20something profile: Luisa

This post was written by Luisa, who works with artificial intelligence and is a career coach:

Before graduating, I’d always thought I’d join one company and work my way to the top over the next two decades. The past few years could not have been more different. I’ve been a business analyst, a startup entrepreneur, an artificial intelligence analyst, and now a success coach.

I graduated in 2010 from Princeton with a degree in Electrical Engineering and a minor in Robotics. With a record of academic success under my belt, I fully expected to continue my success in the “real world.”

I could not have been more wrong.

Advertisement

20something entrepreneur starts bridesmaid-for-hire business

Photo credit: theweddinglibrary.com

Ever heard the expression “Always a bridesmaid, never a bride?” Well, 26-year-old Jen Glantz has been a bridesmaid so many times that now she’s doing it as a profession!

After being a bridesmaid four times in the past year alone (and twice in one week), Glantz posted an ad on Craigslist offering her services as a professional bridesmaid. Her ad went viral: she got over 100 responses within 48 hours, and her new business got coverage on media outlets including the Huffington Post, USA Today, Good Morning America, and the Today Show.

Gradberry teaches recent grads career skills

Photo credit: Gradberry

Do you feel that your college education hasn’t adequately prepared you for today’s job market? Then you might want to check out Gradberry, an online startup with a mission to train recent graduates in a variety of career skills, thereby making them more appealing to employers who are hiring:

Gradberry Aims To Bridge The College Grad Skills Gap (techcrunch.com)

Gradberry offers courses to recent graduates who need to learn a new skill for the jobs that they’re applying to. And Gradberry also assists recent graduates who’ve already been hired, as their employers can sponsor them to take courses through Gradberry if they need a new skill for their job:

Is living with your parents a wise career decision?

Photo credit: Time.com

Is moving back in with your parents after graduating college actually a wise career decision? That’s the question that this New York Times article poses:

It’s Official: The Boomerang Kids Won’t Leave (nytimes.com)

The article profiles millennials who returned to their parents’ houses for reasons such as career indecision, student loan debt, and inability to find a job that paid enough. But Adrianne Smith, a 28-year old graduate, was making over $60,000 a year as a behavioral analyst. So why did she move back home?

Millennials: Changing the world

Some of the extraordinary millennials spotlighted in the Huffington Post’s article (Photo credit: Huffington Post)

At 20somethings in 2014, I like to spotlight millennials who are making difference and disproving the stereotype that millennials are selfish and narcissistic.

So I was glad to find this Huffington Post article spotlighting seven millennials whose innovations are changing the world:

7 Millennials Who Are Too Busy Changing The World To Take Selfies  (huffingtonpost.com)

20something profile: Alexandra

This post was written by Alexandra, a semi-nomadic, ocean loving entrepreneur:

Imagine receiving a bracelet that’s been all over the world. It’s inscribed with the words “travel in kindness,” and the person who gave it to you tells you it travels through the act of giving. The bracelet makes you feel a little more adventurous and a little kinder too. It inspires you to give the bracelet to someone you meet on your own journey.

This bracelet is what my inspiration has been for about a year. It’s the reason why everything I own (aside from my backpack) is in storage right now. I’ve become a semi-nomadic, ocean loving, 25-year-old entrepreneur.

Finding a fulfilling career

Richard Branson (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Unsatisfied in your job? Then you might want to read this LinkedIn article written by Sir Richard Branson, billionaire and founder of Virgin Group.

In the article, Branson describes how fear prevents people from leaving their jobs, but how that fear can be overcome by believing in yourself, perceiving your career change as a positive opportunity, and never giving up on your dreams.

Accompanying Branson’s article is an short film titled “Becoming Me,” which features the stories of four adults who had successful careers but were miserable because they were unable to find fulfillment in their jobs. 

20something profile: Candice

This post was written by Candice, who is building a website design startup:

My entire life I had everything figured out. I worked hard in grade school to get into a great college, moved across the country to California to study public relations at a small, liberal arts university, participated in every extracurricular imaginable, and spent endless hours working unpaid internships to boost my résumé. Every life stage had attainable goals and timelines, all of which I trained myself to strive toward and ultimately found extreme comfort in.

Every class, networking opportunity, and volunteer commitment had a dual purpose: to enhance my life’s experiences and to increase my options after college.

20something profile: Jenna

This post was written by Jenna, who has degrees in marketing and graphic design:

I’ve always been pretty good at anything I’ve attempted, except for the time I tried to play softball. Luckily, I never had my heart set on becoming a professional softball player, but I also never had my heart set on much of anything in particular.

When the time came to enroll in a college program, I was clueless. I picked my major solely on which booth at the college convention looked the most interesting.

Youth unemployment: A global issue

Photo credit: backgroundsy

While I certainly know how young adults in America are struggling to find employment (being among them myself), this Huffington Post article makes it clear that youth unemployment is a global issue:

Unemployment Plagues Young People Around The World (huffingtonpost.com)

The article profiles young adults in America, Spain, France, Canada, and Great Britain who are struggling to find jobs that utilize their skills and education, while also having to pay off student loans.