Archive for Category: Future of Careers

Alexandra Levit is a good friend and a great career expert. She’s written several terrific career advice books and has just released her latest, Blind Spots: 10 Business Myths You Can’t Afford to Believe on Your New Path to Success.

In today’s post, Alexandra answers some of my questions:

Q. How did you come up with this idea for Blind Spots?

A. I decided to write Blind Spots because I was tired of reading silly theories and platitudes dispensed by business and career authors who sell their work by giving these myths credibility and by telling readers what they want to hear. I wanted to be honest with people about what will render them successful in today’s business world, not yesterday’s. I wanted something out there other than overly provocative advice that hasn’t worked for anyone I know, like quitting your job tomorrow and starting your own business the next day, or marching into your boss’ office and announcing that he should appreciate your individuality.

Q. Which of your “blind spots” do you think most affects Gen Yers, and how can they overcome it?

A. Without question, the myth that it’s best to climb the ladder as fast as possible. Gen Yers must understand that getting promoted year after year requires a near-constant vigilance as well as a laser-sharp focus on work –- often to the detriment of everything else in your life. In Blind Spots, we talk about why it’s best to enjoy your time as a middle manager or individual contributor and how you can really make the most of your working twenties without burning out or being set up to fail.

Q. You mention in your introduction that you would like to help people hone their positive traits like authenticity, perseverance and self-awareness. What would you suggest is the first step in accomplishing this, particularly for young professionals?

A. The first step is to recognize what you don’t know and where you can improve. A lot of what it takes to be successful is already a part of who you are, and with a little self-reflection and the course-correcting offered in Blind Spots, you absolutely have the power to cultivate the skills and attitude that will take you wherever you want to go.

Q. Myth #8 is focused on job security. What is the best thing someone might do to ensure that they don’t get laid off?

A. If word on the street says there will be layoffs, sniff out competitors who do similar work and are in better financial straits, pursue an internal move to a profitable department and nurture your relationships with senior executives.

Q. What is your best advice to young professionals who dream of entrepreneurship?

A. If you want to start a company, the motivation fueled by being bored with your work or hating your boss won’t be enough. You’ll have to think hard about the marketplace and the need for your product or service. Then, be prepared to work at a variety of tasks to bring it to fruition.

With all the disheartening news lately about a double-dip recession and consistently high unemployment, many job seekers are desperate for new career ideas. One great place to seek inspiration is shatterbox, a video-based social community for students and young professionals to find inspiration and share ideas about innovative careers. The site is completely free and is conveniently searchable by industries or keywords.

I recently had the opportunity to speak with shatterbox founder Amanda Holt about why she created the site and how it can help young job seekers.

Q: What is shatterbox and how did you get the idea to start this business?

A. I like to call shatterbox an “inspiration engine” for young people hungry for passionate careers. It’s a video showcase, a social network and a resource blog full of stories, advice and dialogue centered on the idea of finding your place in the career jungle.

The idea for shatterbox was twirling in my brain in some shape or form since college when the daunting task of finding a job became imminent. My friends and peers lined up for corporate consulting and banking interviews and I wondered two things. First, how they knew what they were doing, and second, what was supposed to be my “thing.”

After two unfulfilling, entry-level work experiences, I felt back at square one and came up with a new approach to finding that “thing.” I took people out to lunch — people who were fascinating, young, passionate professionals who’d managed what seemed impossible: they found jobs or started companies they loved. I learned so much about different paths towards career satisfaction that I wanted to capture them and share them.

So, I began filming interviews with these people, creating short video stories and finally built a platform for inspiring students and post-grads to chase their passions and strengths.

Q. The people you profile are very passionate about their careers. What is your best advice to young people who aren’t sure what they’re passionate about?

A. Own something. By that I mean, even if you’re a student or you’re uninspired by your job, start a club, blog or a meet-up based on something that is yours and makes you feel good.

For instance, the girls behind “Big Girls, Small Kitchen” stumbled upon a food blogging and book writing career after spending their out-of-work hours blogging about what they loved: food and entertaining. The guys who built Compass Partners simply wanted a network of support for undergraduate entrepreneurs and took that need into their own hands. They created a launch pad for young social entrepreneurs.

You’re bound to produce innovative, interesting things when you’re simply enjoying yourself. Maybe it’ll always be a modest hobby, but I constantly come across stories of exciting side projects leading to a passionate discovery and new businesses.

Q. Since you have a website full of inspiring career stories, what are some of the themes you’ve noticed in those stories of what it takes to be happy in one’s career?

A: Theme 1: Time flies. Loving your job or being a passionate entrepreneur doesn’t mean ideas, deals and money will fly in the windows. It tends to inspire you to spend your days (and often nights) engaged and motivated to produce. There may be grinding days and exhausted nights. However, generally happy professionals I’ve met reflect on their days with the age-old mantra, “Time flies when you’re having fun.” Be willing to give the hours and those hours will give back to you.

