Lesson

I read a Forbes article yesterday called, “20 Things 20-Year-Olds Don’t Get.” While there was some truth to what he said, it has been muddling around in my brain since I read it. Maybe it’s because he was an entrepreneur at 20, made the cover of “20 Under 20” lists and is pretending to be the Morgan Freeman guiding voice of all young dreamers—most of whom won’t even grace the cover of their hometown newspaper.

I have a natural inclination to be a Debbie Downer; however, I have also lived in the non-Forbes society for quite a while now. I see the mistakes that young professionals make, and I now comprehend why they make them. I see the flaws in what we teach because I have methodically followed that teaching to a few dead-end roads.

Here are four things 20-Year-Olds Now Get:

1. All those people we met on college field trips are the exception, not the rule. You want to know why young professionals feel so gosh darn entitled to a dream job right out of the gate? Because you introduced them to a PR graduate who now represents Beyonce. Maybe if they saw the business graduate who is managing a local restaurant rather than the guy who “worked hard for two long years to become the founder of his own non-profit,” they would be less likely to forget the importance of diligence and patience.

2. Being mean is not interchangeable with a push for excellence. Oh, the demanding boss that builds a solid career foundation. For a generation that seeks inspiration daily and often speaks of equality, it is counterproductive to imply that someone making them a personal servant is the equivalent to warm regards for their future success. Sometimes the 30-year reign of terror just needs to end.

3. No one cares about anything you thought they would care about. So college sponsors—please stop telling your students that for only $95 and a cheesy candlelight ceremony, they can have a coveted society on their resume. They’re going to need that money for supper one day and the interviewer will just think it’s a sorority.

4. Compassion. When you have your MBA and you are making minimum wage when you start out, BOY do the rights of McDonald’s workers seem a little more pertinent. Maybe that lady who doesn’t have insurance isn’t irresponsible; maybe she can’t afford to feed her kids and give them proper healthcare. It’s amazing the clarity of mind that comes when you exit the worship of academia.

I challenge you: The next time you’re tempted to bemoan the mistakes of young professionals, ask yourself how they developed that incorrect notion. We can’t pump them full of expectations and projected salaries and then complain when they’re tired of waiting. We can’t paint them a picture of perfection and watch idly as they see it fade into gray.

They need encouragement, not lists. They need leaders, not lessons.

Only then will the real education be received.