From {Young Minds}: Do you Believe or Settle?

LAF Note: This Young Minds post was written by Jackie Adkins.

Hello. My name is Jackie Adkins and my social security number is none of your beeswax. Todd Davis, CEO of Lifelock, on the other hand, his social security number can be found on the home page of his website.

Talk about believing in your own product.

This got me to thinking how vitally important it is in marketing and PR for you to both use your product and believe in it’s benefits.

Using your own product seems like a “no duh” thing, but think about it. If the leaders of the organizations use their own products, like Todd Davis has done, this first of all allows them to experience it the same way their customers do, finding any hiccups along the way. But equally important, especially with a product like Lifelock, is they are sending a signal to the consumer. The signal is this: that you should trust my product because I trust it so much I’ll put my social security number on my website. Who needs a celebrity endorsement when you have that?

Even if you do use your product, this may not be enough if you aren’t passionate about it and believe in its benefits. Your lack of passion will show in all areas: marketing materials, customer service, you name it. The flip side of this is if you firmly believe that your product will enhance the lives of your customers, this will show and leave a lasting impression on the consumer. You have to take the lead and express your own passion before your consumers will be willing to reciprocate with their own passion for your product.

This is where I want to hear what you think. Considering the points made above, as young marketing and PR professionals, should we settle for a job with a company that we aren’t 100% passionate about selling their product? If Loreal had offered me a job right out of school, should I have taken it when I’m a male and haven’t used makeup a day in my life (I promise I haven’t!). Can I believe in a product that I have no intention of ever using?

Let’s face it, the job market is tough and half the battle is just getting our feet in the door. So, do you worry about getting in the field first and then look for your perfect match company later on in your career? Or do you never settle for an “okay” job for a company that sells a product you could care less about, even if it means being unemployed for a potentially significant amount of time?

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  • Mislyd
    dear Jackie,
    this is something so real and we struggle with. the search to find meaning in our work is something that's become more apparent for our generation, the gen Ys. i for one have taken the practical route, because it became financially impossible to hold out for the job that could fire my passion, if it existed. so after a few years of work, i review where i am. if there was something i could change, it would be how long i chose to stay in each company i worked with. sometimes holding out in a company doesn't benefit you, and in my opinion if you're a few months into the job and you hate it, please change it, for your own sanity and for the sanity of your loved ones (who need to face a grumpy you after each day's work).
    weighing out the pros and cons is necessary too. would you value money more or a satisfying job? unless your passion IS making money, (in which case you'll be in finance sector and you'll probably be quite rich...) often you'll find that the two are on different ends of a see-saw.

    so IMO, don't hold out and not take any job. keep a backup option (freelance/moonlight/take a job at a relative's store), and then take the job that comes along, and keep your eyes peeled. several months into the job, you'd already get enough sensing of the environment, the people, the work and whether these things fit you. if they don't, head out. that'll give you the best of both - testing out the field and keeping some money in the bank.

    "good things come to those who wait, but for those who wait too long, the good things are gone."

    cheers to your search!
  • Jackie - You make some very good points. I do not think that you should settle unless absolutely necessary (that goes for all aspects of life). However, I also do not think you have to believe in the product. You can believe in the company and what it stands for or what it has to offer its customers, employees, community etc... The more of those things you can be passionate about the better off everyone is!
  • I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don't know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.

    Lucy

    http://dataentryjob-s.com
  • This post really touches home for me. As a college senior who will graduate this spring, I'm competing against so many of my fellow students for the limited amount of entry level jobs. We have all been taught the same concepts and many have similar achievements, which make the job search even harder.

    After coming off of a summer where I barely obtained an internship, I have little faith in finding a dream job for graduation. This is especially true after not getting the interview for my dream position. With this economy and the high competition, I feel as though many in my class, including myself, are going to take any job that is handed for us, at least for the short term. Many of us have loans and living expenses that won't go away so we can find perfection.

    However, although we may accept these jobs now, especially to gain as much knowledge and experience as we can, I have a feeling that there may be a large amount of young professionals switching careers once the job market recovers.

