Why You Should Have a Job That Isn't Your Dream Job

It was almost 6:30 PM, an hour into overtime, and I was furiously entering legalese into a ten page government form.

You see, a few years ago, I worked in a law firm as a paralegal. And as a paralegal, this was standard work—but not something I particularly enjoyed. (Actually, as the clock crept closer to dinner time, my hanger started pulling my enjoyment factor dangerously close to "visiting the DMV" or "stepping in cat poop.")

In other words, I was not having fun.

Being a paralegal can be a great career but for me, it was definitely not the end goal. It was a job, but not my dream job.

It is also one of the most valuable career experiences I've had so far.

One of my favorite career-related quotes is from Wendy Flynn, who said, "Allow yourself to be a beginner. No one starts off being excellent." I love this quote because it's such a simple reminder of something that often gets lost among our "Live Your Best List" Pinterest board: great things take time and work, most of which isn't very glamorous.

For me, working in that not-quite-dream job built a foundation; being a paralegal taught me the rules pf patent law, and how a law firm operates. I was also learning what I didn't like, so that when I made my next move, I knew which way I shouldn't turn. These definitely aren't the characteristics of a "dream job," but they without a doubt led me to the path I'm on now.

In a world where social media is king, and comparison can seem inevitable, it can be hard to accept that you're not currently in your "dream" position. I mean, if Sally Sharesalot is making half a million a month with her brand new marketing business, we feel like we must be doing something wrong if our job isn't our life's calling.

But that's not true. Not at all, actually.

Because like Wendy Flynn said, to be great, you must first do the work as a beginner. And when it comes to your dream job, sometimes being a beginner means doing a job you don't necessarily love.

So instead of feeling bad that you're not where you want to be yet, remember that being a beginner doesn't mean you're not heading in the right direction. Instead of considering your not-quite-dream job a waste of time, focus on what this experience can give you, whether it be a better understanding of your field, or even incentive to work your ass off for a new opportunity.

But most of all, allow yourself to be beginner. After all, it's the first step to being something great.

Business Transformation Consultant

Jasmin C. "I help companies with their business transformations with IT enabled change. Essentially that means that when a huge company needs to change their business, implement a new system, or bring in some new technology, I help them get the most out of the technology so the business is ready for it. My job involves working closely with business users and tech teams by being the one in middle!"

Education

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Required License(s) Bachelor's degree

Required Degree(s) No, but I have a diploma in business analysis (which is very useful) and am a member of the British Computer Society.

Importance of GPA somewhat important

Jasmin's Highest Degree: Jasmin went to school in New Zealand
Jasmin's College Major: Biology specializing in Genetics

Salary

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[Note from Nicole]: According to Glassdoor, the national average salary for a Business Transformation Consultant is $62,682.

Getting the Job

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How did you get your job?

A degree which focused on critical thinking, a passion for technology, experience working in teams, and people skills!

How important was networking to landing your position?

Not at all. I applied for a graduate scheme.

Life on the Job

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What is a typical day (or week) for you like?

As I'm a consultant, every day is hugely different. One day I can be working from home, designing a new business process, the next I can be wandering around a manufacturing warehouse, following an engineer around to see what they do, the next meeting senior execs to present findings. That is what I love about it—you will never get bored! It does involve working with a huge range of people, finding out about what they do, redesigning processes, developing change strategies, and helping implement them!

How closely does your typical day (or week) match up to the general "job description" for your position?

I would say there isn't a typical job description! Every role is so different, the main thing is being really adaptable and willing to learn. It is a huge learning curve on each project but it's just about getting stuck in.

Does being a woman affect any aspect of your career?

Being in tech, it is a hugely male-dominated industry. Being a women doesn't really affect me day to day, other than mainly being around a lot of male colleagues. I do wish more women thought about tech as an option though. There are so many jobs in tech which don't require a technical degree or sitting and coding—yes, I do quite a bit of tech work, but all that I've picked up since I joined.

What is the best thing about your job?