Theme 2: Making a mark. The people who inspire me most are those who are inspired to make a difference. Whether it’s a musician touching people through songwriting, a tech entrepreneur building software to help us manage finances or a non-profit worker committing to end childhood hunger, the happiest professionals I know see a direct relationship between their work and changing the world in even the tiniest way.

Q. Why do you think it’s so important to expose recent grads and young professionals to the career stories of others?

A. Because no one should feel blind. I felt blind when I graduated from college. Even after a summer of internships and informational interviews, I still didn’t have an understanding of the opportunities out there for me.

Witnessing and relating to someone’s story and understanding their struggles, fears, triumphs and choices are essential. It’s helpful to know that everyone goes through the rollercoaster in a different way. I discovered that visualizing what a successful and happy future can look like is really empowering. Putting a face and a story to what was once a three-sentence job description can make all the difference.

Emily Dubner is a 2006 college graduate and founder of Baking for Good, an online bakery that gives 15 percent of every purchase to charity. I love this concept and use Baking for Good for most of my business’s holiday and thank you gifts. (Read about one instance of the excellent responses I’ve received to these gifts here).

Besides having a great concept and satisfying my sweet tooth, Emily is an inspiring example of a young professional succeeding with a social enterprise in a tough economy. She was kind enough to take time out of her busy baking and business schedule to answer some of my questions.

Q: Can you please describe Baking for Good?

A: Baking for Good is an online bakery inspired by the idea of a bake sale. We bake delicious, all-natural brownies, cookies and other sweet treats, and we give 15 percent of every purchase to a charity the customer chooses. We’re currently working with over 200 nonprofit and community organizations. We ship nationwide, so our products make great gifts and can be customized for any occasion.

Q: You were in the same class at Harvard and even the same dorm, Kirkland House, as Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. I’ll refrain from asking lots of questions about Zuck and instead ask: Do you think your entrepreneurial ambitions started in college?

A: When I was in college, I saw various classmates starting businesses, but at that time I expected that I would stay on a more traditional path. Becoming a lawyer or a doctor was a lot easier to wrap my head around than starting my own business. But when I look back now, I realize that I was entrepreneurial from a really young age. I loved to do craft projects (think rubber stamps, polymer clay and decoupage), and I started mini, short-lived businesses with many of my hobbies when I was little.

Q: What is your advice to current college students with dreams of starting a business someday?

A: I think business experience of any kind is immensely helpful for college students with dreams of starting a business. It would be awesome to intern at a start-up or in a big company, but even aside from such “obvious” opportunities, working in a retail store or waiting tables can be really eye-opening and formative. I worked for several summers at an ice cream store, and I learned a ton about customer service, management and small business operations.  

Q: You started your professional career as a management consultant after college. What was most helpful about that experience?

A: Management consulting was a great way for me to learn about business in broad terms and see how big companies fit together and approach strategic decisions. I learned a lot about organizational design and retail best practices. One of my main clients was a telecom company, and we helped them redesign their retail stores and customer service model. I learned a lot about client management and also how to be very organized and structured in my thinking.

Q: What are the biggest challenges of launching and running a business in your 20s? Have you faced any weird comments or negative feedback because you’re so young?

A: There are a million challenges that come with launching a business, especially for the first time, but I’ve always tackled one at a time (or several at a time). One of the most challenging parts of running my own business has been realizing that I’m often at the mercy of others, even if I’m technically in charge of the company. More than once, I’ve had to scramble to complete time-sensitive orders when the packaging or ingredient I need has gotten stuck on a FedEx truck.

Similarly, it’s been a challenge to run a web business when web development is not my forte. When there’s a glitch in the website, there’s only so much I can do to fix it, so occasionally there are stressful times when I have to wait for my web developers to be able to come to the rescue.

I take pride in being young and running my own business, and I think this confidence has helped me avoid negative feedback. When I first tell people what I do, I think some are probably skeptical, but the more I explain, the more they get it and are impressed with the idea and execution.   

Q: What have been the biggest rewards?

A: I get to work with so many interesting organizations and people. It’s wonderful to see how our charity partners use the money we raise for them, and it’s also really exciting when we delight a customer with treats that exceed their expectations. It’s fun to get to spend every day focused on a product that creates such happiness.

Q: You’re very active on Facebook and Twitter. How has social media contributed to the success of Baking for Good?

A: Social media has been a really fun way of growing our business. With Facebook, I find that we can keep in touch with customers and easily showcase new treats and special projects.

Twitter has allowed for some unexpected surprises; I’ve connected with new customers, made new friends and even gotten some really exciting publicity opportunities as a result. In many ways I find Twitter to be more personal than Facebook, but they both have their benefits.

 Thank you again to Emily for answering my questions!