    ~Nicole
    @NBryant
  • Nicole, I'm excited to see you and some other students on here discussing this topic, because last year when I was a senior this was definitely something I thought a lot about! Now, with the economy how it is and even fewer jobs out there, I think a lot of us are having (or had to) temper our expectations for our first job. As many have said, depending on your financial situation, now definitely isn't the time for you to be picky. I would agree though that once the job market turns around, there may be even MORE competition for some of the newer positions that open up (ESPECIALLY with all of the people claiming to be "gurus" right about now).
  • What a great post and it definitely got me thinking. For full disclosure I'm not exactly a PR or marketing person but rather work with volunteers at a nonprofit. But I'm still selling the mission of my organization so I guess it counts :) I have been blessed to have worked for companies/nonprofits I believe in since graduating a few years ago. I think as a generation though we sometimes are under the impression that a job doesn't count unless you are super passionate about it. Although I for one think it is important to believe in the work you do and the company you do it for - I know this line of thinking sometimes skews my expectations. Yes, I love the nonprofit I work for and agree with and am passionate about their mission. BUT I sometimes disagree with some of the day-to-day things or let's face it I'm not always excited to wake up and head into work. I guess the point I'm making is that sometimes our desire to be in a career we are passionate about can skew our expectations into feeling like we will be passionate about it in every case every day. I try to step back and look a little more big picture - am I passionate about my role at the organization even if maybe the cause or product isn't super close to my heart? or on the other hand am I passionate about the organization but maybe my day to day responsibilities sometimes don't create personal motivation?

    Definitely got some good questions popping into my head.
  • Thanks for your comment Ashley! Don't you love how one simple question usually leads to about 18 other questions?

    I also think that when people think of a "dream" job they sometimes get caught up thinking of it as being 100% awesome all of the time, when there will inevitably be bumps in the road. Maybe the solution is to walk into every new opportunity with very, very low expectations :)
  • Amanda B Dolan
    This poses such a great question and one that I think everyone has or will struggle with at somepoint in their career. The other day it was so sad for me to hear a family member who is almost 60 years old state that they were never able to have a job that they liked. I think it's very difficult to get up and go to a job every day that is always work. I love what I do and I think it reflects in what I produce for my clients. Not everyone is in the position where they can spend 3 years on their couch searching for their dream job. You have to know yourself, believe in yourself and trust your decisions. People who don't like their jobs get into a rut...make sure you're always moving forward and looking for the positives in everything you do. Sheema is right, many times we don't realize how much we will enjoy something until we actually throw ourselves into it.
  • Thanks for your comment, Amanda! I agree with you and Sheema, sometimes you may be very uncertain about a job at first and once you get going with it you decide it's awesome! It's just a matter of knowing when it's too early to give up on a job and then being able to make the most of it if you do decide it's not for you so that you can still grow and challenge yourself on a personal/professional level.
  • Great question. Yes, you should believe in the product you're selling, but does it have to be something you're completely, over-the-moon passionate about? No. Do I want to be on the PR team responsible for cigarette brands? Of course not. Would I be excited to help sell Swiffer products? Yes.

    The point is, it's not all about the product. If Loreal had offered you that job, can you imagine the experience you would've gotten by working with a group of such talented, passionate people? Can you imagine the budget you'd get to work with? Can you imagine the perspective and reach you would have gained from working in a dominantly women's industry (though Loreal has some great men's brands!)?

    Whether you're working for Loreal or for a mom and pop shop that has absolutely no PR budget, make the best of your situation. Do anything and everything you can to get PR experience while you're in your less-than-dream job.

    Your post inspired me to write a post of my own. It's up now at my blog :) Thanks.

    @EstherSteinfeld
    @overtimeshow
  • Thanks, Esther! I actually just left you a comment over at your own blog post so be sure to check it out!
  • Great post Jackie.

    Honestly, I don't feel like there is such a thing as "dream job". I think all you can do is make the best of what is offered, and try and grow personally and professionally with every opportunity.

    I think that the point most others are making is that there are a multitude of factors that go into career decision making-- it's not as easy as asking yourself "is this my dream job?". Circumstances have a huge impact on career decision making, and force many to settle in places where their talents are either wasted or underutilized.

