Career Roadmap for Gen Z to Land Their Dream Jobs (Part 1)

Follow my 10-Point Plan for professional success at a young age…

People sometimes ask me how I was able to accomplish so much professionally at high-profile jobs during my early 20s.

In fact, I’m still a bit bewildered when I look back on it. How does a 20-something get to work at seven of their dream jobs all by the age of 25? I sometimes wonder if I peaked too early in my career — like a Rookie of the Year in professional sports — although do I hope to have a renaissance soon.

What were these dream jobs, you ask? Here’s a listing of my employers back then:

• Congress: Office of the House Majority Leader, U.S. Capitol
• The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc. (now Bloomberg BNA)
• Presidential campaign for a winning candidate, Bill Clinton
• The Presidential Transition Office, Department of Personnel
• The White House, Office of Presidential Personnel
• The Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
• The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)

Somehow, I managed to attain all the aforementioned jobs between the ages of 20 and 25. Some of the work took place while I was still a college undergrad with a full course load. I landed the other jobs immediately after graduating from college.

As a Gen Xer, I want to share my professional advice for today’s teens and 20-somethings who are pondering their dream jobs, preparing to start new jobs, or just trying to climb the career ladder at a young age.

While my 10-Point Plan for Career Success is technically applicable for all generations, it is aimed squarely at Gen Z as they venture out into the work world.

Today’s Young People = Tomorrow’s Leaders

Small children have big dreams. As a kid, for example, I wanted to be everything from a NASA astronaut to a Major League Baseball star.

However, as most people age and mature, their dreams tend to evaporate and morph into something more practical and attainable. Sometimes, parents or relatives offer you advice to tone down your employment expectations or say you’re aiming too high too soon.

Others are downright naysayers who say with assured arrogance that your dream jobs are nothing more than pipe dreams. Some of these people are sincerely looking out for the best interests of their children, relatives and friends.

This is completely understandable, as I recall my father and uncle giving me “The Talk” when I was still in a pre-business major in college and pondering a big future (more on that later).

But impractical is a subjective word. And impractical does not mean impossible.

That is, if you’re ready and willing to work for it and go the extra mile(s). The future is now, as they say.

It’s no secret that a strong work ethic helps lay the foundation for success. But early career success is usually earned incrementally, starting from the bottom up.

Today’s young people will become tomorrow’s leaders, top entrepreneurs and innovators. Many members of Gen Z have high ambitions and big career aspirations in the 21st century high-tech Information Age — where anything appears possible with the advent of new and evolving technology.

Unlike when I was a teenager, today’s young people can’t comprehend a world without smart devices — and rightfully so — because they were born into it. Most of Gen Z can’t fathom being far from mobile, digital and virtual technology at their fingertips 24/7, for better or worse. That’s the society they were born into.

Nevertheless, some old-school lessons about career success still make good sense.

In fact, these time-tested techniques are arguably more important now than ever, particularly because most young people don’t hear enough of it, much less implement it.

To the contrary, old-school career advice is too often easily dismissed. Therefore, a refresher course is in order.

These age-old rules have either been forgotten or taken for granted in today’s modern era of information overload, FOMO and instant gratification.

Improbable Dream Jobs

If you’re a member of Gen Z who is in high school or college, what are some of your dream jobs? How have people responded to these professional goals if you shared them — enthusiastically or dismissively?

During my sophomore year at the University of Maryland (College Park), I developed a comprehensive career success plan to help land my dream jobs while still in my early 20s.

And — through an uncanny confluence of luck, timing and fate — my improbable dream gigs, especially in Congress and the White House, became reality in short order.

As noted, my career success plan is broadly applicable to people of all ages. However, it’s especially ripe for a new generation of leaders with unlimited potential due to groundbreaking advances in technology.

Following is Part 1 of my 10-point Career Success Plan for members of Generation Z, to help make their dream jobs become a reality.

1) Define Your Vision

First, you must have a dream and vision of success. Be bold and think big! Just make sure to be specific. Contemplate these questions:

• What am I really good at doing?
• What do I love doing?
• What innate skills or God-given talents do I have?
• What type of work would I do if money was NOT an issue?

I have always loved writing and observing national politics. Thus, I majored in journalism during college with a minor in political science. I also began writing a weekly op-ed column for the daily student newspaper during my freshman year, which ended up being a springboard to landing my first dream job.

This college newspaper experience served as a catalyst for my next goal: securing a high-level internship (for college credit) in Congress. But not just in any congressional office on Capitol Hill, but specifically in a leadership office in the U.S. Capitol.

The lesson here is not only to get your foot in the door early, even if it means starting at the bottom and doing tedious tasks along with more substantive work.

As it turned out, I got a gig in the Office of the House Majority Leader, Rep. Richard Gephardt of St. Louis, Missouri — where I got to work with the likes of George Stephanopoulos, whom you may have heard about.

After defining your vision, try seeking out jobs in your areas of interest while simultaneously earning your college degree, if at all possible. It’s never too early to get a head start in life.

In fact, some young people have no choice but to work their way through college to pay for tuition and related expenses. They deserve kudos for their tireless efforts. Luckily, I did actually get paid at the student newspaper. I also got to pay in-state tuition after meeting state residency requirements.

I found that a combination of rigorous academic work on one hand, buttressed by real world work experience on the other, was instrumental as a stepping stone for early job success.

AUTHOR’S NOTE: Stay tuned for Part 2 of this ongoing series, coming soon, in which points 2–4 will be examined...

And please feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn (just mention Medium in the connect request).