I Can't

I have been working a lot recently with millennials. There is a phrase I believe is at the heart of their problems and quite possibly the population at large, "I can't."

In my personal experience, there exists no more damaging claim - no more debilitating, depression invoking, self-fulfilling prophesy in existence. I recognize that millennials in particular were raised in a world where they were brought up believing they could do anything. Compound that with mobile devices where the answer to nearly anything was immediate.

When smacked square in the face with 'adulting,' this combination made for disaster. (their word, not mine) 'Adulting' is hard and nothing is immediate. Everything they know is now challenged.

Some adapt. Interestingly enough, it seems those that have already endured hardships adapt fastest. Adversity becomes a source of strength. More power to them.

But what of those with expectations borne of YouTube successes? (this applies to much more than millennials) Residual income, self-made businesses, disposable income - it's not that these are rare exceptions to the hard work rule, as truthful as that may be, it's these cases that a skill not taught (and quite possible not teachable) is at play. An entrepreneur is something easy enough to explain, a person who sees a need in the marketplace and comes up with a creative way to address it monetizing it in such a way that revenue exceeds costs. Easy enough, but what is lost in that simple explanation is that you have to meet that need more efficiently than alternatives and it has to be a need people believe needs to be met for the cost you ask. The skill of identifying all that, evaluating it correctly, and then pulling together the correct combination of resources to pull it off is no simple task. And yes, some simply get lucky, but more often than not it's a combination of networking, the skills mentioned, and a LOT of effort.

Contrary to popular believe, job hunting is the same game. You offer yourself as a means to meet a need. Someone else has simply identified the need. I don't understand where the warm body principle came from, this concept that I work for you and therefore am entitled to compensation. As a business, if I need you, I will pay for you to fill that need, if not, you are an expense that I need to cut.

Harsh reality? Perhaps, but this view will help you understand what the hiring game is. You are trying to prove that the value you bring to my business venture exceeds all expenses I incur to employ you. AND you do so more efficiently than the next best alternative. Micro Economics 101.

Benefits like healthcare, retirement packages, job perks, these are all expenses I incur as the business to attract the employees that best grow my value. It's still the same game regardless if government regulation is involved (usually more expense), the environment changes, or the market swings.

Want to be better at the game? If you do NOTHING else, expand either your skill set or you opportunities. This is where I frequently meet resistance. Skill set = education, it doesn't have to be formal though often crowning skill increase with something the environment recognizes like a certification, license, degree, or even a title helps. Opportunities is more frequently misunderstood. People balk at networking, but all the best jobs I've seen come through this facet. And it is rarely formal events or people you know. It's the people you listen to, talk to in elevators, talk to while waiting in line, talk to while waiting for a piece of gym equipment, talk to while outside an event, talk to while waiting... You see a pattern here? Now how many opportunities are you simply eliminating by engaging in your cell phone rather than people? How about while wearing headphones? Consider environment too. Most managers and people who know needs are working typical 8-5 shifts, if you don't wake up till noon, you've already killed half of those opportunities... If you spend those hours gaming at home rather than out in the world where opportunity resides, you've closed it off that much more.

Expanding opportunity is something you control. No you don't control when it strikes, but you certainly control if it can and if you are positioned to take advantage. And no, opportunity doesn't strike with your dream job. You grow into that by lots of opportunities along the way.

If you feel trapped or stagnant, you are and only you have the ability to change it.