Rule Number One: There’s Only One Rule

The following is a guest post by  MacKenzie Jones.  Her bio follows.   

This is not yet another article discussing the different perceptions of millennials in the workforce: That they’re entitled, lazy and compulsive job-hoppers. They’re driven, tenacious and more tech-savvy than the rest. The list goes on. No, you’ll actually want to read this article, and you just might learn something.

You perfected your résumé, nailed the interview, and somehow or another got through your first salary negotiation. Hallelujah! Landing a job is a job in itself for even the most experienced. Most millennials, including myself, mistakenly think early on they’re going to discover their passion, become an expert at [insert new title] and shortly after, make six figures. What you really learn all too soon after joining the “real world” is there’s only one rule: You get what you give, and your first career is no exception.

You worked your butt off to even get a foot in the door for an interview. What makes you think the glory and praise are going to be handed to you? (And for that matter, the knowledge, responsibility, relationships and opportunities.) You have to actually want to learn—work to learn—and the craziest part is you could be utterly disinterested in the industry you just joined, but you’ll never know unless you work to find out.

You don’t gain experience, let alone “discover your passion,” without putting in a little effort. And I don’t mean mindlessly sitting in meetings pretending to be a sponge yet asking zero questions. (Yes, I did just reference a stereotypical millennial perception of laziness and entitlement.) Since the list of should-dos and -don’ts for millennials keeps getting longer, here are the five dos that have worked for me in the last year:

Ask questions

You’re not annoying, and it’s not a dumb question. It’s human nature that when a person doesn’t know the answer to something, they ask. It goes without saying that you should try and figure out whatever it is you don’t know on your own, but don’t ever be afraid or embarrassed to ask a question (it’s highly unlikely that anything you learned in college can help answer this one anyway).

Take risks

I’ve grown and matured so much in only a year, and I owe that to the risks and mistakes I’ve taken and made in my work and in my life. Take every chance that’s thrown your way, because regardless of how it turns out, you will absolutely learn from it.

Don’t be afraid to speak up and don’t second-guess yourself

Speaking up and contributing your opinion or challenging someone else’s for the first time can be incredibly intimidating. Listen to others’ experiences and absorb their wisdom, but when the right time and place presents itself to contribute, be confident in what you’re saying and how you’re saying it. You have value to add or else you wouldn’t be there.

Be a people person

Making friends who you can rely on and socialize with outside the office is a must. It improves communication, contributes to a sense of belonging and boosts company culture. However, that’s not what I’m talking about. What I mean is there will be very strong personalities wherever you work. Learn to navigate people’s behaviors, traits and temperaments. If you can find a way to work with a range of personalities, you’re golden.

Find your strength

Your first job may not and most likely will not be where you remain for the rest of your career. Learn all that you can while you’re there, as it definitely won’t hurt in the long run. Wherever you go, regardless of industry, remember that everyone has at least one strength that sets him or her apart from others—find it, improve it more than you think possible and leverage it.

The “you get what you give” rule applies to your career and your life. It’s not all about the perfect career, the highest salary or the best 401K plan (although that’s pretty important, so find a good one). With such a major stress today placed on professional achievement, it’s easy to get sucked into the habit of dropping everything to answer an email that can almost always wait until morning. Don’t lose sight of working toward the other aspects of life that make up your happiness and success. Find balance.

Challenge your mind so that you’re constantly curious to learn something new. Push your body through whatever form of physical activity keeps you sane. Invest in your character so that when you finally get to where you want to be, you’re proud of how you got there. Those friendships from high school and college? They’re not going to keep themselves. Make time for your friends, family and social life. Don’t get so caught up trying to find the perfect career path that you forget all there is to experience in the initial years after graduation. You never get those years back (or any for that matter), so don’t lose sight or sleep, of what’s important and waste it responding to emails at 11:00 at night.

This may seem like something you’ve heard a million times before, but guess what? I heard it a million and one and it’s only just sinking in. From millennial to millennial: You get what you give so give it your all. If you’re working this hard to be this poor, look on the bright side, at least you’re learning something, right?

MacKenzie Jones

MacKenzie is a graduate of George Mason University where she played lacrosse and earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing. During college MacKenzie interned at Fingerpaint Marketing, where she currently works on the new business team in the Corporate Communications department. Fingerpaint is a full-service marketing agency based in Saratoga Springs, NY. At Fingerpaint, MacKenzie works across all agency disciplines as she strategically targets new business opportunities where Fingerpaint has the ability to lend expertise from a creative, branding, PR or social media standpoint. She is skilled at market research and competitive analysis. MacKenzie exudes energy and enthusiasm and she is a versatile team player.

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Main.   Questions.      Balance.