May 9, 2018
Dear College Grad
By Jen Landis, Vice President : Creative Director at KidGlov
Recently, I gave a speech to the UNO Marketing Group titled ‘10 Things I Regret Doing When I Started my Career in Advertising. Most of those things can be boiled down to one major roadblock of mine…I didn’t believe in myself. Looking back, I cringe at how nervous I was to share my options and ideas with the team. I bet I’m not the only one who has been crippled in silence because I thought my ideas were stupid and I should keep them to myself. But thankfully, I have figured out a way to turn those thoughts around.
Continuing to grow and to believe in myself is my number one goal. For the past 13 years, through my side business Pincurl Girls, I have been inspiring young adult women on how to turn down the volume of their negative voices and focus on believing in themselves. I am proud to say that today, I am living a fulfilled life by not letting my fears and insecurities kill my dreams. So, college graduates, instead of telling you what I wish I did differently in my career, here are 10 ideas to keep with you as you lay the foundation for a great career.
- Focus on the thoughts that make you feel good about yourself.
- Be aware of how it’s been done in the past, but put your own spin on it.
- Create a fun work atmosphere for yourself.
- Listen to your inner voice and speak up whenever possible.
- Push past your vulnerabilities to reach your goals.
- Connect with your co-workers, build your tribe of supporters.
- Don’t compromise yourself to gain the approval of others.
- Do kick ass shit, even on the smallest projects.
- Turn your insecurities into motivation.
- Find ways to stand out from the crowd.
Congrats on your graduation! Go out there and create your best life.
KidGlov is a boutique, full-service, advertising, branding and content marketing agency and certified B Corp, with offices in Omaha and Lincoln, Nebraska, specializing in nonprofit marketing, healthcare marketing, financial services marketing, social impact marketing, and purpose-driven businesses.