Pushing and Shoving

Does having high standards and goals just set you up for disappointment? There are so many recent Grad’s out there and very little employment opportunities that it makes one think “Now what?”

We’ve worked our butts off in school for so long, and now that we’ve finally graduated from college we can’t take the next step because no one’s hiring? These young adults have spent all those years preparing for their future and their careers, all to be put to a halt when they are finally ready for the real world. Putting aside the economic circumstances, this whole situation is painted from head to toe with unfairness.

It’s unfair for the parents who have paid for their child’s education; unfair for those recent graduates who went to school with the idea that having an education would make their futures brighter; and it is unfair for the workplace in general because they will lack the freshness and innovation that these young adults usually offer. A lot of employers pay great attention to who has more experience; if you’re a “newbie” then your chances of getting hired are slim. What these stubborn employers don’t realize is that the greener you are the more grounded you are. Us young adults have our roots firmly planted; we continue to cultivate our values and morals coming into the workforce with the intention to work hard. We have so much to prove that our eagerness many times gets misconstrued with being naïve and not understanding how the world works. Well Dear Employers, you might want to reconsider and re-evaluate who you hire.

I must admit that I’m still very green, I’ve been working for about 14 months and obviously I still have a lot to do and a lot to learn. But, I have been perceptive to my work environment and that of my colleagues and I must say that “we newbie’s” come with our logic and sanity still in tact – and that is one of our greatest assets and strengths as we start our careers. We have just finished 4 tough years of college and are well aware of what past precedents and of what we are capable and able to do in the present. Our standards are still high (with most of us being overachievers) but, they are still grounded in the realm of reality/possibility.
I’ve known, seen and heard so many stories about those in charge and their demands – asking their employees to make the impossible become possible and not in the motivational sense of “you can do anything you put your mind to”, rather in the “I want a flying unicorn in my office by tomorrow morning” type of impossible. And then, when reality sinks in and they don’t get their way they freak out because they are surrounded by incompetent people. This sort of proves my point that the more time and experience you have working, the more specialized your brain becomes, thus logic and common sense are thrown out the window. So, I ask you Dear Employer, would you rather have more flying monkey’s taking over your company, or would you rather have sane and grounded flowers ready to be groomed and eager to learn and help make your company thrive? I’d go with the daisies.

And now back to you my fellow flowers. Yes, it sucks that you can’t get your dream job right out of college; you’ve worked so hard. But, don’t be scared if you stray a little from your career goals and go with the first job you are offered – there’s no shame, you need a paying job so you can pay the rent. No offense Mom and Dad, but after all those years of living on our own, moving back home would feel like taking a step back. So, if you’re frustrated because you’re not where you thought you would be at this point in your life, don’t be – as long as you never loose focus of what you want you’ll be fine. Having high standards and goals not being met right away should not bring disappointment, make them a challenge, push yourself and do your best to get closer to your dream. It shouldn’t matter where you start as long as you’re going in the right direction. “All roads lead to Rome” right? Just stay focused on your version of Rome, and sooner or later you’ll get there.