Some Unsolicited Advice For Millennials Looking For Exciting And Meaningful Work

Millennials are incredibly entrepreneurial.  This is known by now.

Them millennials’ may or may not be more inventive than previous generations, but man is it easier now to launch a business.

There are just so many tools at our disposal that can make the first step into being a real-deal entrepreneur easier than ever.

You can get millions of eyes on your product on Instagram.  You can get help for your startup in a Facebook group.  You can manufacture a product of your own design without becoming a mechanical expert.  You can get an app built for you, and launch it for a few bucks.

There are plenty of fake metrics to distract us, probably more than ever in the history of business — but the barriers to entry are so low that if you can keep your focus, you’ll be fine.

Even with all of these advantages, being your own boss isn’t for everyone.  You’re responsible for literally everything.

The burden of the entire world can feel like it’s completely on your shoulders, and it sucks when things aren’t going great.

If you don’t want to start your own business, that’s fine.

There’s so much learning and experience to be had in the modern workforce.  So much fun while making some money.  So many connections to make.

If you don’t want to start your own business, that’s fine.  Go find an interesting startup with a problem in your field that you find challenging and exciting.

In my years of working with startups, I’ve found that there are two types of founders.

The craftsman:  They are the best at a specific thing in the world, and are trying to stretch their talents into a product or platform that can be utilized by everyone.

The expert:  They know an industry or problem inside and out.  They are, or want to be, the worlds foremost export on it.  The problem they are solving will best be solved by them, so they are going to do what they can to solve it for the entire world.

Both of these founders can’t do it on their own.  There are at plenty of special skills that they lack to bring their dream to fruition, at least on the scale that they dream of.

Biz Dev

Ahh, business development.  A skill for networking and meeting people that not every entrepreneur possesses.  Startups need biz dev for drumming up new business.  Finding supply or demand and striking partnerships that can make a massive impact.

If you find it extremely easy to meet new people and figure out how to work together for everyone’s benefit, there’s a startup that would love to utilize your skills.

Marketing

Every startup needs to be seen.  Their unique voice need to be heard above the noise of everyone else in their industry.  That only happens with good marketing.

If you’re amazing at promoting things, either with ads, social media or something else, a startup somewhere desperately needs your skills.

Accounting

If you went to school for finance and are finding out that traditional jobs are boring, you have three choices.

Start your own accounting firm, abandon finance, or find a startup. 

Most early stage startups are lacking a CFO, or Chief Financial Officer.  Most don’t have any finance resources at all.

All of the bookkeeping is outsourced.  All of the budgeting is done by the founders on the limited time they have.

If this is you, some startup out there needs your help.

Data Science

The biggest field in the business world will soon be data science.  There is an incredible growth in available data to companies big and small, and the barrier for entry to true data science is getting lower every year.

Fortune 1000 companies aren’t the only ones that can use big data to their advantage anymore.

If you love finding value in huge sets of data… if you love finding ways to optimize everything around you…

Data science may be for you.  And every startup in the world needs you.

Engineering / Development

This has been true since the technical revolution took a firm grasp of the world:  If you’re building something, you need someone to actually build it.

Engineers and developers are available in droves, so some are finding it hard to find a solid entry level position.  There is one and only one solution to that:  Become the best at something.

Find a niche in development that you like to do, and become really good at it.  Become the best.

Then, find a startup that has this problem and present yourself and your skills as the solution.  If you deliver, they’ll love you forever.

Whatever your skillset or desire is, I can guarantee that a startup somewhere desperately needs it.

Go find them.  Get a job with them.  Solve that problem AND become the best in the world at solving that problem.

Then, you can either leverage your world-class expertise to become a consultant, start your own business dealing with that problem in a unique way or go find another problem to solve.

And in the process, you just might be part of a winning team that ends up making you a few million bucks in the process.