Entitlement Or Ambition?

I imagine a day when good marketing is good strategy applied to a good product. I'm sure this exists in some companies. In fact, I saw a video today of Steve Jobs, coming back to Apple, in the 1990's , who articulates that point much clearer. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GMQhOm-Dqo).  However, the more I look the more I see a facade for a product that is lacking in originality, quality, and value to a particular audience. As a student of communication (marketing being one facet) I can't help but feel, over and over, that good communication, clear communication, is simply genuine communication. The people who market well, are the people who come up with great strategies for an already great product.  

This post, however, is not a rant on the poor marketing teams out there. My intention is not to pull out all the poor SEO, social media, CSR, print ad, radio spot strategies that mask a poor product. No, my interest is to shed a little light on the job seeking process of the millennial group.

Millennials get a bad wrap, mostly for good reason. Article after article shows examples of millennials who are entitled, individuals who feel the "deserve" or "merit" or even "have earned" more than they are given. I agree with most of these articles. It is a sad day when a person wont work because they believe the are to good for it. We also see this in "leaders", who all too often are well spoken people who haven't done anything.  Many who are just entering the professional field are getting such a skewed idea of what success or leadership really look like. While I am not claiming to have the universal answer, I feel pretty certain that success and leadership have very little to do with my title or job description, and much more to do with how well I do something and how I motivate others to do that thing well, and in turn build relationships with people. 

Just recently I had the opportunity to speak with an employer about another job opportunity. Prospective employers have begun to file in quickly as I approach the end of my Master's degree (not a title that defines me, but an achievement I value for the time and effort I put into it) and have entered in a large sum of applications. In this recent interview I was asked what it was that I was looking for in a job. I simply said, "among the vast amounts of criteria that one may provide, I simply want a job where I can support my family and our endeavors, and where I can feel valuable to a company. I want a job that is as excited about having me, my character, and my strengths on their team as I was to be working with them." I was then briefly told about a job description that was no where near the printed job description I had in my hand from the job posting I submitted to that company not two weeks earlier. As we were talking, I pulled up the company's website and viewed their 20+ job offers posted. They had titles everywhere from "event coordinator" and "marketing assistant" to "public relations specialist" and "social media strategist" under the communication area. As I noticed something felt off I simply, and kindly, asked the interviewer if the jobs I was looking at were in fact different jobs or if they were all what I was being described to as essentially a cold call "sales" job. She replied that it was the latter. We wont even go into false advertising.

I had just gone through a similar process with another company only going as far as taking two days off of my current jobs to make a trip 250 miles north. I did this only to find the same news I just described. I asked for a day to think about the opportunity, and left. 

Here's where things get good. I felt discouraged. These two opportunities are, by no means, my only opportunities and I was grateful for their consideration and at least the interview practice. As well, I had other prospects, much more professional in nature, that I felt particularly good about. With that, I still felt discouraged, like I had given so much time and resources towards something that was clearly not a good fit. I have never felt that I couldn't do sales, in fact I sometimes think I could be very good at sales, but I had hoped that as my interest, research, and experience had grown in a particular field, I could start building a professional career in that same field. It was at this moment, in a frustrated confusion pertaining to the next great decision of my life, that I had received a comment that threw me into a loop. I was told I was being "entitled", that I had been waiting way to long to land my "first" job and should have taken one of these two opportunities. Could that be true!? A characteristic that I felt I despised as much as the generation before me was happening in me?

The more I though about it the more I felt that this wasn't the case. Here are 4 points that I believe set these two criteria apart and how to steer clear of entitlement.

1) Never be "above" anything

The work ethic and perseverance that comes with an attitude of humility is unprecedented. While I believe in the statement "fake it till you make it", sincerity simply can not be faked. I believe as human beings, we are instilled with a sense of awareness when someone is being genuine and when they are not. Like anything this sense can be practiced, but I believe more importantly is the practice of being sincere. This does NOT mean, however, that you let yourself "settle". While on one hand I believe not to be fixed upon perfection, you must also work to find compatibility, a good path, strong principles, and area for improvement. Its kind of like dating. A leader in the LDS church, Dieter F. Uchtdorf said for those looking to find the "perfect woman. . .may I remind you, if there were a perfect woman, do you really think she would be that interested in you?". Jokingly, this statement makes a good point, that there is a place between "perfect" and content, compatible, wonderful, functional, happy, and peaceful.  Its interesting that when one says don't settle, many minds reach for the "perfect" alternative. When told don't seek for the "perfect" many minds think, , "then just grab whatever comes your way". In fact, often I find that the daunting task of not writing something perfectly or finding the perfect answer will stifle the desire to write at all. There is a middle ground. What if when told don't settle and don't seek "perfect", we could immediately think of finding compatibility and matching goals, interests, and principles. I think in this realm of thought is where the defining line of ambition separates the entitled and the withdrawn. 

2) Working hard is a good indicator

Like the leader, an ambitious individual will seek to work hard for the sake of doing things well. Intrinsic motivation is a key here. If you're unfamiliar with the term watch ted talker Dan Pink on Motivation. Find enjoyment, value, and purpose in working for something and you will find that entitlement is far from you. If you can look at your goals and say to yourself that you have put in good efforts, and intend to keep doing so, you know you're on the track of ambition and not entitlement. 

3) Gratitude 

Be thankful for every opportunity. Remember those you talk to are people! They have lives, goals, plans, hopes, dreams, nightmares, fears, and struggles. If you ever forget that this world has anything more important than people, come back to this point. Christopher Peterson in Psychology today says "other people matter". People and relationships are at the center of what we do, don't forget it. 

4) Stop looking for shortcuts

Shortcuts will never serve you in the world of hard work and perseverance. This does not mean work harder just the cliche "work smarter". Stop spending your time and energy of finding a way to get around a necessary evil, spend that same time and energy working hard to work efficiently solve and move past that problem. In this pocket you will find more success and happiness. 

These four suggestions are not conclusive, but a start. You may find your own list, but don't be mistaken or mislead, ambition and entitlement are not one and the same.

So next time someone tries to sell you a product, no matter how much it is buttered up, pay attention to the basics. Take a good look at the underlying principles of the reality they have created, and bring it back to your court. No matter how much flattery, a bad product will always be that. For the companies out there reading, be sure you're not falsely advertising. If you are, its time to up your game, because a bad product will only demise your whole operation.  For the rest, keep that in mind as you market yourself to companies, work on the product and then find a good strategy. Move past all the chatter that's out there, there's a lot, and remain true to your goals and plans. I saw this on Linkedin today as well and it has stuck with me all day  www.linkedin.com/hp/update/6128965104655425536. Follow your goals, make plans, and don't settle. Be the great product that that a great marketing strategy will only highlight great features! Avoid entitlement, but don't stop being ambitious. 

If you're at all interested, check out my profile and my soon-to-be-published thesis to get a closer look at my professional work and intentions. Thanks so much for reading!

QT