(/typical VH1 viewer)

Just messing with you. Good look on the column. Consultants make soft headed babies anyway.

My question is, do you think us Millennial should focus on landing the “dream job” now or living a “dream lifestyle” now. What I mean is, we seem to factor lifestyle more and more into career choice. I wonder how doe we merge these two, sometimes opposing, desires? That’s what I’m struggling with.

Firstly, I am soundly opposed to the ‘Millennial,’ ‘Gen Y,’ ‘Gen Q,’ or whatever other tags are given to our generation to explain us to those who are intimidated by us and don’t know how to manage young people who are more ambitious than they are. I’m all about our generation being ‘Global Citizens.’ We recognize the positive impact that we can have on the world, and are restless until we get to a position where we can tangibly see that difference being made.

Now, as for your question (sorry for the ranting detour!)…

I think the ‘dream job’ and ‘dream lifestyle’ are linked. In my dream lifestyle, I would hope that I am working in my dream job, or at least not calling it ‘work.’

Given that being restless is part of our generational DNA, I have to underscore the need for patience. Let’s not confuse patience with procrastination. There is tremendous value in taking your time to really define your passions, articulate your goals, and set out a plan for meeting them - all while working a job and living a lifestyle that is not yet your ‘dream’ situation.

There is a difference between working in a job while taking time to get your plan together and working to earn a paycheck while saying ‘I’ll never get to my dream,’ or ‘one day…some day.’

The latter case has a high probability for leading to a paycheck-to-paycheck lifestyle, or what I call ‘bill slavery.’ In the former, with patience, planning, and flexibility, the dream job and lifestyle might be on the way sooner than you think.

With any job process, the interview is where you seal the deal.

If you make it to the interview stage, it’s because your initial application was impressive enough to prove that you have the smarts and the relevant background to be qualified for the position. The interview is useful for putting a face and personality to your qualifications.

I can’t speak to what all companies are looking for in a job candidate, but at MTVN, as you can tell by the diverse arrangement of brands in our portfolio, unique personalities of all stripes have a place here. Frankly, I have not met any boring people here. Every person has a unique flair that carries over into the work that they do. We are a creative company and our people reflect that. Diversity (racial/ethnic, gender, intellectual, sexual orientation, etc.) is definitely a priority in recruitment; the Summer Associate Program is one of the central diversity initiatives that the company has.

My entrepreneurial background with Sphere Magazine and my internships in media companies (at a film company after freshman year, and at a magazine - BusinessWeek.com - after junior year) were definitely helpful for my application to the Summer Associate Program. But depending upon the company you’re interested in and its size, you may be able to find a way into a position, solely by demonstrating that you are proficient in a certain area. For example, I’ve heard of some television production companies taking people who don’t necessarily have a background in television, but are strong writers or otherwise creative people. Even here, I’ve met people who worked for years at a bank or law firm, and transitioned to MTVN to do similar work because they have a passion (magic word!) for entertainment.

There a few good sites on the web with helpful career tips for young people. I recommend the Wall Street Journal’s College Journal at http://www.collegejournal.com.

AJ

Thanks!