The variety—every day is different and interesting. There is a huge opportunity to gain experience in a huge amount of things and progress.

What is the worst thing about your job?

Travel and hours—as I'm a consultant, I'm expected to travel to clients at least for 3 days of the week which can lead to a lot of time on the road (another reason why there are less women in my industry). When work is busy, it can be very demanding on time but it usually balances out over time with the project.

How demanding is your job?

Hours can be tough sometimes but it does tend to balance out—you have some really busy times where you'll be working all evening, and then some quieter times. The travel can take a lot of time, but I balance it with working from home too. It can definitely be mentally tough as you are thrown into a totally new situation every 3-12 months, which takes a bit of getting used to!

Do you have any advancement opportunities?

Yes, you can work up the consulting grades to vice-president. I'm working on it!

Advice for You

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What are the skills, characteristics, or talents that are most important to be effective in your position?

People skills—the ability to communicate and form meaningful relationships—is definitely the most important. Following that is the ability to absorb and process a lot of information about a business and present it logically, with a tiny bit of tech knowledge in there too.

What advice would you give to someone thinking about pursuing a career like yours?

I think most people don't think of this career, but I really encourage you to even if you don't have a tech degree—we take people from any degree background! You will need a good degree result/ GPA though, and some experience is great (I did a year at a healthcare company, and that helped in building up my communication and people skills).

If you could do it over again, would you still pursue the same career?

I think so! It can be tough in some aspects but it is really rewarding and interesting work.

Follow Up

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Senior Corporate Accountant

Katelyn R. "It is my job to ensure my team books appropriate journal entries that will enable the accurate reporting of financial data on my company's financial statements. Specifically, I work with intercompany payables and receivables, equity, debt, and cash; basically everything that is held at a corporate level."

Education

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Required License(s) Having the CPA (Certified Public Accountant) designation is very important for the advancement of an accounting career.

Required Degree(s) It helps to get a Master's, but only so you get the required credits (150 hours) to sit for the CPA exam.

Importance of GPA very important

What do you need to do to maintain your license(s)?

They call it the CPA because it stands for Couldn't Pass Again. Kidding, kind of. Once you pass the exam, you have to maintain certain levels of CPE (Continuing Professional Education). Most CPE is provided by or sponsored by your firm/company.

Katelyn's Highest Degree: Bachelor's degree (Bachelor of Science) and Master's degree
Katelyn's College Major: Both in Accounting
Katelyn's College GPA: 3.6-3.9

Salary

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Starting out, salaries tend to range from $40,000 - $60,000, depending on your city and the career path you choose. Big firms generally pay less, but have higher earnings potential in the long run.  

Getting the Job

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How did you get your job?

I had two short summer internships at very small CPA firms and worked through college in the accounting department serving as a tutor and researcher. I was offered a job with a Big 4 accounting firm my junior year of college (not that unusual) and worked there for just over 2 years before my current opportunity was presented to me.

How important was networking to landing your position?

Networking honestly wasn't as important as everyone told me it would be in college. My friend got me in contact with the firm recruiter and I took it from there. Once I had started my job, professional recruiters reached out often with job opportunities on LinkedIn. Having an accurate and active LinkedIn profile has helped me more than anything.

Life on the Job

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What is a typical day (or week) for you like?

We operate in cycles in corporate accounting. The first week of the month, we put in around 55 hours to close the general ledger so that the consolidations team can put together financial statements in a timely fashion. The rest of the month is the predictable 8:30 - 5:00 working on special projects and creating process improvements.

How closely does your typical day (or week) match up to the general "job description" for your position?

I think my job description is very accurate for the typical industry accounting job.

Does being a woman affect any aspect of your career?

No. The only thing it affects is that I have to think about what to wear in the morning instead of doing the typical pants and button-up like a man. (I'm jealous of their lack of options of business casual wear.)

What is the best thing about your job?

The people I work with are wonderful and caring. A work-life balance is promoted at my company and that's what I was looking for after leaving Big 4.

What is the worst thing about your job?

