10.31.07
The Age Factor
Lately, age has become a real issue with me. I know why, I’m just not sure how to make it less of one. I believe the reason it is usually at the forefront of my mind is because I have very little interaction with people my age – people in their 20s. My 40-hour work week puts me in constant interaction with people twice my age, as does another organization I belong to. I know that you can learn a lot from others with more life experience, and I do learn a lot, but lately I have only been able to notice the differences and those differences seem to be building a wall that hinders communication.
1. The Knowledge Difference: Not only do their references to pop culture from the 70s and 80s leave me clueless and speechless, but their constant references to events and “the way things used to be” at the company make it extremely difficult to break into the club.
2. The Mommy Difference: In my department alone, I think I am 1 of 2 employees who do not have children and I don’t even want to think about that ratio for the entire company. This factor in itself creates a communication gap. How do you relate to or share your weekend experiences with a colleague who spends her evenings doing her kids’ homework and her mornings watching cartoons.
3. The Technology Difference: This is the biggest difference I see. Being in a company where so many of the employees did not grow up or enter the workforce with computers, their lack of knowledge becomes a huge barrier for work efficiency and communication. Even though I may be more knowledgable when it comes to computers, my rank does not allow me to be an advocate for mandatory upgrading of employee knowledge and skills!
I think this all boils down to my feeling that there is a lack of respect (at least in my current experiences) for people of a younger age. I couldn’t possibly be wise beyond my years, make sound decisions for my life and for my job, or be uncharacteristically knowledgeable with skills unrecognized. How do I make them look past my youth and look at me? Or better yet, how do I use my youth to command respect?
~DC
10.30.07
The Path Unknown
Due to the unstable nature of my current job, I’ve also been wondering where my career path will lead me next. On the surface, I was one of those people who knew from a young age what I wanted to do. In eighth grade, I discovered a passion for the music business. I read industry insider books and devoured every copy of Billboard I could get my hands on. I followed my interest all the way through college and eventually earned a degree in music business.
But now as I consider my options for future employment, a variety of ideas are appealing to me. I’ve always thought about being an event planner. My senior business strategic management course introduced me to the exciting world of corporate strategy. My stint as a political campaign intern was thrilling.
I guess what I’m trying to say is, I think it’s OKAY if we don’t have one sole career ambition or field. We don’t need one ultimate aspiration. Why does one job have to be the job? I think you’re exactly right about it being a journey and a treasure hunt. So often I think we make ourselves feel guilty if we second guess our career dreams.
The other day, a producer on our show asked me where I see myself in five years. The truth is, I don’t really know. At the time, I felt bad for not having a clear and focused answer. But I realize now that not having a clear and focused career path does not mean that I’m not living my life as a clear and focused person. Nor does not knowing what job position I’ll have when I’m 45 does not make me a passionless person. We’re both interesting, multi-faceted people with diverse interests and skills. Why wouldn’t we try our hands at a few different areas?
I really like my current job, and I still find the music business challenging and exciting. But if I don’t spend my entire career life in the industry, I won’t feel bad. I won’t feel like I gave up on my dream or didn’t have enough passion to see me through. I’ll know that I was happy doing what I was doing then, and I’m happy what I’m doing now.
~ LA
10.29.07
Less is More
Last week I stumbled across an article that contained an interesting idea, and one that I am going to use. The idea is to create a “Right-Brain File” and it comes from Michael F. Melcher, author of The Creative Lawyer, in his blog. Melcher believes that thinking is overrated when it comes to figuring out what we should be doing with the rest of our lives and that our subconscious may already be doing the work for us; we just have to collect the results.
A “Right-Brain File” is anything that intrigues, excites, puzzles you, etc. and it could come in the form of an article, a photo, a brochure, a label, song lyrics, or a quote. Don’t give any thought to the items you put in the file. Once it has grown, look through the file for patterns or insights and hopefully it will open the door to ideas for your life.
I am starting mine today by designating a small box to hold the contents of my “Right-Brain File.” I think this may be harder than it sounds and I’m guessing it will take me quite some time to have a file of notable size. How do you let your subconscious lead you to items when you have to consciously remind yourself to be looking for them? Or how do I know I won’t pick things because I know they will lead me to certain conclusions when I review the file?
Whether or not it leads me to an epiphony, I think anything is worth a shot when it comes to learning more about yourself.
~DC
10.25.07
A treasure hunt
Several weeks ago while describing my current job situation to a friend whom I respect, he stopped me and asked, “If money, location, experience, etc. didn’t matter one bit, what would you love to do?” I stared at him for a few seconds, stuttered some verbal fillers, and then said, “honestly – I have no idea”. Sitting here thinking about that question again, I still come up with a blank. I’ve tried thinking back to my childhood for some crazy dream of being a ballerina or a music star or something, but I can’t even think of what I wanted to be when I was a child.
