying among the mentors, then getting the most of it by having a long work-time may come only naturally. If it doesn't, then the offer of one's extra time comes only at others' benefit, and encouraging that with an advice is a dirty practice opening a door to abuse.
"Don’t Wait to Be Told What to Do" - this is good, but also abused. It's a shot at something vague - you may do that and be appreciated with appropriate rewards, or you may as well be just used and be "appreciated cheap". Responsibility is a resource that should be traded separately.
"Take Responsibility for Your Mistakes" ("when you’re early on in your career") - absolutely. It may come as a contradiction with "Your Reputation is Priceless, Don’t Damage It", but if there is a time for mistakes, then it is when you're young. People tend to be less forgiving when you're getting older.
"You Should Be Getting Your Butt Kicked" - no. My first boss was a kind of Steve Jobs. I learned and accomplished A LOT under his command but my life was a hell. Despite the gains, I wouldn't do that again, and although considerable time passed since then, I still consider that former boss of mine a model of how one SHOULD NOT be. I would therefore not recommend this advice to anyone, we should keep in mind that we are humans and we should be treated as such.
"A New Job a Year Isn’t a Good Thing" - this is political. When the easiest way for an employee to get a raise is to change jobs, this kind of advice may come just as a move in a larger political strategy - we as employers may be competitors, but after all we still have a common interest in having resources (human included) for a low price, don't we? Knowing this, would you as an employee still follow this advice?
"People Matter More Than Perks" - that's subjective (because I would argue that everything that contribute to the quality of life is important), but for an outsider perks my be visible whereas people aren't. If you have good people in your company, do them (and yourself) a favor and treat them well - they deserve it, don't they? Quality of people should not come to be compared with benefits.
"Map Effort to Your Professional Gain" - yes, but again this can be (and often is) used by others to abuse you.
"Speak Up, Not Out" - depends on the company culture and the level of receptiveness. If the company is toxic and it has only deaf ears, the best thing an employee can do is to prevent others to get intoxicated. That is like a civic service, isn't it?
"You HAVE to Build Your Technical Chops" - absolutely (although it is difficult to predict which of the current ninja-rated skills may be considered tomorrow "meh").
"Both the Size and Quality of Your Network Matter" - yes, although not for all activities. In engineering "what you know" is everything.
"You Need At Least 3 Professional Mentors" - mentorship may give you a boost in learning, but that's it. Ultimately it's just you. Be aware of this, or the mentorship may become overrated just as like talent might be.
"Pick an Idol & Act “As If”" - I used this a lot in my 20's, but I must say that this may give you directions but not knowledge and it won't bring you much that relies on knowledge (and also, being capable of acting like some idol presumes having exactly this KNOWLEDGE about the idol's behavior).
"Read More Books, Less Tweets/Texts" - agree, although considering the scarceness of time I wouldn't suggest just any kind of book.