Huh? Jase, What advantage are you talking about?!
I’ll tell you. As news of an economic recovery starts to trickle in here and there, corporate rookies should be licking their chops. Everyone else should be on edge. Especially people in Michigan, Oregon, and South Carolina, where the economic downturn is hitting particularly hard. (As if they needed something else to worry about).
Here’s why:
Imagine a sales office. A few months ago, two people were hired. One was just graduating school, the other graduated a few years ago and had been working for a mortgage company, making $135k/yr before the whole thing went belly up. These two go through training and hit the phones.
Fast forward to July: neither one of them is doing very well. There are some glimmers of hope now and then, but both are still stuck making their $30k base.
And here’s where things get good for the recent grad: Mr. I-used-to-make-$135k has two problems:
- Even if he was living within his means, he likely has expenses that don’t get covered on a $30k salary. He’s feeling pressure like you probably can’t even imagine.
- Human nature being what it is, he probably feels that he used to make that money because he was good (as opposed to lucky), and simultaneously blames his current status on bad luck (as opposed to poor performance).
What this means is, he’s more likely than his recent grad coworker to get aggravated, mentally check out, and/or quit.
As a recent grad yourself, if you were the grade inflation type, always blaming your profs for bad marks, you’re no better. But assuming you’ve been humbled by the experience of graduating with decent grades and finding you still can’t get a job, then you are in line to pwn the turnaround. Why? Because you haven’t had the chance to falsely attribute good fortune to some skill you only imagine you have.
This is not only true in sales, but everywhere else, too. Starting now, put your head down and bust your butt, even if you can’t see immediate pay off, because right now it’s not about the pay off. It’s about winning a war of attrition—whether you’re looking for a job, for stability, or for a promotion, and it’s you vs. Mr.-I-fancy-myself-worth-$135k-guy. Grads, you so have the advantage over that guy, it’s not even funny. Just keep moving until he drops out. And he will, because his ego is having a tough time accepting his new reality, and so are his credit card balances. You got him; just hang in there.
That’s your advantage.
Then, when things start moving again, hold on to your humility. Like a security blanket—no, like a tin foil hat. It’ll keep you protected from arrogance, self-importance, laziness, and other career killers. Keep your head down, keep moving forward, and know that if you can do that, the long term win is yours.
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I'm Jason. I make people shine. My mission is to help 1 million people tell their stories better. 
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
Wow. You are brilliant.