I now have another book to offer young people out of college and just stepping into their first jobs of their career: Linchpin, by Seth Godin. If you recall in one of my post from the #BizWomen Orlando Business Journal Women Mentorship Program, Shirley Decker, with I.D.E.A.S. recommended I read this book.
Because I’ve now been in working my career for more than 10 years now (AACK, OMG, IT’S BEEN THAT LONG?!? I JUST BLEW MY OWN MIND HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME), the book was more of a pat on the back for the fact that I followed the book to a T before it was written. And so that’s why I want to recommend it to new people. I think it will really help the Millenials coming into the workforce understand that, while “paying your dues” is something they don’t have to tolerate (because they are demanding a more work-life balance than those of us that came right before them), they do need to make themselves indispensable if they don’t want to work their butts off. The book outlines many ways people have made their mark and gives tips on how one can showcase their creativity, problem-solving skills, and expertise in their field. There were great life lessons that if one can learn them vicariously from the author of this book, they’ll be able to to make easier leaps to better positions – or they’ll be helping create their own positions in life (kind of like I did… I love my job, by the way.)
A colleague whom I wish I could call mentor but frankly I’ve never gotten to spend enough time with him (although I did try back in 2009 or so) has written an article on his agency’s blog on this same topic as well as created a video discussing the same content. That swell person is Terry Mooney, the COO of Evok, one of the larger ad agencies in the Orlando Area. They have a newsletter they post, which you can sign up for here, and his video, posted below with his permission, is another great asset that young people should watch and absorb. (Actually, click on the youtube button because they keep adding videos and I haven’t figured out how to get it to start on Terry’s… but he’s easy to find in the playlist.)
Patti is still learning 