It's very predictable. We tend to fall into patterns. It seems that once you get bored, there's always a new opportunity at the company to keep you on your toes.

How demanding is your job?

Big 4 accounting wore me out. The hours were long, the people weren't always nice, and there was always a deadline looming. Corporate accounting is much different—you can decide how tough you want to make it sometimes. I volunteer to take challenging projects that drain me mentally sometimes, however aside from the first week of the month, I work substantially less than I did before.

Do you have any advancement opportunities?

Yes, my company offers many growth opportunities. Typically, one doesn't stay in his or her position for longer than a year. My next move will be to transfer to a different department as a senior accountant to expand my company knowledge, and then working my way up (and across) the ladder from Manager, Senior Manager, Director, VP, etc.

Advice for You

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What are the skills, characteristics, or talents that are most important to be effective in your position?

You have to be organized. I would say that's the number one thing for me. The other things I feel have helped me progress are being driven, detail oriented, a problem solving mindset, and most importantly a positive attitude.

What advice would you give to someone thinking about pursuing a career like yours?

Start in Big 4 or something like it. It will be grueling at times, but the experience you'll gain is invaluable. Having a big name public accounting firm on your resume will get you to where you want to be with fewer road blocks.

If you could do it over again, would you still pursue the same career?

Yes. Although a Disney Princess is still always in the back of my mind...

Follow Up

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The Gender Pay Gap Is a Myth—or Is It?

According to a recent article in Forbes, women can rest easy because the gender pay gap myth has officially been debunked.

Well, actually, I take that back; the author of the article doesn't want us to rest easy.

Actually, she wants us to be mad at our government for "manipulating statistics in a way to convince women that they are the victims of systematic societal discrimination, and, therefore, stand to benefit from further government action." Basically, she wants college women to stop buying into this "78 cent pay gap myth."

Pretty strong stuff.

The author of this article makes some good points. In particular, she points out that while it's true the median earnings of full-time female workers is 78% of the median earnings of full-time male workers, this doesn't mean a woman working alongside a man doing the same job will get paid 22% less simply for being a woman.

No, the stat simply means that women—on average—are making 78% of what men make.

And this is actually an important distinction, since it could mean there are reasons behind this salary gap other than just gender-biased managers paying his male employees 22% more than similar female employees.

But does that mean we can all heave a sigh of relief, and throw the gender pay gap "myth" in the pile of "debunked things we can all finally ignore" (right there along with "eating chocolate causes acne")?

Well, I probably wouldn't be writing this post if I thought that was true.

You see, even if women aren't being paid (significantly) less for doing the same job as men, they are unquestionably being paid less in general. And as a woman, I'd like to know why.

Ok, so why are women being paid less than men?

Unfortunately, it's a simple question with a not-so-simple answer.

Actually, there are several reasons women make less than men. For example, one reason men make more than women is simply that jobs with higher pay are often dominated by men.

In fact, you can check out this nifty chart from PayScale, which shows that men dominate higher-paying industries like engineering while most jobs held primarily by women pay less than $40,000 per year.

Unfortunately, even though this chart is nifty, it doesn't get us to the root of the issue—it doesn't tell us why women are holding less of these high-paying jobs than men.

Why are women taking lower-paying jobs than men?

In another Forbes article (God bless their hearts), the author is of the opinion that women don't hold many high-paying tech jobs because we just don't want them.

As proof, he points to a report by the Pew Research Center showing that the number of women choosing to be stay-at-home moms is growing. And according to him, lower-paying jobs in education, nursing, social work, and counseling allow women more flexibility to stay home, while tech jobs don't.

(Which, in my opinion, would be a good theory... if it made any sense. I mean, what teacher or nurse do you know with a flexible schedule?)

This author goes on to emphasize that women aren't prevented from earning technology degrees—they just choose not to.

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Men dominate higher-paying industries like engineering while most jobs held primarily by women pay less than $40,000 per year.

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Now, the author doesn't back his opinion up with any data, so who knows how much truth is behind it. But even if this idea is true, the situation could be a little more complicated than just women don't like computers.