I am a driven person. I am constantly working towards goals both big and small. Each morning I make a to-do list at work (even if it only consists of one thing), I set goals for reading books etc., I am constantly saving items for a portfolio of professional achievements; how can I not be working towards something I would love to do? How many people, I wonder, know what that one thing is they would do if all boundaries and obstacles did not exist? Are we meant to have one or many in our lifetime?
After a brief period of disappointment in myself for having no apparent direction for my career, I have decided that now that I am aware of the question, I will pursue an answer. It may not come to me this week, this year, or this decade, but I am sure that it will. I envy those who know what they were born to do. But for the rest of us, I guess life just gets to be a giant treasure hunt.
~DC
10.24.07
It starts with Us
About 6 months after graduating from college, I accepted my current position. I was ready and expecting to put all of my energies into this job to prove that I am a hard worker, smart employee, and ready for the responsibilities post-internship. What I got instead was a position where barely enough work exists to sustain an 8 hour work day, let alone taking work home to prove my dedication. This meaningless work day after day brought on a sense of longing for a time when my brain and intellect were utilized to full capacity and I was challenged by my daily tasks. The next best thing…create a classroom for myself.
I began reading the newspaper on-line, continually check out books – both fiction and non-fiction - from the local library (sometimes I even read at my desk), and reading on-line articles and blogs in topics that interest me and make me think. But I am still lacking that conversation and academic environment where controversy and challenges create the best learning. I have considered adult education classes in things like web design or foreign language, but it seems much harder to commit when it’s my spare time outside of a full-time job. I have also thought of going back for a masters degree, but I want to be sure that it is for the degree itself and not just the academic environment that I’m craving. That is a topic for another day!
I think with the time crunch for working adults, organized classes are more about learning a specific needed skill. The emphasis is not on growing intellectually or thinking outside of the box, but on walking away with something new to put on a resume.
There have to be other working young adults in our areas that have these same needs for intellectual conversation. Wouldn’t it be great to create casual, sporadic classes to jump-start your intellect? What if employers offered classes to employees on topics completely unrelated to our work, like literature, art, or the environment, just to energize us and allow us to learn from each other in completely different ways.
I think we start with ourselves and lead by example - make it a point in our lives to stretch ourselves and learn as much as we can, in whatever way we can. We may inspire someone, who may inspire someone, and before we know it – people may be demanding for an adult academic environment (in whatever form it may take).
~DC
The Art of Learning
As a recent college graduate, I am becoming more and more acutely aware of the benefits a collegiate institution had to offer. While I don’t miss the agony of daily homework or the tedious process of writing a lengthy research paper, I do miss the learning environment. I miss class-wide discussions and listening to someone with a different view and, well, learning.
All of this thinking about the value of my own educational experience has left me wondering about the way education works in our society. Why is it that the majority of our education is given to us in the first one-third of our life? Why do we spend almost all our time learning as youths, but hardly any time learning as adults? Certainly it makes sense to be vigorously educated when we are young so that we stretch our developing brains and cognitive skills, but why don’t we feel that learning is just as important later in life?
I realize that adults have many more responsibilities such as work, spouse, family, but certainly there could be some time set aside to devote to learning. I’m not suggesting that we raise the compulsory age or make it mandatory for adults to attend continuing education, but I’m questioning why it’s not more important to us as a society. I suppose this is mostly an individual matter, but it seems like there should be more outlets for ongoing learning for adults than there are. I’d love to once again re-create that classroom atmosphere where ideas are exchanged freely and people are open to new concepts. Is it possible for communal learning to happen outside the traditional educational institution (ie: high school, college)?
And if ongoing learning is destined to be solely individual, what ways can we purposefully try to integrate learning into our lives? I’ve taken to reading lately. Now that I’m outside the demands of a professor, I enjoy choosing books that I’ve always wanted to read. I’m also trying to learn French. I purchased one of those “learn while you drive” programs that I listen to during my commute to work, but I’m finding it a more difficult way to learn a new language when compared to an interactive class. What other ideas can we come up with? I hope, if anything, we can simply be more aware of our need to continue our educations throughout our lives. Any thoughts on this?
~LA
10.19.07
Coffee Talks
Four years ago I met a friend who I knew would be, as cliché as it sounds, lifelong. It was our first day of college as music majors, but we were not just any music majors. We were on the path less traveled (for musicians and females) toward jobs in the music business and we had lofty goals! I felt an immediate connection with this someone and we have managed to continue the friendship despite a continent…
Which brings us up to the present on our story. We ended up graduating from different colleges – she with a business degree focused on the entertainment industry and me with a music degree focused on performing arts management. We live on opposite coasts, respective to our career aspirations, but we continue to be inspired by and to learn from each other.
I am very excited to mentally put myself back in that cozy coffee shop, drinking in the atmosphere and discussing my thoughts with someone who challenges understands them.
Here’s to coffee talks (oh, and to saving the lobsters).
Enjoy.
~ DC
