Young people looking for their first job: tips for a good future

Do you remember your first job? The nerves, the boost from family, the first boss, and what he did with that first salary. Or maybe, if you belong to that generation called Z or centennialis still looking to build a site, which can also be a start-up.

Working life begins with a series of milestones. Ready or not, you have to face them and learn. It happens with each new ‘wave’ of young people, although each one finds a different scenario. The youth of today will be fighting for their first work experience in a pandemic world.

The reality, according to International Labor Organization (ILO), is that unemployment, informality and inactivity have been plaguing young people in Latin America and the Caribbean for some time. There are 9.4 million unemployed young people, 23 million do not study or work (NEETs), and more than 30 million only find employment in informal conditions.

This was deepened by the effects of the coronavirus, said the ILO regional director, Vinícius Pinheiro, in the report “Global Employment Trends for Youth 2020″.

Temporary, part-time or informal jobs, such as those that many young people tend to have, are the most affected by the deterioration of the economy.

“When there is a crisis, young people are among the first to lose their jobsmainly those who are in the informal economy”, summarized Pinheiro.

Approximately 3 million young people between the ages of 18 and 29 live in Ecuador. (Are you there, reader?). This is 18% of the total population and 25% of the working-age population. 21% of them live in poor households.

In 2018, for every 100 young people between 18 and 29 years old, 39 only worked, 34 only studied, 10 studied and worked, and 17 neither worked nor studied. Within this last group, women predominate, as described in the document “Ecuador: Youth, employment and social protection”, prepared by the economist and researcher Óscar Cetrángulo, of the ILO Office for the Andean Countries (2020).

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Young people working in the informal sector are vulnerable because They don’t have social security and because they work in some of the sectors still affected by the crisis, such as commerce, hotels and food services. And yet, all hope must not be abandoned. Because the new generations bring their own strategies to stand out.

Future bosses of themselves

How do you know if you are ready for your first job? That seems to be a doubt from previous generations. The organizational psychologist Sofia Carrillo Saldarreagaprofessor of the Organizational Psychology degree at the Catholic University of Santiago de Guayaquil, explains that being young is not an obstacle for today’s young people, who go from the last cams of millennials (23 years old) to older centennials (22-18 years old)according to the criteria managed by the Pew Research Center).

They consider that they have the necessary knowledge to be part of an organization, either in an initial position or to undertake, “especially those young people who have high self-confidence.”

The psychologist refers to that percentage that reaches higher education. “During the formation process(the university) helps young people develop their hard skills and also works on soft skills, such as emotional intelligence. When inserted in companies, this becomes evident in the behavior of the person”.

Where should I start looking? There is the option of formal networks (letters, employment networks) or informal, verbal recommendations from parents and acquaintances. What would be the best? Digital platforms are relevant, says Carrillo, because through them, the new generations are building their personal brand.

What’s this? personal brand is a concept proposed in 1997 (year of the birth of the centenarians) by the American writer Tom Peters in his article The Brand Called You (The brand called you). In it, he states that each one can manage and promote themselves as a brand throughout their professional career. Knowing oneself, highlighting one’s own value, have a strategy to ‘sell’ and become visible (“let them talk about you”is one of Peters’ maxims) and understand that everything one does and says communicates and matters to build one’s own brand: a e-maila phone call, a social media post.

The psychologist Carrillo indicates that “coherence between speech and action is key, even when you are oblivious to social networks.” The brand is also the daily behavior, how we interact with others in everyday matters. Attitudes can build and maintain a good reputation, before, during and after the first job, which will be reflected in good references.

Among the attitudes that stand out, the teacher cites: “being optimistic, empathic with the other, purposeful, committed and flexible”. And in terms of skills, initiative, adaptation to change, creativity, knowing how to work as a team and, above all, knowing how to communicate”. A person so equipped can make a difference in the work environment.

“A personal brand is your promise to the job market and to the world (…) There is no option to have or not have a personal brand. They all have it. The question is whether your personal brand is powerful enough for you and for the job market.”