For example, this study published in the journal Sex Roles focused on how media and stereotypes can pretty dramatically affect whether or not a woman is interested in majoring in, for example, computer science.

Specifically, the study reported that women who read that computer science majors have traits that are "incompatible with the female gender role" (e.g., lacking interpersonal skills and being singularly focused on computers) were less likely to express interest in computer science than women who read that computer scientists no longer fit the stereotypes.

And researchers from Yale reported that those women who do decide to major in science have a harder time actually getting a job than a man with the same qualifications.

In Yale's study, university science faculty were asked to rate applications—which were randomly assigned either a male or female name—for a laboratory manager position. Surprisingly (or, perhaps unsurprisingly), the researchers found that the faculty rated the male applicants as significantly more "competent and hireable" than identical female applicants. What's more, the faculty chose a higher starting salary and offered more career mentoring to the male applicants.

So women really are being discriminated against?

Again, the answer probably isn't that cut-and-dried.

Even if these studies do legitimately represent how college women and hiring managers think on a larger scale, this is likely just one factor in a hugely complex situation.

But one thing these studies can tell us is that we shouldn't just dismiss the gender pay gap as a myth or something we need to ignore. If anything, these studies should at least indicate that we need to figure out if there is a problem here—for example, are women who want jobs in tech being kept out of the industry?—and if so, what we can do about it.

I mean, maybe that Forbes author is right, and there is no problem. Maybe women simply don't like computers.

Then again, maybe the reason all these great apps haven't been invented is because the woman who could program them just wasn't hired.

Tell me your thoughts on this. Have you ever experienced any sort of gender bias?

Licensed Massage Therapist (LMT) & Skin Care Specialist

Michelle S. "Through different techniques, my goal is to balance your body while simultaneously calming your mind."

Education

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Required License(s) In order to be a massage therapist or skin care specialist (esthetician), required schooling and licensing test must be completed before obtaining your license. Requirements vary by state.

Required Degree(s) Usually to apply for a massage or esthetics school, a high school diploma is the only education required.

Importance of GPA somewhat important

What do you need to do to maintain your license(s)?

Both massage and skin care require continuing education in order to renew your license every 2 years. Requirements vary by state.

Michelle's Highest Degree: Bachelor's degree (Bachelor of Arts)
Michelle's College Major: Psychology
Michelle's College GPA: 3.6-3.9

Salary

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Salary range varies greatly, especially depending on if you are an independent therapist or an employee.

An individual therapist may may approximately $20,000 per year, increasing steadily as your practice builds. How much money you make depends on how much you want to work. When employed, pay usually varies, but 60% commission on services is about average. 

Getting the Job

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How did you get your job?

As a massage therapist and skin care specialist, I have always been a sole-propietor, which means that I own my own small business.

How important was networking to landing your position?

As a sole-proprietor, networking was not very important to opening my business, but finding a shared location with other therapists that I felt I could work with took a lot of research.

Life on the Job

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What is a typical day (or week) for you like?

I wish I could tell you! Every day is very unpredictable. A fully booked day can easily go kersplat in an hour. A slow day can become booked just as fast. In a perfect day, all 4-5 clients show up for their appointments on time. I book a client every other hour, which is a lot of time in between compared to other therapists.

How closely does your typical day (or week) match up to the general "job description" for your position?

Because massage therapists and skin care specialists have a distinct scope of practice, a typical day matches the job description.

Does being a woman affect any aspect of your career?

I think it does and, in this case, it may be a positive thing to be a woman. Women are seen as more nurturing and skin-savvy, which draws the women clientele. Because massage and skin care are so intimate (think laying on the massage table with only a sheet covering you), there are women who may not be comfortable with a male therapist. I've also met men who, for whatever reason, do not want to be massaged by a male.

What is the best thing about your job?

Seeing the relief and smiles on peoples' faces after their sessions.

What is the worst thing about your job?

People think you work all. the. time.

How demanding is your job?

