A Letter to My Younger Self: Career Advice for the Next Generation

Throughout my career I’ve mentored numerous young professionals and have assisted with my company’s recruitment efforts of undergraduate students.

It’s given me a chance to speak to lots of students about career opportunities. And they always amaze me with their intelligence, life experience, and their commitment to making the world a better place.

I’m in awe of how confident they are with being their authentic selves this early in their lives and how working for companies that share their values is critical. This next generation gives me hope for the future.

With graduation season fast approaching, lots of these young people will be starting to think about job searches and career choices. It’s prompted me to pause and reflect on my own career journey. What have I learned? What would I have done differently if I could go back in time?

I decided to write a letter to my younger self, providing the career advice I wish I’d had then. I hope it helps others as they look to navigate their own career journeys.

…

Dear Joe,

Yes, this may sound corny, but I’m writing this letter to you from the future. Stick with me, you become much more evolved as you age!

Right now, we’re in the middle of our career and the good news is that things are turning out pretty well. The bad news is, you’re going to have some bumps and bruises along the way.

And while I can’t change the past, your future is still ahead of you. So here are a few things I’d love to have known at your age.

Health is the #1 priority

Turns out, Dad was right. Without your health, you have nothing. So make it a priority and don’t ever let anyone make you feel guilty about taking time to work out or clear your mind.

Early in your career, a corporate gym is going to be your salvation. You’ll find working out to be a great coping mechanism to get you through some really dark periods in your life, especially when you’re struggling to find yourself.

It’s also going to be a place of connection. You’ll meet and network with some amazing people that you never would have had access to outside the four walls of the gym.

Working out will be a source of creativity for you. Your best work ideas will be born on the treadmill or while pumping iron. Don’t ever feel bad about it.

Skills are transferable

Remember all the times in college when you questioned whether accounting really was the right career for you? Well, sadly, it’s not!

But don’t worry. You’ll get that CPA and quickly move on to a role in marketing. Yes, marketing! Can you believe it? You always wanted to pursue a career in marketing but were afraid it wasn’t a solid choice. But you’ll discover a career path in professional services marketing that you never knew existed—and you’ll love it.

I know you might think all those years in accounting were wasted. But they weren’t. They’re going to give you a great foundation to build your marketing career on. In fact, they’ll be your differentiator—business acumen plus creativity.

All those skills you worked so hard on will still be used in marketing, just in different ways. You’ll learn that the skills you acquire throughout your career are always transferable to something else. You’re never stuck!

Inclusion matters

You may be wondering how you managed to move from a career like accounting into marketing. Well, you’re going to meet some amazing people in your career that take a chance on you. People that see your spark, that celebrate you, and that want the very best for you.

Unfortunately, you’re also going to come across people that want to dim your light, to intimidate you, and make you feel small.

You’ll learn valuable lessons from both. The good will build your confidence, make you want to inspire others, and help you become a more compassionate leader.

The bad will teach you how it feels to be bullied, poorly treated, and devalued. Importantly, that will teach you what “not” to do. It will make you more empathetic and help you understand that inclusion is about how you treat people, not just a box to check about your background.

So those are my lessons from twenty years in the future. I hope they help.

Oh, and one last thing. The most important lesson of all. Don’t be afraid to be who you are. You’re a late bloomer in coming out. But when you do, you’ll realize that being different has been your superpower all along. Judge yourself less, love yourself more.

I can’t wait to see what the next twenty years has in store for us!

Xoxo,

Joe 2021

I hope you've enjoyed this article and will share your thoughts in the comments.

# careeradvice #recruitment #inclusionanddiversity #marketing

Note: This article is a personal perspective and not connected to my current employer.