Entrepreneurial Careers
Changing Millennial Workforce Expectations
Published August 05, 2009 @ 10:22AM PT
Tonight I'll be speaking on a panel discussion in Palo Alto about the changing expectations of the millennial workforce. This is a topic increasingly at the forefront of discussions about industry and the changing economy.
One of my most commented posts ever was "Do Low Nonprofit Salaries Drive People to Social Enteprise?" In it, I quoted recent pieces by Sharon Schneider and Adrian Young who were both talking about the different expectations of younger people in their industries (philanthropy and law, respectively).
My basic thoughts on this are that the arguments that millennials are lazy just don't hold a lot of water. The argument that we have a bit of entitlement are a little bit closer to the truth, but I think that entitlement and expectation are relative. There is a growing sense that work should be a place where one can grow their talents, express their values, make enough to live comfortably, and at the same time give enough freedom (in the form of time) to have a life outside. The tension comes in professions for which one of those elements is majorly denied (think: time for young lawyers, money for young nonprofit workers, values for hedge fund kids?)
This tension can seem like entitlement, particularly when young people are either unwilling to work hard or are actively disrespectively of existing norms, versus pushing for a more balanced life and asserting themselves where appropriate. But it's also a pretty clear statement about our society when those sorts of things would be denied in important careers. The question more relevant than "why do millennials want those things," is "why aren't our careers already structured to provide them?"
Philosopher Alain de Botton gave an incredible talk about success and the heightened trauma of our careers at the recent TEDGlobal. He said: "It's perhaps easier now, than ever before, to make a good living. It's perhaps harder than ever before, to stay calm, to be free of career anxiety."
For those interested in these conversations, email me (nathaniel at change dot org) if you're interested in attending tonight in Palo Alto. Also, look into the BeDo Intrapraneurship event happening later this month in advance of the SoCap09 conference in San Francisco. The event will have a panel discussion focused exactly on this topic; just one of many excellent sessions.
The Pillars of an Entrepreneurial Career
Published May 14, 2009 @ 05:37AM PT
(via Flickr)
Working with undergraduates, I've been in an extraordinary position to see just how dramatically we fail our students when it comes to preparing them for careers devoted to global social change. Passionate, talented students devote themselves for years to local and global volunteerism and social entrepreneurship, yet when it comes time for them to graduate, the best we seem to be able to do is point them to the McKinsey (or more recently, Teach for America) recruitment booth.
It's for this reason that I'm so excited that today we're launching a whole new part of the site, Jobs for Change. Inspired by the momentum for social change that was so accelerated during the presidential campaign, we launched Ideas for Change in America. We wanted to give average citizens a chance to build momentum the social issues to which they were devoted.
In many ways, Jobs for Change is part two. People who are passionate and devoted to the causes they care about should have access to better support and guidance along that process. And while there are lots of great organizations who take on a piece of this program, I'm excited to see us bringing so many brilliant voices on careers.
In honor of the launch, I thought it would be fun to throw out four tips for bringing an entrepreneurial spirit to a career search.
1. Take Risks
The hallmark of the entrepreneurial spirit is being willing to take risks. All of us have different types and levels of safety nets, which will of course dictate just how risky we can be, but the spirit of being willing to give it a try is essential. Even if it doesn't work out, following a passion is one of the most rewarding things anyone can do.
2. Build a Reputation for Kicking Butt
When you're trying to get people to buy into your vision as an entrepreneur, a track record of totally crushing whatever you try to do is one of your best assets. It's the same for getting a job - often times a track record of kicking butt in an entirely unrelated field can be as (or more) valuable than mediocrity in the supposedly right arena.
3. Rely on Friends
All entrepreneurs are community organizers, and usually the communities they organize are the communities of resources their friends and family give them access to. Basically, social capital is the most essential currency in which the entrepreneur traffics. So it is for the entrepreneurial job seeker. Being outgoing, willing to help, and an active member of your friends' lives is simply the best way to improve your odds that you'll be in the right place at the right time for the incredible opportunity.
4. Maximize Meaning
We're in a moment where we increasingly recognize that the most important thing is not maximizing profit but maximizing meaning. People want purpose, and they want to contribute to making the world a better place. Your job doesn't have to be a nonprofit to constantly find ways to invest more of yourself and create more meaning.
Kiva.org's Premal Shah on Careers and Feeling Alive
Published April 24, 2009 @ 10:58AM PT
At the Global Engagement Summit a few weeks ago, Kiva.org President Premal Shah spoke about passion, careers, and what it means to feel alive. Premal has had a diverse career track, including working as a mangement consultant, helping a pre-eBay PayPal launch, and now running micro-lending site Kiva.org.
His talk was an important reminder that when it comes to finding meaning, it's not about for profit or nonprofit, but about being able to work towards goals you care deeply about with teams of similarly-passionate believers.
He used one of the most epic Power Point slides of all time to make his point:
As someone who works with passion aspiring social entrepreneurs all the time, I think there are a few important take aways:
There isn't one single path to "success." Imagine, looking back, what an undergraduate career counselor would have said to Premal. "Well Shah, nice GPA and way to care about stuff. What I'd recommend is you do some management consulting. Then we're your sick as hell of that, I'd make sure to ignore all advice about risk and join a startup which will sell for a billion dollars, k? Oh and then when that's done, found a social change tech startup, get Bill Clinton to love on ya, and get the Nobel Prize committee to bring light to your issue, yea?" Right.
"Success" is an intensely personal metric. Success can mean financial success, working on your own terms, working with a group of other passionate people, addressing a social ill, or any number of other things. The one thing that's for sure is that success necessarily involves feeling alert, alive, and passionate. Figure out what you care about, share that with others, and help them with what they care about.
Look for the right opportunity, and don't be afraid to take a leap. One thing that's clear is that sometimes, finding fulfillment means taking risks and doing the unsafe thing. Keeping your eyes open for an opportunity that just feels right is half the equation; the other is being able and willing to act on that impulse.
Kick ass at whatever you do. The one clearly consistent thing across all of his endeavors is that Premal has given 150% and kicked ass at whatever he did. I haven't been around long, but if I've learned anything, it's that people want to work with and learn from passionate people who leave it all on the field. That's more important than any single stepping stone or qualification, and a great lesson to take away from