    This becomes a much more realistic question for those who are lucky enough to have career choice, and one that I struggle with pretty regularly.
  • Hmm, interesting that you think there's no "dream job." For me, what I consider to be my dream job is constantly changing, so maybe it's just that there isn't ONE, but many jobs that I dream of working at one day. The trick is to get the most out of my current jobs so that they'll put me on the right path to get to where I do want to be in the future.
  • HannahLue
    Being an aspiring PR pro this is one of things that I consider everyday when looking for jobs after graduation. I am even currently struggling with it while looking for internships.

    My financial situation is less than ideal, and getting worse by the semester. Paying for school completely with loans and financial aid I am only in school part-time because I currently work my part-time job with full-time hours to make ends-meet. And for me to cut hours at my job I need to be able to find a paid internship, which isn't always easy, because they would rather save the payroll for employees they know will do a good job (or at least has the experience and education).

    I, unfortunately, don't have the luxury of holding out for the job or internship that will suit me best. But considering that neither of my parents have college degrees I have always been taught that a career is a journey, and I whole-heartedly agree with many of the comments that, you might not always love what you do, but you should always learn from it.
  • I definitely agree, Hannah. Although you can't afford to be too picky, definitely soak up whatever experiences you're able to get in your internship and even part-time job, because one day they'll definitely be useful in looking for that ideal job! Good luck in your search!
  • GoKTGo
    Some really good questions on here, J.

    I think that I'm a fairly passion driven person and I get frustrated when people don't show the same excitement for their job as I do (but let's face it, based on my average number of exclamation points per statement, I doubt there are many people out there that are as excited as I am!) :)

    One of my favorite teachers in J-School at UNC, VK Fields (http://www.vkfields.com/) from my PR Writing class told us that it's OK if the product you are working on or the client you are working for isn't your favorite thing in the world or your passion, but you have to know when to draw the line - She gave us an example from her first job where she was asked to help with a campaign that would promoted drinking to underage college students and because she didn't believe in the campaign, she asked to not be part of it.

    Like Sheema said, I think you can learn a lot from being put in a position where you might not love the product/company because it forces you to think about things in new ways - it also gives you an opportunity to bring something new to the table that people who are fully passionate (and maybe blind to the products faults/shortcomings) might not have.

    As for me, I have only worked and had internships in agencies - and I feel somewhat connected & partial to all of the clients I have ever worked on (because of Fleishman-Hillard I prefer Krispy Kreme to Dunkin, because of McKinney I always use Travelocity and because of MS&L I go to The Home Depot...not Lowes), but in the long run, I know my heart isn't in agency work.

    I think it's ok (especially as a recent grad) to take a job that might not be the most perfect fit for you as long as it's somewhere you can learn. As soon as you stop learning or don't have any room to grow, then you should move on.

    I don't think I answered any of your questions either...but, I'll second what Rebecca said with a "GO HEELS!" :D

    -Katie
  • I really need to get to work, but this part's my fave :) "As soon as you stop learning or don't have any room to grow, then you should move on." Some people may misunderstand this as when you quit learning that's when you get comfortable with your job, but really if you're too comfortable you're not going to be pushing your limits and challenging yourself, which isn't good for you personally or for the business.
  • "The fact of the matter is, your career is a journey. It's highly unlikely that you'll find that prized position right out of school. That is something to work towards"

    Sara, I really like what you said about your career being a journey. Because it is. And aren't we taught our whole lives that things aren't going to be perfect 100% of the time? It's no different for our jobs or careers.

    I think that as long as you don't lose touch with your career goals and ideals, you're not settling if you take a position that seems less than ideal. Most of us aren't fortunate enough to land that ideal job right out of school, and that's okay. Most of us aren't in a position to turn down a job that offers good (or semi decent!) pay and benefits (oops, no longer on my parent's insurance plan anymore...). But if you look at this 'less than ideal' position as a stepping stone for getting to your dream job, then it's far from settling.

    Also - I think there's a difference between believing in your company's product and being morally opposed to the company's processes. In fact, perhaps not believing in your company's product will force you to think from a different perspective and actually end up improving your PR and marketing skills. If you're at moral odds with your organization though, it may be a different story. No one wants to feel unethical in the work they do.

