Tag Archive for 'Gen Y'
Last Friday, BrazenCareerist co-founder Ryan e-mailed me about possibly syndicating some of my content on his site. Friday morning flattery! The obvious benefit to me is the added traffic being sent my way, which in turn, makes me more visible to the blogging community.
As the day progressed, I got a bit nervous. After all, I’m not a trained writer. My writing credentials include several years as an editor of my high school newspaper, a year working on my high school’s literary magazine (we were a set of dark and twisty writers) and a creative writing award won in the 8th grade. I read other bloggers, aspiring to their level of greatness. Fortunately, James of The Ink just posted a list of great blogging advice he’s received, a list I’m going to refer to often.
Yes, I’m now open to this experiment. After running across TwentySet blogger Monica O’Brien’s post “If You Don’t Want to Be Challeneged, You Don’t Have An Opinion,” I’m looking at this offer of syndication as opportunity to have my opinions challenged and my beliefs questioned. Trying to keep an open mind and an open dialogue should help make me a better writer, one who will eventually leave no loophole bare.
I also want to be a better blogger. I frequently drum up topics that seem “too much work” to research and write about. The “if I don’t say it, someone else will eventually” attitude is just plain lazy, so I promise to take note of those topics and try to get back to them when I have the time to do more investigative blogging.
If you’re one of my regulars, I hope you’ll check out the other syndicated columnists at BrazenCareerist. Be an active participator, not just a silent reader here and there.
If you’re new to visiting my blog, welcome! I look forward to getting to know you.
There are countless conferences on technology and marketing and social networking and. . . you get the picture. A person could literally spend a full year just going to conferences and not getting any work done. While conferences are known to cram a lot of information and networking into a very limited amount of time, they are also know for carrying a steep entrance fee. Fees you employers don’t always cover. While you might be able to write the cost of at least a portion of the trip off, you’re still stuck with bill for up to a year before tax time.
Easiest way of enjoying a low cost conference: volunteer. Whatever the organizer needs, be that guy or gal. Can you run the registration table or stuff schwag bags? Are you handy with a digital camera or audiovisual equipment? As soon as a conference you want to go to is announced, volunteer. Just make sure there’s an understanding that you will be attending panels x, y, and z for your efforts.
Last week I had the opportunity to attend YPulse’s College Mashup in Santa Monica. I enjoyed a full day of panels on marketing to college students, as well as overall lifestyle trends of that Gen Y subset. My cost: blogging the event recap. You can find part 1 and part 2 within the hyperlinks. I learned a lot and got to commit it to memory by turning my notes into a summary for those that couldn’t make it.
Random thought of the morning
Universities are increasingly offering some sort of course in “happiness,” which has become a popular area of study for researchers. As of last January more than 200 undergrad or graduate institutions offered such courses per an article in New York Times Magazine. Anyone can register to take a myriad of online quizzes measuring their happiness via UPenn’s Positive Psychology Center.
Surely this trend can be linked to the Gen Y generalization’s about a desire for work life balance, a job that’s more than a pay check, and an awareness and desire to impact social issues. Expectations are high for success on our own terms. Is the boom in “happiness studies” a way to explore that desire for a meaningful life or is it just exacerbating the aspirational mindset of Gen Y?
Re: high expectations
January’s 30/20 Vision podcast discusses how to distinguish between expectations and objectives, with some advice on how to set realistic goals for your self.
“They want to be mentored, coached and developed, often in unexpected areas. One generational expert remarked: ‘They have climbed Everest and excavated Machu Picchu, but they have never had the experience of showing up for work at 9 a.m.’ And maybe they don’t want to. For millennials, flexibility may mean ‘my job, my way.’ One size does not fit all. . . In a nutshell, an echo boomer’s dream job likely includes: social networks; work/life balance; personal growth; work that matters; opportunities to do good; quality of life; and creativity.”
Pat Esser, keynote speaker at the Cable and Telecommunications Human Resources Association’s Achieving Excellence Symposium in Atlanta on Oct. 23, speaking about “Echo Boomers: Changing the Pace and Face of Business,”
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