6 Ways for Young Professionals to Stand Out

What a special time to be a young professional! The world is at your finger tips. You can still be (almost) anything you want to be. But it may feel like a rollercoaster at times. The realities of career, life and leadership come fast.

As generational studies have shown, young professionals aren't content with the status quo. They want to stand out! But it takes an extra level of maturity to stand out in positive ways.

Here are six that can point you in the right direction right away from my new book Stand Out!

Know What You Want

As young professionals, it's tempting to get fussy when things don't go our way. We receive a work assignment we didn't want. Our significant other makes plans without our knowledge. Our gut reaction is to get snappy. It's easy to react to what we don't like, but hard to know what we really want.

It's easy to react to what we don't like but hard to know what we really want.

No one else can identify what you want for you. It's some of the hardest, but most rewarding work there is. Oftentimes, you have to start with a blank slate to identify what will be most meaningful in a job, relationship or life in general. Until you do, you'll be a prisoner of your temporary dislikes.

Kick Entitlement to the Curb

High expectations are a great servant but a terrible master. Unfortunately, when expectations - whether original or imposed - don't match reality, they can induce disappointment, an emotional meltdown or even an identity crisis.

High expectations are a great servant but a terrible master.

Sometimes it takes longer than expected to earn a promotion. Sometimes the performance review doesn't go as anticipated. Sometimes we're simply treated unfairly. That's life!

When expectations become entitlements, everything about life becomes more difficult.

Stay Flexible

In one of my first jobs as a young professional, I allowed my high achiever personality to get the better of me. I had my calendar booked so tightly with work, exercise, social and volunteer activities to the point that a surprise work-sponsored happy hour - which should have been a cause to celebrate - would ruin my week. I had to learn the hard way to add some elbow room!

Young professionals sometimes have a tendency to plan their work around their life. There's nothing wrong with that, but it should go both ways. Sometimes life needs to flex to meet the demands of work.

Reply with Empathy

Addressing concerns and solving problems quickly may be good customer service, but without empathy, it feels more like a transaction than a relationship. Empathy is the difference between meeting and satisfying a need.

Empathy is the difference between meeting and satisfying a need.

My friend Lucien Heart gave me a great lesson in empathy while supporting me as a customer success leader. When my customers raised a concern, instead of simply answering their question, Lucien would thank the person for taking the time to reach out and empathize with their situation before providing an answer. It probably took 10 seconds and two extra sentences each time, but made an incredible difference.

Ask for Feedback - and Say Thank You

It's a well documented fact that young professionals want frequent feedback at work - more so than their seasoned counterparts. The problem is in the asking. It's better to proactively ask for feedback before the fact than bemoan a lack of feedback after an incident has taken place. The more specific your request for feedback, the easier it is for someone to give it.

The more specific your request for feedback, the easier it is for someone to give it.

Once you receive it, don't forget to say thank you. Many leaders find it harder to give feedback than to receive it. When you say thank you, regardless of how you feel about it, you make it easier to receive in the future.

Set an Example Others Want to Follow

There is an old proverb that says, "Even a child is known by his actions." Age, competency and title aren't prerequisites for doing the right thing. There is no discrimination when it comes to setting a good example.

There is no discrimination when it comes to setting a good example.

Whether it's setting a good example, developing empathy or identifying our deep seeded aspirations, the good news is that today is a new day - and it's as good as any to get started. Just don't be surprised when the people around you stop to take note.

To learn more about my work with both young professionals and corporate leadership teams, or to make a speaking inquiry, please click here.

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About Nathan

Nathan Magnuson is a leadership and young professional expert and serves as a consultant, coach and speaker for corporate audiences. He’s worked in a staff or consulting role with several Fortune 500 companies and large public service organizations, including Accenture, MASCO, FBI and Defense Intelligence Agency, among others. Nathan is also a military veteran, having served with the Army Special Operations in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

In addition to corporate work, Nathan is also author of Ignite Your Leadership Expertise and the upcoming book Stand Out! Nathan’s articles and resources are posted on his website NathanMagnuson.com and in various leadership publications.

You can follow Nathan on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or on his website.

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