I can be both physically and mentally demanding at times. Sometimes you'll have the client who takes a lot of work physically (needing deep tissue or stretching work, for example) or the client who confides in you about her troubles. And sometimes you'll have the "easy" clients. It is important to schedule enough time in between clients and take days off. In this profession, balance is highly encouraged and I definitely put in effort to practice what I preach!

Do you have any advancement opportunities?

I would say yes. Advancement can mean specializing in a particular modality or becoming a teacher in a massage or esthetics related field. As of right now, I am not looking to become a teacher. It takes a while to build a practice and moving to a more admin role would mean cutting my private practice hours, which I am not willing to do just yet.

Advice for You

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What are the skills, characteristics, or talents that are most important to be effective in your position?

Massage and facial techniques, as well as the knowledge needed to run a business, can be taught and learned, but what you portray through your touch cannot. Being grounded, showing compassion, and truly caring about your clients has to come from an innate passion for helping people. The combination of knowledge and passion are most important to being effective.

What advice would you give to someone thinking about pursuing a career like yours?

Massage and skin care are so much more than just "rubbing people" or "making people look good". Be sure it's your passion. Can you imagine spending the rest of your life doing this job? Because you will spend a lot of time and money on this career. If it's your passion, it's totally worth it. And when you do get into this career, take care of yourself and go slowly. It's easy to get caught up in the worries of making enough money, especially in the early days, but it's also easy to get burnt out. Breathe. You'll be fine.

If you could do it over again, would you still pursue the same career?

Yes!!! I have often wondered what I would do if I couldn't do massage and skin care... and I haven't come up with an answer. I cannot see myself doing anything else. I love it!

Follow Up

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Networking Mistakes That Are Killing Your Game (and How to Avoid Them)

This post was written by me but first appeared as a guest post on Career Contessa. Please head over and give the amazing women running that site some love.

There’s a not-so-secret secret to job hunting that a lot of people like to ignore: when it comes to your career, “pull” is just as important, if not more important, than “push.” In other words, who you know can be more important than what you know when you’re trying to land the position of your dreams.

I know this because my "pull" made all the difference when I was applying for my current position as a patent agent.

You see, on paper, I had the baseline qualifications for someone hoping to be a patent agent... but that was it. I was extremely young and inexperienced, and my resume reflected that. So, on paper, I was essentially the PB&J of job candidates: solid, but not a sandwich that'll make people go nuts (especially when you compared me to, say, a Nutella Marshmallow Fluff sandwich, who has ten extra degrees and five years of experience).

But I got the job anyway because I had one major advantage over the competition: I knew someone at my company who referred me for the position. While my education and experience certainly were important, I am positive that had it not been for my network, there would be some Nutella Fluff sitting at my desk today.

Of course, there is no one “right” way to network—but there definitely are some ineffective ways. So when it comes to something as important as your “pull,” you owe it to yourself to be as effective as possible, which means not making the following mistakes.

You only network when you need something.

The best—and simplest—networking advice I've heard is to remember that your network consists of real, live people. And as a real, live person yourself, how would you feel if the first thing a new acquaintance did was ask you for something? There's a reason telemarketers get such a bad rap.

It's important to begin networking long before you start your job search, and to build those critical relationships without asking for a job in return. That way, when it is time to reach out for help, you'll have a network of solid relationships to lean on.

You make job seeking the only focus.

Sure, networking is a great tool for job seekers, but remember that your professional network isn't only a collection of potential referrals.

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Who you know can be more important than what you know when you’re trying to land the position of your dreams.

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For example, I first contacted the woman who eventually referred me for my current position in order to ask her for an informational interview. Specifically, I reached out to her when I was first starting out so that I could learn more about the field, and to just get some objective advice. Sure, our relationship eventually led to an awesome opportunity, but that wasn't what it was built on; our connection was first and foremost based on our mentor/mentee relationship, which meant that it was infinitely stronger than if I had first reached out to her when I wanted a job.