    Just a few thoughts : )
  • Thanks for chiming in, Allie! As I said to Sara, I also really like the journey analogy. I'm also with you on the the morality issue with working for a company. Phillip Morris was a pretty big recruiter at my school and (just like the commercials) I had no desire to work for a company that sold products that I'm against the use of and won't "sell out for." Thanks for your thoughts!
  • Depends what the job is, what other opportunities it could lead to, what the salary is, etc. Obviously there are some things people shouldn't compromise on: if you're a vegan, accepting a job at a meat company probably is a no brainer, but most jobs aren't that clear cut. My first job out of college was at a nuclear energy trade association. I actually learned a lot about nuclear energy working there--stuff I wouldn't have learned had I not accepted that job.

    To me, jobs are about so much other than the overall company--what you'll be doing on a daily basis may have nothing much at all to do with what product or service the company makes or sells. To me, an entry-level job should be sort of "work 101"---getting used to getting somewhere on time, every day; getting used to office politics; learning about the different types of jobs that exist within a company; getting health insurance and 401k and that stuff, etc. It sounds stupid but really--there's no way to know any of this stuff without just doing it; the position itself doesn't ultimately matter that much because chances are you're probably not going to be at that company for the next 10 or 20 years.

    You may also hold out for your "dream" job or product, only to get the job and realize that they do business in such a way that you really don't end up admiring the product after all. Or vice-versa; you may avoid a company because you think you don't like what they do, only to realize that actually, you do admire their business practices.

    Bottom line: a steady paycheck, benefits and a chance to see the inner-workings of any given company are all nothing to sneeze at. If you hate it, you can leave--but chances are you'll leave with at least some skill or piece of knowledge you didn't have when you took the job and that alone will have made it worthwhile.
  • Great stuff Maggie, thanks for sharing your thoughts! You raise a great point that really no matter what situation you end up in there is always something you should be able to take away from it and why not soak up as many skills as you can while you're there, even if it's not your "ideal" job.
  • Sara
    Excellent point. My first job out of school was as an Office Administrator for Sergio Zyman. Two months later I was promoted to doing project management for over 300 projects with ConAgra. What am I doing now? Web content development for a major health care system. Btw, I have an English degree. It's all about the opportunity to learn and grow.
  • Sara
    I have a couple thoughts on this. The realistic me thinks that our idealism may need to be put in hold in these economic times. If the job fits, my advice would be to take it even it you don't "care" about the product or company. Why? Because it's an opportunity to learn and grow - and also to learn how to market something that you're not passionate about. You won't always love what you're doing or promoting, but you should be good at it anyway.

    Now, the idealist me says you should hold out for the right job if you can. And if you can hold out because you have some financial security, don't waste your time - do something other than just job hunting. Go and seek out that ideal opportunity.

    Ok, no, sorry, realistic me is jumping in again. I think it's about semantics. You're not "settling" if you take a job that is not a 100% match to what you want to do. The fact of the matter is, your career is a journey. It's highly unlikely that you'll find that prized position right out of school. That is something to work towards. And if you do - what will you do when that perfect job becomes boring and commonplace? Any and every position you have is an opportunity for enrichment. So, no, it's not "settling." It's not a "job" either - it's the beginning of your career.

    One caveat, if you're morally opposed to the product or company - why did you apply for it anyway? :)

    Hope that helps. Just my opinion.
  • Sara, I like the analogy you used of your career being a journey because whatever destination you have set for yourself in your mind, there's more than ONE path you can take to get there. Sure, we're not going to have the shortest and easiest path to our career goal, but what makes the journey enjoyable is the entire JOURNEY, which, as you said, helps shape us professionally and helps us grow.
  • I'm so glad you wrote this because it's definitely I've been thinking about as I finish up my internship. I'm finding I have a similar dilemma. The first internship I had in PR measurement was with the best of the best (Katie Paine), and I'm finding I don't believe as much in the quality of the product that the company I work for now produces. Do I take on a full-time role then? They are considered to be the best of the best as far as PR agencies go, but if I don't necessarily believe in the research and products I personally produce, do I stick around?

    I've tried to have this conversation with my dad who always says to cross that bridge when you get there. I love him, but that is not quite helpful. I think that during this recession all of the rules have changed, but I'm also confident that I won't have to settle. I guess the way I look at it is that if I do love a product, then my passion for it will come through and will help me to get a job. Maybe that's really optimistic, but I'd rather hold out a little while for something I could really love. Even now, decisions we make and jobs we take can have a huge impact on how our careers will turn out.

