Bullish on America's Next Generation...

For all the talk of our 47 year old, post-baby boom President heralding change, I actually think its a much younger generation - those in college today and just out of it - that will re-invigorate America and the world.

Three things I have seen in the past week gave me great confidence that America has not completely lost its mojo and that this up and coming generation is poised to unleash the next great phase of global growth:

1.) TerraCycle - The amazing business that I visited and wrote about last week which was founded by a 20 year old Princeton dropout and turns garbage into products. It's not only revolutionized the way we look at garbage, but could become the GE of eco-capitalism in just a matter of years - proving that you can make huge profits, and benefit the planet.

2.) My Old Fraternity - When I left Hobart in 1990 my fraternity - Phi Sigma Kappa - was in deep decline. A few years later it was banned from campus and lost its charter. Then about 3 years ago, a team of industrious freshman reached out to the dispersed botherhood of house alumni in search of support and a history on which to re-charter the house. Today it's back in operation and appearantly the most popular house on campus. The key? They've run it like a business, building a viral campus-wide brand backed by posters, slogans and creative t-shirts, supported by unique fundraising events, smart networking parties ("slip-n-slide" parties), and a diverse array of brothers that defies the traditional Hobart Fraternity clique that was based on which sport you played.

3.) Today's Tom Friedman Column in the NY Times - in which he relays the story of two recent Yale grads he meets in New Delhi who tour the Indian countryside in a solar powered car promoting the Indian Youth Climate Network, or IYCN, which connects young climate leaders in India and spreads awareness of all the clean, green energy innovation taking place there today.

These kids are different than I was at that age for sure. They are less motivated by money than by doing what's right. But they are also deadly serious and incredibly focused about their mission. And they seem to be competely free of the social and business mores and constraints of previous generations. Maybe it's all the natural outcome of the first generation to have grown up with the internet and a truly open and fast moving market of ideas. But whatever it is, it's got me bullish on America again and thinking that whatever happens in this economic winter of discontent, just beyond it lies a spring of renewal driven by a new generation of innovators.

JPL

Networking for a Renewed World Order?

As a member of the CORE: club in Manhattan I get a rare glimpse into the activity of the world's movers and shakers and lately its been interesting to see how busy the place is.   

You'd think in current economic climate a private social and business club that caters to the super elite of finance, media, and a dozen other industries would be struggling. 

  

But what I am seeing is a LOT of lunches and dinners and meetings in the library - between people I haven't seen together before.  And they all seem to be reaching out, talking, trying to get a sense of where the world is headed and get some business done.   The club was envisioned for just that purpose but it seems to me that four years after opening, it's finally being put to use the way it should be!  

This view also fits nicely with the dispatches I've read from Davos this week which seem to indicate that compared to past years where the conference provides a rough sense of where the world is headed - this year attendees seem bewilderingly detached - searching for some kind of anchor - a new sense of order and a way to re-establish trust in all institutions.  

Hopefully, the activity I am seeing among CORE: elites will begin to re-establish that trust and order.  In the meantime, the rest of us should get out there as well, schedule a few lunches, start talking to neighbors, put some good energy out there and make something happen.

JPL

Career Advice: "Hang a Shingle" and give every conversation two chances...

No surprise here but in the past few weeks I've had conversations with way too many friends and acquaintances who have lost jobs.  In each case they have expressed an interest in getting my feedback or help in a resume and job search.  And in each case I have suggested they approach things a bit differently...

Don't Shop A Resume

For starters, in this kind of economy you need to do more than network and pass around a resume.  A resume says simply "I'm looking for a Full Time Job with Benefits".  And those opportunities are disappearing faster each day.    

But if you network and shop around a list of well-defined, highly needed projects that you are experienced with and are available to do "for hire" all of sudden there is interest.  Part of it has to do with the fact that employers can't afford to hire full time employees but they STILL HAVE WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE!  And getting in with project work increases you chances of being hired full time.  

Hang A Shingle Instead...

So I advise my friends to immediately "hang a shingle" and go into business for themselves as a freelancer - even if its not the ideal long term decision.  At least every person they call on they can have two conversations with: 1.) Her is my resume for a look at what I've done  - I'm interested in a full time position, but also 2.) Here are 3 or 4 projects I know how to do, and you know you need, and I can do them starting today at an hourly rate and you don't have to pay any benefits.   

There are other benefits to this approach as well:   They can make some $ along the way while they are still job searching.   They just may find out that the company isn't really one they'd want to work full time for anyway in which case they saved themselves from a big career mistake.  or, they may find like I did that they can do better on their own as a freelancer than working full time for some empty suit.

How To Do It

The next question they ask is "How do I hang that shingle?"  And that's where my skills come in.  I love to look over a resume and extract the 3 or 4 things that people know how to do and re-package it as a simple powerpoint presentation that outlines the well-defined projects they can do immediately.  

For instance, lets say you've been in sales management for 20 years.  You probably are a whiz at setting up and using Salesforce or another CRM package.  You probably know how to structure a sales compensation package that is both profitable to the company yet motivating to the sales person.  And you probably know how to set up and manage a sales funnel and good reporting using that CRM.

You would not believe how many companies DON'T know how to do those things!  But in this market a lot of them will need that right now as they re-evaluate how they pay everyone and look for ways to make sales more efficient.  And all three are simple projects you could structure on a simple hourly rate or flat rate basis.

So of course, update the resume, but before you start sending it out, hang that shingle.  A little creativity, repackaging and smart communications can turn a boring traditional job search into a revenue generating, networking exercise.

JPL