The Pressure and the Path

Image Source: http://www.rei.ase.ro/index.php?cat=24

The jumblers* of today, soon-to-be grads and recent grads alike, are all undergoing what I deem to be a somewhat unique experience. We've got the pressure of learning to survive on our own and provide for ourselves in an economic situation (yes, still) that makes it difficult to find jobs at all, nevermind jobs in the field you studied...and nevermind working for that one company you always had your heart set on. It's harder mainly because even if before now there were already a lot of recent grads applying for the same entry-level positions, we have to remember that now many recent grads are competing against much older applicants who may have been laid off but who at least can attest to the seven+ years of experience they have in the field and who don't mind starting off at a lower salary than they were once earning because, let's face it, it's better than unemployment. We're saved by the appeal of our young spirit and "fresh outlook" that hiring managers may crave but the situation certainly isn't raising our chances.

What's worse is that companies know this and since they, too, are in need of cutting back costs, they can get away with only offering unpaid intern positions that for the majority of recent grads is better than nothing and at the very least adds to their "experience" when applying to the next job. But at the same time, it doesn't feed or house them and at some point choosing the retail position at minimum wage is better than getting into serious trouble over failure to repay student loans and or having to live off of friends and family. There's something psychologically unnerving about having finally arrived as a graduate and intellectually sound adult whose mindset is adapting to autonomy, self-sufficiency, and the general trauma of realizing s/he is in the real world and not getting any younger....but at the same time living back with the parents, in the old house and possibly under some similar rules as when s/he was in high-school. Psychologically unnerving indeed. It's not easy and even realizing that a lot of us are in the same position doesn't really help ease the blow to our pride.

And the worst bit of it all is that a good number of those who end up having to take the retail job to pay back loans or simply pay rent won't end up returning back to the field of work or positions they had originally decided upon and instead will realize that three-five years have gone by and they are stuck in the same city or have taken yet another job that isn't bringing them any closer to what they had hoped for...but at least it pays the bills. Now, there are plenty who go on from undergraduate to continue studies for higher degrees. For many this was always the plan and then we have those who choose grad school simply by default after searching high and low for a good job. This, of course, is done in good faith that the higher degree will tip the scales to their advantage when applying again. Makes sense, but for some it only adds on more debt and more pressure as you pass yet another birthday and creep up the ladder of 20-something without a grand sense of security in the job market. Settling for anything starts to seem almost inevitable...

Yet, even this is not the unique part. The unique part now, and the curveball in this 20-something community, is the "start-up" culture. The prominence and accessibility of starting a business is influencing and motivating young minds with bright ideas. With a large number of them in the tech sphere (social media, games, apps, etc), young minds feel they have the best chances of becoming successful considering we are the generation that most appreciates, understands, depends on and uses this technology. Makes sense; easier to make something for a target audience when you can completely relate with said audience and many of us, in my opinion, truly do have great ideas for apps and social media sites. Putting it into place and sticking with it is the hard part, but with this start-up culture booming, it is probably easier than ever before to at least know which direction to turn and who to contact, if nothing else.

Image Source: http://elitedaily.com/elite/2012/generationy-launch-startups/

We see the older generation getting laid off from companies they've worked with for decades or once-secure government jobs and we're none too impressed. Why work for the man and let him decide your fate when we're young and innovative, creative and inspired!? Being your own boss, working for yourself, and really making something of your own name is much more appealing to some of us than working on a design, advertisement, article, report under our boss' name or the name of another company, big or small. We worked hard and slaved away at school to get the know-how and now we can build, write, plan, code, and design on our own. What's more, we've got plenty of friends in different fields who are talented in their own way to help with whatever skill we're lacking in order to really bring the idea to fruition. And the best part? There are plenty of start-up companies and investors and retreats and competitions that remind us it really is quite possible today to make it work. That certainly hasn't always been the case and those with our ideas in the past would have found it a much more daunting task to hunt for support and funding without a wealthy connection or family backing. So this motivates us and on any campus you'll hear talk of start-up ideas on a regular basis.