Tom Peters

And what if the first job is not what you expected? Being in an organization implies being able to feel fulfilled, says Carrillo, with a good level of motivation and satisfaction that the company must promote through its organizational culture practices, and that this be aligned with the expectations and desires of the person. Y young people today are demanding. “The new generations have it very clear from the beginning”, observes this master’s degree in Human Talent Management, “because their search for work takes place in organizations that contribute to the well-being and occupational health of the collaborators, without neglecting the proactive actions that they contemplate towards their interest groups”.

One recommendation: set goals in accordance with the projection in the short, medium and long term. “The new generations are very clear about the time in which they want to build their professional career in organizations, and then undertake and manage their times, be bosses of themselves”.

“Personal branding is not what you say about yourself. That falls into the category of ‘free speech’. You can say what you want. It does not mean anything. Your personal brand is the opinion that the market forms of who you are and what you contribute”.

Tom Peters

Work environment networks, such as LinkedIn and Instagrammake it possible for the person to expose that projection, their knowledge and interests, and validate performance through references, “however, it is also valuable to tell and nurturing parental supportthrough his experience.

Advice for young workers: the future can be good

In a scenario like the current one, the young man who wants to start work deserves encouragement and congratulationsis the first thing that the psychologist highlights Cecilia Chavez-Bowen, family counselor and coach personal. “It’s an excellent way to have your own income, which will allow you to be more independent and also expand your social group.”

It’s good to ask family or friends for help (up to a point). “They connect you with a serious company and you go with greater security to a new environment.” But it is also valid to want to make a name for yourself and launch yourself in search of a job. “Both ways are correct, you must analyze which is the best for you.”

It’s normal to be nervous, and not want to give the impression of being immature to hold a job. The psychologist Chávez-Bowen advises always present true data in a job interview And in life, in general. Be whole. If you do not have experience, you can present references from your college, academies you have attended or university, indicating that you are an honest and responsible person. You do not need to invent a work experience, which sooner or later will be noticed that you do not have, and could be counterproductive.

Since the young employee is vulnerable, what can be expected from the first work experience, what is normal and what should not be tolerated? “In your first work experience you can find all kinds of people,” she says. coach: “The kind or uncompromising boss, the co-workers who are helpful, the considerate ones who help you learn your job, and the ones who may try to take advantage of the newbie. He tries to give you some time to differentiate them, and then choose the group you want to be in. Remember that the type of friendships ends up directing us on a common path and it is better to surround yourself with honest people with a desire to improve”.

In an office, as in any other environment, there may be bullying between colleagues or between bosses and subordinates. Some signs: the law of the ice, permanent ridicule or criticism, not giving specific functions or giving too much work and forcing them to always stay later of the departure time, without recognizing overtime. “This should be discussed with the person in charge, before it gets worse. And if there is sexual harassmentjokes with a double meaning, insistent touches or conversations that make you feel uncomfortable, apart from going to the person in charge, you can start a legal claim. In all this, you can lean on your family. Talk to your parents, let them guide you, remember that they have more experience and, possibly, have been through uncomfortable situations at work and can indicate which strategy worked for them”.

What to do with the first salary so as not to feel that it disappeared in a second? This must be thought through. Chavez-Bowen suggests:

• begin to save for a goal (courses, trips, a vehicle), 20 or 10% of what is earned. “If at home they don’t ask you to collaborate, you can save more. You can find out how to invest, policies or insurance that pay you a better return, or in some undertaking that excites you”.
• It’s good start a business while working and you have the security of your salary, without risking starting from scratch. “But always do some research and draw up an action plan, sometimes with money in hand one gets excited and spends without planning.”
• If the company pays for medical insurance, save what would have been invested in health, and put it in a fund. “When you have an interesting amount and you’ve done your research, you can make the decision to go it alone.”
• Don’t trust to luck. “I do not wish you luck, because it is knowledge that will help you. Study, investigate and be organized in your expenses. The future will be good, depending on you.” (F)