Three Gifts for a 20-Something – When Slowing Down Helps Your Career

By Emily Betz, 40:20 Vision Ambassador

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What three “gifts” would you give a 20-something if you were a “Forty-Godmother”? Here 40-somethings share three wishes 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. Patience in finding your calling. This is so desperately needed. Especially when you are not sure what you’re meant to do. Being in a job you’re not sure is right creates a lot of anxiety. I wish I had known it’s okay to be in these jobs. All experiences matter, especially in your 20s. It’s great to be able to figure out what you don’t want to do, but it’s hard to feel that when you are in it. Your time is not being wasted.
  2. Patience in moving up the ladder. There will always be time to manage others and get the big job title and salary. Millennials are striving for all of those things and it often is a disservice to them if they get there too quickly. They may not be ready or it might be hard to move into the next job because their skill level isn’t quite matched with the roles. Why not spend more time on the team learning the ropes so when you do move into management, you have more experiences to call on and you’re not outpricing yourself.
  3. Gift of grace. [When I started my own company] I put a lot of pressure on myself thinking, “I’m not establishing this online brand.” But it is okay. I also put a lot of pressure on myself to figure out my offerings perfectly, including the perfect target candidate and sales package. It’s hard to figure out those things when you haven’t even done any of your work yet. It’s a blessing to do the work, then figure out your offerings. It’s okay to make those mistakes up front. Reading Recommendation: Grace, Not Perfection by Emily Ley.

 — 30-something HR consultant, certified career coach, mother, and speaker.



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