Lunch and Color

Today, during my lunch break at work, I was able to have a fantastic conversation with a fellow co-worker of mine about how he got to where he is today. Along with hearing his story, I also received some really insightful advice that I thought I should share with all of you.

The first piece of advice I found very helpful, especially for college students like myself, is to make sure you love what you do, and don't be afraid to leave if you don't. This addresses a big worry of mine as I come close to entering the business world. Loving what I do in the future is important to me, but the chance of not finding that job right away is what scares me into thinking I have to take the first job that is offered to me. However, hearing my coworker say this and really drive it home gave me some new found confidence on the matter. In the working world, you will be going to your job five or more days a week, year after year after year. If you don't enjoy what you are doing and who you are working with, what's the point? So if you are not happy at the job that you have, do not be afraid to leave in search of one that you will enjoy. Of course leaving a steady income will be stressful, but in the long run, doing what you love will pay you with not only cash but happiness as well.

The second great piece of advice I got from this lunch was to be aggressive in anything that you do. What he meant by this is that if your dream is to work in a specific city or at a specific company, do not be timid in your attempts. Instead of playing video games on a Friday night, try looking for contacts on LinkedIn that you can set up informational interviews with. Instead of doing just enough to get by at your internship, always try seeking out new opportunities to take on more work and get as much as you can out of your experience. I am definitely guilty of not following this advice in the past, but hearing it again today has remotivated me to push myself out of my comfort zone and fight for every bit of leverage I can get to be above my competition.

Overall, my conversation over lunch today was one of my favorite ones of all time. I gained very valuable advice and got to learn a lot about my coworker. I definitely recommend trying to have these kinds of lunches every once and while. It was so beneficial and made my week that much better!

- Jared