As I mentioned in yesterday's Essentials, earlier this week YAB member Liz Funk shared some tips for young, aspiring media professionals struggling to get by that didn't go over too well with Piers Fawkes over at PSFK. The gist of his gripe was that rather than urging young people to continue applying for jobs at big companies, Liz should have instead rallied them to get together and form their own businesses. Piers also added that those who do land a job after college, would probably spend the first 5 to 8 years of their working life learning and acquiring "bad habits from their boss" that would in turn "make the rest of their career a misery."

As Anastasia pointed out in her comment, not everyone can afford the luxury of becoming an entrepreneur fresh out of college. On top of the practical issues she mentioned (working off debt, the need for health insurance, etc.), I'd also like to point out a need that goes beyond paycheck and benefits: experience. While the structure and basic skill set that comes with an entry-level job (which it should be said are not all created equal) may involve some drudgery, for many it also provides a necessary context for their chosen career. The fact is not everyone is ready to fast-forward from intern to CEO. Some of us need a few stepping stones in between. And before we choose to overthrow the paradigm and build our own companies, doesn't it make sense that we get a feeling for how the industry works (or in some cases doesn't work) first?

Finally, while some of us may indeed have to work under bosses who are far from perfect, there's also the chance that these first jobs will introduce us to the future mentors who will ultimately enable us to set out on our own and start providing said products and services. In fact, if it wasn't for one of my colleagues at my first job, I never would have discovered a little youth media and marketing website called Ypulse.

From some of the comments on Ypulse [Note: Many of the following comments are shorter excerpts from longer comments]:

Erin says: As a college senior, I am getting ready to face reality as I begin my job search. As much as I'd love to take the advice of Piers and start my own company or make a new product, I will need to begin paying off my loans, provide my own health insurance, and take on new expenses that I currently don't have. Even those of us who are considering starting our own shops, it's not often feasible for us to do so right out of the gate. Working at a larger company can also give you great experience on what to do/not do when forming your own ideas/collaborative projects.

Libby says: Credibility is another issue. Companies are laying off longtime workers left and right, and many of those newly jobless professionals are becoming freelancers. It will be tough for recent graduates with minimal experience to compete against their resumes.

Ben says: I agree with Pier. Liz, do something outrageous and fun as soon as you get of college. This is your time to meet different people and seek out different persepectives. Trust me, it will help your career out in the long run if you can say, "yeah when I was 22 I moved to [enter Asian or Middle Eastern City here] and started a [enter exciting project]. [Editor's Note: I suggest this commenter check out Liz's first tip]

And from the comments over at PSFK:

Edward says: Last month I was speaking to a Journalism class at UGA. Told them that my freshman year (1983) a sociology professor advised us we’d work for at least 11 different companies in our careers. At the time, my grandfathers had each worked at one, and my father three. The students all were laughing at that idea. Guess what. Most of my cohorts are already above 11. During my remarks, I suggested to the students that it was very possible they might only work for one company during their careers – their own – and told them to get started now.

Kristin O says: Advocating freelance work for kids just getting out of college is a survival strategy, but not necessarily a career strategy. You can freelance all you want, but graduating from college doesn’t mean you don’t have anything left to learn. You can learn a lot from a big company, and you can learn it faster than via trial and error. So while it may not be for everyone, working for a big company can be invaluable to many people, and it seems unwise to simply spit on that kind of goal.

Finally from the comments Anastasia got after adding the link to her Facebook status:

Katie says: I don't agree with the writer that we're moving toward a workforce comprised mainly of freelancers. Who will the freelancers freelance for? Companies are not going away, entirely. And the majority of 20-somethings fresh out of school are not ready to work on their own–nor do they know what they want to do (something they most likely will need to figure out in a structured setting, working along side other people who both inspire them and horrify them)…

Chad says: I've worked for myself since I was 13 years old, I'm now 22 years old. In that time I've also worked for some other companies and still do, but I have learned by far the most by doing things myself. I think Piers is right in most of what he says in his article, except that I thought Liz gave some great tips, and she did include in the article that she is looking to pursue her dreams of starting her own business while the economy is in the current state. I think everyone should consider starting their own business now while times are tough, it's the time to consider ALL the options. At the same time not everyone is interested in being a business owner. As an entrepreneur I found her tips to be helpful to me and certainly helpful to those in my generation who are just getting started, whether it be starting their own business or working for someone else.

Related:
Jossip talks to Adam Brock from MTV's The Paper about giving up journalism

Categorized under: Campus

You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site. If you are a Facebook user, comment using your Facebook account.