But as I observe this, I can't help but wonder....with so many of us trying, can we all make it? What will be the deciding factors?

It will certainly take character. With any business venture, there are particular personality traits and characteristics that make or break the entrepreneur. For the most part they are clear: leader who also knows how to follow and learn from others, creative, risk-taker, diligent, focused, resourceful, confident in the plan, dedicated to the realization of the goal, etc. The most important factor that always pops into my head however, when I listen to my fellow 20-somethings talk about business ideas or start-up ventures, is perseverance. Unfortunately, a downside to the fact that start-up talk is so commonplace allows people to forget the struggle any business requires in the beginning. Dreams of quick success, heavy investors or large acquisition payouts from a company who falls in love with the idea seem to be the talk of many, but let us not forget to be realistic. I'm not saying to not aim for that, if that be your goal, but I get the impression that many wouldn't know how to persevere with the idea once a year has passed without a big sell.

That being said, perhaps the determining factor for many will be their reason and motivation behind the start-up. Those who are really motivated by the project itself will have a better reason to keep pushing forward when success is not immediate because they have confidence in the idea and dreams of realizing the goal as opposed to dreams of just doing whatever minimal work to get a big payout. If the goal is only to become successful within the year then no matter how great the idea is, its success will completely be dictated by time. In other words, with goals like that, not meeting the right investor or choosing the right pitch/plan within 12 months means the project is dead because you lose hope, when in reality forging ahead may mean that by month 32 everything works out because in fact the idea itself was a successful one.

Image Source: http://adolfoplasencia.es/blog/category/startup/

Although we tend to hear a lot about those startups that are huge hits within the first two years (because those are the notable ones), I know that most business ventures take a good amount of time to grow, many of which won't see any substantial monetary success without decades of hard work. Those who will be easily discouraged by setbacks or having to tweak plans and timelines won't be able to make it. Perseverance and the ability to work diligently towards a goal of the future without seeing rewards right away is a must. The ability to sacrifice on certain fleeting pleasures for the benefit of the bigger picture is difficult but also necessary. Depending on the age, sacrifices may seem as simple as saving money for the project instead of buying loads of alcohol for that forgettable party or choosing to devote time to work instead of impulsive outings with friends. These can be difficult decisions at some schools where the norm is to spend downtime partying and socializing once schoolwork or that part-time job has tuckered us out for the day.

It's always impressive and admirable to hear students explain that they didn't go out because they were working on a side project or they really wanted to finish that draft of the business plan for which they'd given themselves a deadline. Staying in when you know you have a report due the next day and the deadline is given by your professor is much easier than being able to stay on track when it comes to a personal project and making that choice for yourself. Don't cut socializing out of course, but moderation is key and at some point, the realities of graduation will hit you and you'll be left wishing you started focusing earlier. As soon as you have that diploma you lose the excuse of "still being a student"/"'focusing' on schoolwork", etc. Officially overqualified for the "student" option on the drop-down tab for profession but left hanging in the balance...already lumped in a group with most of the same expectations as the 30+. You quickly go from "young and figuring things out" to "lazy and unfocused".

 I, for one, have high hopes for those venturing in this direction and definitely have an eye on some of my fellow 20-somethings who show great promise. It will be interesting in many many years to come to see what path they take and where they arrive. I sincerely wish us all the best of luck.

May we persevere.  
--N.W.S


*"Jumbler" is a new term more directly describing the age-group between the open-ended “young adult” and the broad “adults”. A jumbler is an intellectually sound and aware 17-27 year old with opinions and genuine concern or interest in the world around him/her as well as the issues affecting its communities.

This blog, JumbleTalk, and our news source website www.jumbletalk.com are completely run and written by jumblers, giving them a voice and outlet that reflects their influential, relevant opinions and their strong abilities and skills.