Millions of millennials, those who were born since 1980, are in the midst of paving their professional paths. They are choosing careers, earning their educations, and deciding which direction their career path will take. What millennials care about when it comes to choosing a professional path differs somewhat from prior generations. According to Gallup, nearly 60 percent of millennials find work-life balance to be crucial, and they believe it’s important to have a job that promotes their well being.
“As millennials, we want to make a difference in the world and we want to enjoy what we spend our time doing,” explains Jamie Wright, a renowned millennial lawyer and political pundit. “We are a generation that largely values experiences over things we can purchase, and our career is an experience that is important to us.”
Defining well being, Gallup found that what is most important to millennial career seekers includes liking what you do and having a sense of purpose. Jamie is one of those millennials who can relate, and shares these tips for choosing a professional career path:
Determine your passions. Experiment with some jobs and hobbies to see what type of career gets you excited. While you may not always completely follow your passion when choosing a career, it’s a good idea to make sure you enjoy what you will spend your career doing.
Look beyond demographics. Don’t worry about who has historically dominated the field. That shouldn’t stop anyone from going forward and seeking a career in a particular field. Just because men or women have always done a particular job doesn’t mean that you can’t change that.
Get the skills you need. It takes training and experience to become an expert at something. Put the time in to get the education and training that you need to go forward.
Seek out successful professionals to network with. Whether they are in the same field or not, you can learn a lot from them. If you can find a mentor in the field, be sure to take advantage of all you can learn from that person.
Avoid being caught up by challenges. If a challenge arises, find a solution to find your way around it. For every problem, there is a solution that you can use to find your way around it. Then keep going. See challenges as a test of your commitment to reaching your goals.
Be realistic. Realize that no matter what career path you decide on, you will start somewhere near the bottom. Don’t let that bring you down. See it as a stepping stone and start using what you learn there to move on up the ladder.
Become a positive thinker. If you have been a pessimist in the past, now is the time to leave that behind and start using the laws of attraction to help bring you the things you want. Focus on being positive and striving to reach your goals.
“Choosing a career path and seeing it through is a challenging and exciting time of your life,” added Wright. “There are so many possibilities and options, you just need to decide what you want to do and start marching toward it. It’s well worth it and you will be happy once you get there.”
Wright has used her own advice on how to reach success by making her way to being a partner in the Los Angeles-based Millennial Government Affairs group. She is also considered a millennial expert, specializing in such areas as crisis communication, conflict resolution, and government affairs. Not only does she also help political hopefuls by helping them to keep their strategies and campaigns legally compliant, but she’s also won a most influential under 40 award. In addition to a law degree, Wright holds a master’s degree in history and enjoys weighing in on millennial issues. She frequently speaks on millennial-related topics as an expert in the field.
For more information about Jamie Wright, visit her website at: www.jamiewrightesq.com.
About Jamie Wright
Jamie Wright is a millennial attorney who specializes in millennial issues, government affairs, crisis communication, and conflict resolution, among other areas. A graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, she practices law in Los Angeles. She is also a partner in the Millennial Government Affairs group, and is a political pundit and crisis communications expert. For more information, visit her website at: www.jamiewrightesq.com.
Sources:
Gallup. Millennials Want Jobs that Promote Their Well Being. http://www.gallup.com/