Like the point above, it's important to remember that your network is made up of people, and that your relationships with those people can (and often should) be based on things other than simply job seeking. Whether you're asking for career advice or you’re helping someone else out with her career, the variety of relationships that make up your network will only make it stronger.

You forget the network you already have.

Going back to the woman who referred me for my current position, I met her through a mutual friend. You see, the first thing I did when I decided I wanted a career in patent law was to reach out to everyone I already knew to ask if they knew of anyone in the field.

Although it's fine to reach out to people you don't know, you'll only be doing yourself a favor if you also reach out to the network you already have—even if it's not a "professional" network! Sometimes friends, coaches, or family member know someone in your field and will be willing to introduce you. While there's still no guarantee that a friend's friend will be willing to talk to you, most people are a lot more likely to connect with someone who they know is definitely not a telemarketing ax killer.

You are afraid to follow up.

Once you've established a relationship with someone, make sure to keep the relationship alive. I mean, what good is potting a daisy if you then put it in your pantry next to your stale Cheerios from 2006? For the relationship or the daisy to be useful, you have to nurture it so it stays alive.

While it's important to avoid being annoying (i.e., don't email your contacts every other week), it's also important to keep in touch. It can be as simple as an email to update your contact on your career, or to ask your contact how her career is going. As long as you're genuine, a simple email every few months can make a world of difference.

tl;dr - networking mistakes to avoid Only reaching out to people to ask them for something Only viewing your connections as potential job referrals Forgetting that you already have a network, even if it's not a "professional" network Not following up with a connection on a semi-regular basis (and letting the relationship wilt like a daisy in the pantry)

But finally, what’s the biggest mistake you can possibly make when it comes to networking? You don’t do it at all. So get out there and get connecting! I promise it’ll be worth it.

Has networking played a role in your career? What advice would you add to this list?

Virtual Assistant

Samara T. "A Virtual Assistant (VA) comes alongside people such as business owners and bloggers, who are needing help with administration tasks or the "extra" tasks they do not have time for. A VA will manage social media pages, write posts, network with prospective clients for the business, create images, schedule posts, respond to comments, engage readers, and viewers, or handle administration tasks. Their job is to relieve business owners and bloggers with these "extra" tasks, giving them time to focus on expanding, connecting with clients, viewers, or other businesses, and put their attention towards growing their business."

Education

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Required License(s) None

Required Degree(s) None

Importance of GPA not very important

Samara's Highest Degree: Bachelor's degree
Samara's College Major: Events Coordination and Management
Samara's College GPA: 3.6-3.9

Salary

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There is no "typical" salary. It depends on you.

You can charge by the hour (typically $10-$25/hour depending on experience and tasks),  you can charge a fixed rate per month, or you can charge by task (e.g., per article or image), which would be considered contract work. 

Getting the Job

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How did you get your job?

I got my job by seeking out opportunity. I knew that this was what I wanted to do, and I sought out the jobs on my own. I contacted bloggers who I knew were bigger and would likely need help, and presented what I could offer them. Over time, after contacting enough people, I found my first client. Finding my first client led to finding my second client because it gave me more experience. What got me started was the desire to do something and willingness to not give up, even when I was turned down more times than I was accepted. Being an Events Coordinator really helped with this position. You have to be organized, good with people, and be able to manage many tasks. As a Virtual Assistant, you are often working for more than one client and have to balance many tasks and accounts. You need to manage your time to fit them all in, in one day. My previous experience really helped me with this, and also gave me the confidence I needed to reach out to people and network.

How important was networking to landing your position?

Extremely! The way you get positions like this is by networking with other bloggers and business owners. The field of "Virtual Assistants" is still a growing industry. Many business owners do not even realize this is a thing. The only way that I have gained clients is by networking with bloggers and business owners.

Life on the Job

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What is a typical day (or week) for you like?

