Young talents and their stressors when choosing a first job
Do you feel the pressure to succeed early on? You are not alone. Many young talents face stress when looking for a job. It’s important to understand which stressors block you from making a decision. In this article, we’ll dig deeper into the stressors that young talents are facing when it comes to picking their first job. Pretty sure, you’ll recognize some of these stressors when you look in the mirror. So read on and discover some of our tips to lower your stress.
The Social media squeeze
Stressor
Social media algorithms are designed to keep you scrolling and consuming content. Constantly exposing you to other people’s lives. Pushing you to compare yours with theirs. In your last year of education even more due to LinkedIn… Friends and fellow students shooting about their first jobs with nice onboarding packages and fancy job titles. Doubting your first choice or making you even more anxious because you’re still looking for your ‘dream job’. Career FOMO as we call it 😉
Tip
Be mindful of the comparison trap and the pressure social media creates to present a perfect image of yourself and your career. If you really want to compete with others, don’t do it with their best shown versions online but talk with peers about their situation in an honest way.
Never being off…
Stressor
A notification pops up, and seconds later you’re already reading it. You are constantly connected to social media, the internet, Outlook, … Recruiters know that you are ‘always on’ and use this in their recruitment strategy: online campaigns, LinkedIn messages, emails, job boards, job fairs… This overflow of information makes it even harder to make the correct choice.
Tip
Be aware of this constant information flow and only read the things that are in line with your personal values and goals. So yes, it is important to determine for yourself what is important in a first job before taking in all the information. Like this, you choose the company that really fits you. Not, the one with the shiniest branding.
Society’s To-Do List
Stressor
Society raises a high bar for young talents these days. From landing an excellent job to buying a house to starting a family, … Your eyes are already rolling while reading it, right? This to do list is mainly created by the people close to you: your parents and friends. Your parents have high expectations and unconsciously pressure you to pick a certain career path, make a certain amount of money, … And your friends? They probably do too. Talking about unrealistic dreams and expectations. Sharing their own experiences with applications and job offers.
Tip
Even though, all their advice can help. Dare to put this parent and peer pressure aside. Define your own career goals and discuss them with more objective sources, like a career counselor, if you really want too. Afterward, you can communicate openly about your goals to your parents and friends of course. Just don’t mind their opinion too much.
The need to stand out
Stressor
A lot of external stressors, for sure. But the biggest one is yourself. Our rapidly changing and digital world has exposed you to a wide range of opportunities and possibilities. Therefore, a lot of young talents like you, seek personal fulfillment and a positive impact in their careers. Wanting a career that has an impact on society and the environment. A career your passionate about and in line with your values. All beautiful ideals… But also, the reason, you probably put a lot of pressure on this choice. Aiming high from the start, feeling the need to pick correctly from the start.
Tip
Even though, we do hope you find a job you love, we also believe it’s impossible to know your dream job already. Remember that your first job is just the start of your journey, and you have the power to switch careers and chase your passions as you gain experience and figure out what your talents are. It’s okay to still figure it all out… Dare to experiment and fail. You’ll discover your passions along the way! We can promise that.
Now that you are aware of the biggest stressors when picking a first job and have read our little tips on how to cope with them. It is time to reflect on your values, talents, and career goals. To make a well-measured choice. And maybe not for the dream job yet, but at least each choice will get you one step closer 😉