    With that in mind, I wonder if it would be better to tell future employers that you were unemployed for so long because you were holding out for a job you loved or if it's better to just have the experience? But will the quality of your work be all that great if you don't believe in the product, as you say? I'm afraid I'm not really answering any of your questions, but just coming up with all new ones.

    Between you, me and KT, Tar Heels are taking over Lauren's blog!
  • I think it's important to be mindful of the way potential employers view "holding out for the perfect job." To you, it may sound noble; to a potential employer it may well come across as "wish I had the luxury of choosing not to work because my parents are supporting me!" Behind every hiring manager is a real person, a person with their own story and baggage and attitudes about "those Gen-Yers"...and that stuff all plays a huge role in whether or not you get a job.

    I remember a Director at my first job out of college asking me, point blank, when I applied for an internal promotion "Do you even want to work?" This because she perceived me as rich and spoiled because I lived with my parents (I was paying my parents rent to live at home for 6 months after I graduated, then moved out) and like I saw working as a game or something. I was so insulted--I put my all into that job, even though I was a secretary--and I hated that she was judging me as a person based on her own feelings of self-worth (she didn't have a college degree, had a chip on her shoulder, etc) and ultimately keeping me from a job I was qualified to do just because she didn't like me. But it was a good lesson to learn.
  • Thanks so much for your comment Rebecca! I'm glad the topic is something that you found relevant personally. More questions are always good and I definitely figured I'd be getting both some different opinions and some confused looks :) Parents do have a funny way of trying to comfort you without actually helping you sometimes, haha.

    You're right, I'm always thinking about what sort of position a move I make right now will put me in in the future, and I think you should definitely be hesitant to take something that doesn't fit into your longer term goals. However, sometimes, you don't have much of a choice if you're just really in need of income. So, I guess what I'm saying is each individual's situation is very, very different.
  • I think you've posed a really good question and one many students are facing today. To be completely honest, I think it really depends on your financial situation. I have friends who won't settle until they've found a job they believe in, but their parents are able to support them financially so they can hold out for that right job. Then I have friends whose parents aren't able to support them, and they've been working 2 part-time jobs to stay afloat, so when a decent opportunity comes across they will take it, even if they don't consider it a dream job. I feel like even if you don't believe in a project or product, when you start working within it, you may change your mind and put your whole heart into it.

    Also, I get your Loreal example, but maybe not being suited for a brand may force you to think out of the box and consider viewpoints that women who have used make-up every single day may have overlooked.
  • Great comment Sheema, I completely agree. I graduated in April and was lucky enough to start my first job five days after graduation. I support myself, and waiting for the ideal job just wasn't ...ideal for me. I didn't have previous, personal knowledge of the product that I would be promoting, but I did thoroughly research it before beginning. The product is something that I support now that I am a user, so it worked out great for me.

    I think in today's job market, most people are taking whatever comes along that "kind of fits" and I don't think they/I can be blamed for it. As long as the job doesn't require going against your morals I think it's ok to use the un-ideal job as a stepping stone to your ideal job.
  • For some reason I keep thinking back to that scene in What Women Want with Mel Gibson in his bathroom trying on women's beauty products in order to brainstorm.

    I think it is important to believe in the product you are selling, but sometimes it is not possible as pr professionals. I feel like it is just that much more of a challenge to be able to sell a product or service well even if you don't necessarily love what it is you are offering.
  • Good point, Sheema. Some people are at points in their lives where they can take a chance on waiting it out for that "perfect" job and do independent consulting or some free work in the meantime.

    Also, I agree that sometimes you do need someone who isn't as connected to a product to get some outside of the box ideas and opposing view points. Do you think that you could be passionate about selling/marketing the product and this be the case? For example, could I work for Loreal and be passionate about selling their products even if I'd never use them?
  • That's a great point, Sheema! I have some pretty darn amazing parents who are supporting me, but I do have friends who aren't so lucky. That does change everything, especially in this economy!
  • Thanks Rebecca! I have friends who've had to support themselves as soon as they graduated- they are grateful for any job opportunity. I think most of them feel like they can get some valuable experience and then go for the a job they truly believe in. I'm all for following your dreams, but sometimes that means delaying them because of other obstacles such as your financial situation.
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