This one is a hard one to explain. This is one job that I do, but it is not my main job. Most afternoons I spend in cafes doing my VA work and my own blogging work. I usually spend time scheduling social media content, researching, creating posts, networking, and promoting the bloggers work on different platforms. It is an incredibly flexible job, as I can do it from anywhere and all I need is the internet. If I have a really busy day with other responsibilities then I will catch up on my VA work in the evening. I also do not need to do it every day (although I do for the most part). I can schedule things to happen on days but not actually do it that day (e.g., social media posts). There is no day that looks the same, which makes it a fun job.

Does being a woman affect any aspect of your career?

No, it does not. You do not have to be a woman to do this.

What is the best thing about your job?

It is flexible. I can do it from anywhere since all I need is the internet. I have also learned so many things, gained a lot of experience, and connected with some wonderful people.

What is the worst thing about your job?

You do not always have enough work, and have to seek out more opportunity yourself. It is not a typical 9-5 job where you show up and get paid whether or not the day was very busy. I do not mind this aspect of the job, but it can be unpredictable at times (at least until you are well established with a couple good, reliable clients).

How demanding is your job?

It is not very demanding, but does take time. It is important to take time and do the job well, but it is not a job that will keep you up at night. (At least it shouldn't.)

Do you have any advancement opportunities?

Yes, I can advance, for example, by taking on more clients, establishing a business to help others find VA work, using my experience to connect bloggers/business owners with VAs, or training people who want to become a VA. At some point, I will definitely take the next step and expand this position. At this point, though, my focus is not fully my VA position because I am doing other things as well. When these other things end, I will take the next step, and further my career and position as a VA.

Advice for You

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What are the skills, characteristics, or talents that are most important to be effective in your position?

Being organized, creative, attentive, willing to learn, sociable, knowledgeable in social media, and blogging, knowledgeable in a few social media platforms and scheduling tools, and determination to not give up.

What advice would you give to someone thinking about pursuing a career like yours?

Often times I hear people say, "Well, I am not experienced enough and don't know what I have to offer." My response is this: if you have/had a blog, even if it is new, you have something to offer. You know how social media works and have at least a basic understanding of at least one blogging platform. The most important part of this job is the willingness to learn and research when you do not know the answer. I am learning all the time (new things, new programs, better ways to do things, etc.). And when I don't know something, I spend time with my trusty friend Google to find others who do know.

If you could do it over again, would you still pursue the same career?

Yes! If I could do it over again, I would pursue this first and would have skipped other things. Although those other positions in the past gave me more confidence to reach out to people and network effectively, I would have much rather started with this from the beginning.

Follow Up

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Who People Are Hiring over Millennials—and What We Can Learn from It

Remember when I told you that some employers think Millennials are so valuable, they're willing to pay "Millennial experts" $20,000 an hour for "generational consulting"?

Well, it turns out not everyone feels the same way.

Enter Gwen Wunderlich and Dara Kaplan, co-founders of Wunderlich Kaplan Communications (a Manhattan-based PR company) and avid fans of the movie “The Intern.” (You know, the one where Robert de Niro interns at a fashion site run by Anne Hathaway.)

Actually, Wunderlich and Kaplan loved "The Intern" so much, they decided to bring it to life.

And I mean that literally. This summer, Wunderlich and Kaplan are launching their first ever paid "Enternship," an internship for women who are over 40 and who "have either been bought out of their companies, chose to jump the corporate ship, or just looking to change careers or otherwise break back into the workforce."

This six week program—where women will learn how to create PR campaigns, plan events, write pitches and press releases, conduct research for clients, and more—is an all-around win for women. Although the program pays the typical intern salary (i.e., minimum wage), it's geared to help women with their somewhat unique career issues, such as re-entering the workforce after having taken a break to care for their children.

(Of course, not all women are the ones putting their careers on hold.)

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This six week program is geared to help women with their somewhat unique career issues, such as re-entering the workforce after having taken a break to care for their children.

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But while Wunderlich and Kaplan's idea is promising for women, the pair also has another motive that Millennials, in particular, should pay attention to. You see, a huge reason they're looking for older interns instead of younger ones is, well, they just aren't thrilled with what Millennials are offering.

