As a millennial, I witnessed that broken system - but let’s also say that belongs to corporate world. Big names on your cv looks fancy, not so fancy to work into. I left the corporate world after 3 miserable years to work in design agencies, startups and then freelance. I didnt find that broken system in these new environment, especially in startups where everybody is young and trying to make a difference. So my advice to younger me would be: choose smaller companies where you feel people are not just a number. Choose people and not the salary. Money comes and goes, but the best experiences I had came from the right people.
This is refreshing and important advice Margherita, thanks for sharing. Agree so much on the 'right people' point.
Also re having big names on CV, you can get a similar effect by building a personal brand (esp hear on Substack!). There are some benefits to big companies (internal movement / geo transfers and established programs like Grad / Leadership etc) but lotsof trade-offs too. Agencies and scaleups can be a good blend of excellent leadership, exciting work and growth opportunities. You have to be willing to work hard but that's how you learn fast!
Hell, I’d say 90% of it. What’s right isn’t always what’s correct, and not everything is geopolitics 🥲 like yes work will give you situations that feel a little meh or unfair, but you’re paid for the bad days and the hard times, not the super easy peasy stuff anyone can do
As someone in her 50s, this resonates deeply despite the generation gap. I count myself incredibly fortunate to have straddled both analogue and digital worlds, and as much as I appreciate the extraordinary nature of connection and knowledge sharing in the digital space, I have also seen my now-adult daughters struggle with the challenges noted here. I am currently navigating multiple life changes, including a career pivot, and have found myself becoming deeply cynical about the meaning of it all. Thanks for the nudge :)
TYSM for sharing this Philippa. Must be interesting and hard (and hopeful?) navigating this time with gen z kids. I keep thinking about how unprepared my uni degree left me feeling as tried to get a foot in the door in marketing (digital and social were mainstream but we still has only one digital subject called "Marketing and The Internet". It felt archaic. Must be even crazier now with AI disruption kids trying to work out what skills they need, what kind of careers they should be shaping, if there will even be any jobs left.... I have 2 daughters (8 and 5) and it bends my brain to think about what they'll end up doing.
I have loved learning from them (although they do often sigh and roll their eyes). My eldest is 30, my youngest is 24, and the differences that can be noted within the space of those 5.5 years are astonishing in the way they think and adopt new tech. Both are teaching English in S. Korea - one has an MA in history, the other is a qualified teacher. My ed. teacher-child was already dealing with AI challenges as a marking assistant at uni. Having been in operations in e-commerce and digital marketing, I want to run as far away from capitalism and consumption as possible - viva revolution lol.
I needed to read this at this moment. I’m struggling, having returned to work after a four week break, with disappointment and disengagement. Nothing has changed. In fairness to upper management they are trying to build a positive and accountable culture where we are all seen and heard, but with a disengaged manager nothing will change for our team and now I feel like I’m missing out. I will pivot to the curious and appreciative mindset.
As a millennial, I witnessed that broken system - but let’s also say that belongs to corporate world. Big names on your cv looks fancy, not so fancy to work into. I left the corporate world after 3 miserable years to work in design agencies, startups and then freelance. I didnt find that broken system in these new environment, especially in startups where everybody is young and trying to make a difference. So my advice to younger me would be: choose smaller companies where you feel people are not just a number. Choose people and not the salary. Money comes and goes, but the best experiences I had came from the right people.
This is refreshing and important advice Margherita, thanks for sharing. Agree so much on the 'right people' point.
Also re having big names on CV, you can get a similar effect by building a personal brand (esp hear on Substack!). There are some benefits to big companies (internal movement / geo transfers and established programs like Grad / Leadership etc) but lotsof trade-offs too. Agencies and scaleups can be a good blend of excellent leadership, exciting work and growth opportunities. You have to be willing to work hard but that's how you learn fast!
YEP YEP YEP!!! Just because something is unfair and a little outdated, it doesn't mean we should set our career on fire in protest
So much of the career advice I see online is terribly impractical
Hell, I’d say 90% of it. What’s right isn’t always what’s correct, and not everything is geopolitics 🥲 like yes work will give you situations that feel a little meh or unfair, but you’re paid for the bad days and the hard times, not the super easy peasy stuff anyone can do
exactly!!!
As someone in her 50s, this resonates deeply despite the generation gap. I count myself incredibly fortunate to have straddled both analogue and digital worlds, and as much as I appreciate the extraordinary nature of connection and knowledge sharing in the digital space, I have also seen my now-adult daughters struggle with the challenges noted here. I am currently navigating multiple life changes, including a career pivot, and have found myself becoming deeply cynical about the meaning of it all. Thanks for the nudge :)
TYSM for sharing this Philippa. Must be interesting and hard (and hopeful?) navigating this time with gen z kids. I keep thinking about how unprepared my uni degree left me feeling as tried to get a foot in the door in marketing (digital and social were mainstream but we still has only one digital subject called "Marketing and The Internet". It felt archaic. Must be even crazier now with AI disruption kids trying to work out what skills they need, what kind of careers they should be shaping, if there will even be any jobs left.... I have 2 daughters (8 and 5) and it bends my brain to think about what they'll end up doing.
I have loved learning from them (although they do often sigh and roll their eyes). My eldest is 30, my youngest is 24, and the differences that can be noted within the space of those 5.5 years are astonishing in the way they think and adopt new tech. Both are teaching English in S. Korea - one has an MA in history, the other is a qualified teacher. My ed. teacher-child was already dealing with AI challenges as a marking assistant at uni. Having been in operations in e-commerce and digital marketing, I want to run as far away from capitalism and consumption as possible - viva revolution lol.
Thank you for writing this!! Sometimes it all feels pointless and pointless is a scary place for my own motivation / career. I feel seeeeen
That's so well said "pointless feels like a scary place". Thanks so much Isabel
This text is like a breath of fresh air, thank you so much for it!
I needed to read this at this moment. I’m struggling, having returned to work after a four week break, with disappointment and disengagement. Nothing has changed. In fairness to upper management they are trying to build a positive and accountable culture where we are all seen and heard, but with a disengaged manager nothing will change for our team and now I feel like I’m missing out. I will pivot to the curious and appreciative mindset.