What three “gifts” would you give a 20-something if you were a “Forty-Godmother”? 40-something women share three things to help a 20-something get a head start on the confidence to make decisions that are right for themselves. No more woulda, coulda, shoulda.
1. Travel somewhere outside your comfort zone in your twenties, especially if you have grown up in the same place your whole life. Be safe, but get outside of your bubble. Maybe alone. You are afraid to go because you don’t have confidence, but you know what, if you go, it will give you the confidence.
2. In your twenties, at least when graduate from college, it’s easy to get caught up in figuring out what defines you – teacher, finance, lawyer, marketer, tech on one hand. Then friend, daughter, girlfriend on the other. You go too fast.
Keep your eyes open and be open to opportunity. Your job may not be perfect but if you can read between the lines and see what might happen in the future…then maybe you can find the opportunity. Whether it be in the role you’re in now or in a different department where you can see yourself long term, or taking that learning to your next job. In HR we interview a lot of people and It’s great that they think they know what they want to do but think beyond your degree. That is just the starting point.
3. Don’t stay in a relationship that isn’t working until you line up another boyfriend. Some people are like that. Time on your own gives you the opportunity to find out what you have learned and what you want and don’t want the next time.