Your BREAK THROUGH, Vol. 1, Post 16

One of our coaching areas focuses on “New Professionals,” exploring the struggles and leadership divides of new professionals. Why?

For the last decade, I’ve been working with and mentoring college seniors, recent graduates, AmeriCorps members, and even close friends as they enter into their first professional experience.  The reactions to this experience are generally quite similar: befuddlement, disappointment, frustration, and confusion. Sometimes these emotions are complimented by elation, excitement, and enjoyment, but only sometimes.  Even despite potentially high levels of career development in college, new professionals are often overwhelmed by and unprepared for supervisors, organizational changes, menial job assignments, and in general, the working life.

I believe that a lot can be done to address these issues and prepare new professionals for the early part of their career (which will NOT be all roses and rainbows despite what many of us would like to believe). The first decade of working is a challenge, and it should be.  But to begin our own personal paradigm shift, we must increase our awareness and re-frame how we look at the world, how we determine what’s important, and how we think.

A friend, colleague, and former student sent this video along to me after a recent post.  It features a portion of David Foster Wallace’s 2005 commencement address at Kenyon College, with some nice visual assistance. I think he says what I’m trying to say better and in a more engaging manner.  Please have a look and let’s continue the conversation:

http://sharepowered.com/a-must-watch-for-anyone-frustrated-with-growing-up/#