My Message for High School and College Students: Don’t Wait

I’ve wanted to write about this for a while but wasn’t sure how to organize my thoughts into words.

I’m 26 years old with incredible work and life experience, and I feel fortunate to have the opportunity to speak and work with young people who ask me for advice.

A challenge of working with young people (i.e. high school and college students) is that a person will always wonder: “Does this guy/girl actually want to do the work?” There is such a large gap between the hustlers who go out and get it, and those who passively wait for success.

In a competitive job market, billowing with super talented people (something that isn’t going away), why would someone not hustle and essentially wait?

Recently, a high-school student sent me her resume via LinkedIn. She is a gifted, accomplished graphic designer whose resume is one of the most impressive I’ve seen. As a creative professional, she realized potential employers could view her portfolio with just one interaction, showcasing her talents while sharing all relevant information.

Why do more students not think this way and pursue future success while still in school?

Now, compared to 5, 10, 15+ years ago, everyone has a voice, an opportunity, and a platform. You can inexpensively build your own online shop to sell those sneakers you love, or you can record your own podcast, or you can build a community program to give back. Why wait?

Parents and schools and college administration heavily stress the “extracurriculars” instead of fostering genuine interests that could potentially turn into the next big thing.

While we constantly hear about young people building incredible things, we seem to rarely empower them to think about and attack a path to success. In other words, what can they do beyond “getting good grades” to solidify their future path as well as enhance their skill set and profile. If this demographic can discover a way to separate themselves from the pack, more young people will do great things.

I’m not claiming success is easy. I’m drawing attention to how often I speak to college sophomores, juniors, and seniors consistently looking for an internship opportunity yet can’t find one. While it’s obvious they’re trying and qualified, had they started earlier, had they differentiated themselves from the pack, had they gone the extra mile, perhaps things would be different.

As soon as a student has established himself/herself, one must then creatively share that message.

Each month, I review hundreds of resumes, yet the only ones I read are those that don’t look like the others. Don’t wait for greatness; be proactive and identify your strengths and passions that will inevitably lead you toward a successful career path.

Bonus Message for those searching for that internship:

We all want that internship with Google, Facebook, WeWork, or JP Morgan, but we’re all not that lucky. Those aspirations should never go away but stop thinking about THE NAME, and start thinking about THE EXPERIENCE. Yes, the actual work.

Find work now that will make you a more valuable employee down the road.