According to Wunderlich and Kaplan, the real life experience older generations have means a lot. In fact, according to Wunderlich, "You need to know certain things, whether it's history or just about PR, and there’s no real world experience [with Millennials]. With some of the things that young people say to me, I’d rather have a woman who raised four kids, managed a household. She knows how to run an office."

And Kaplan seems even more critical. According to her, "You’d be surprised, at the lack of [younger generation's] interpersonal social skills. They don’t know the real value of getting off the phone and beyond a computer screen."

Now, does this mean Millennials should pack up and try again in a few decades? Of course not.

But there is something here Millennials can learn about what people find valuable in an employee—things we can all focus on to make the best out of our careers.

1. Get creative with your work experience.

Experience is important for landing a job. But you already knew that.

What you may not have realized, though, is that managers don't just value "relevent" job experience.

In this case, Wunderlich and Kaplan find mothers in their 40's so valuable not because of their years of PR experience, but because of their experience in the household. (I mean, if anyone knows how to juggle responsibilities and get sh*t done, it's mothers.)

Of course, no one's saying to start having babies to bolster your resume. Instead, keep in mind that any experience that strengthens your transferable skills—skills like communication and time management that are useful in any field—can be a game changer.

No one's saying to start having babies to bolster your resume. (But here are some things Millennials can do.) (Click to tweet.)

And you can get these types of experiences almost anywhere. For example, you can start volunteering or interning. If you already have a job, maybe consider volunteering for a new role within your current company. (For example, when I worked in a research lab, I also volunteered to write for the research center's online publication to get science writing experience.) Even things a little more outside the box—like online classes, certifications, or even managing your own Kickstarter project—will set you apart from the crowd who has no outside experience at all.

2. Do your research

One thing that Wunderlich thinks Millennials lack is real life knowledge, whether it's "about history or just about PR."

Of course, there is some knowledge you can only get with age. (For example, I'm convinced it takes at least 50 years of life experience to be able to fold a fitted sheet.)

But this doesn't mean you have to sit back and wait for the wisdom to come to you. If Millennials want to be more competitive with older generations who have been learning for years, it's going to take a lot of hard work and a lot more research.

So, start researching.

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"You’d be surprised, at the lack of [younger generation's] interpersonal social skills. They don’t know the real value of getting off the phone and beyond a computer screen."

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This might include things like subscribing to publications relevant to your field. (ForbesWomen and U.S. News Careers are both favorites on my Bloglovin' feed.) If you're looking for a job at a specific company, another way to stay informed is by researching that company's competitors. (If you don't know their competitors, try looking at the "People also viewed" column on the company's LinkedIn page.)

While this research may not be a substitute for the real life experience that comes with age, you will at least be knowledgeable enough to hold your own at a job interview or networking happy hour—something that will definitely set you apart from the crowd.

3. Stop using "LinkedIn" as another word for "networking."

According to Kaplan, Millennials aren't exactly killing it with their interpersonal social skills.

Now, this obviously doesn't apply to all Millennials. But even the best of us have probably become used to relying on some sort of screen for communication—whether it's through Twitter, text, or email. It's the world we live in, after all.

A final point we can take away from Wunderlich and Kaplan is that networking doesn't just mean updating your LinkedIn profile. Sometimes, face-to-face contact can make a world of difference.

So the next time you're thinking of contacting your mentor, maybe suggest a lunch date instead of a phone call. Or maybe it's time to finally attend one of those Meetups or networking events you've been meaning to attend.

If nothing else, it will help you get more comfortable communicating professionally without the help of emojis.

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Of course, just because a pair of New Yorkers might prefer older generations to younger ones doesn't mean Millennials don't have a lot to offer. In fact, one (older) manager I know told me that he wished he could only hire people in their twenties and thirties; he loves the younger generation's enthusiasm and adaptability.

The important point here is to realize that we all can be continually improving ourselves and can always continue learning.

Because everyone, regardless of their age, can teach us something about our careers—and that includes 45 year old Karen, whose twins just graduated from eighth grade.

What generation are you from? Do you have any advice for other generations?