Taking career advice from your kids.

My computer crashed last Thursday. Today is Tuesday, and it’s still not fixed. Every five minutes it shuts down and I curse. Typing this blog is a chore, preparing for it was a blast…

I spent the holiday weekend with some friends at Norris Lake. During the day, we watched the in-shape, full-of-life kids fish, wakeboard, and flirt. At night, we took ‘adults-only’ boat rides and jammed to Kid Rock.

Yesterday, came the realization that the weekend was coming to an end, and it was back to the reality of jobs, homework, High School and 1st grade. I overheard one of the little one’s say, “why don't you just quit your job and work at the marina.” That simple statement inspired me to make the transition from play to work by doing an interview on the boat with our 'youth' entourage.

I always thought we were supposed to get smarter as we get older. Interviewing some of my favorite young people (ages 6 – 15), I realized that wisdom doesn’t always come with age. Here’s what they had to say.

Can I interview you?

“Sure I get asked that a lot” - Alex 15

What do you want to be when you grow up?

“He (pointing at the handsome Cameron) wants to be a model.” - Alex 15

“Actually, I want to be a Head of International Business.” - Cameron 15

“I want to be a pop sensation and a scientist” - Anna Grace 8

“Well, I'm gonna be a corporate lawyer” - Alex 15

“I want to be a rockstar, skate boarder and vet” - Conner 6

"And, a wrestler.." - Conner 6 (They say slash careers are the new trend)

“I don’t want to be a talk show host cause they have to do interviews and talk” - Layne, 13 who picked being a diver over a plumber.

“A Fashion Designer or Model” - Taylor 15, who has 200 – 300 sketches of clothes she’s designed while watching America’s Top Model.

“A food or restaurant critic would be cool you get to travel and eat all the time” - Cameron 15, “Yeah” - Group

What would be cool about that job?

“Traveling and meet a lot of people.” - Cameron 15, Head of International Business

“ Getting awards, and inventing my friends a time machine.” - Anna Grace 8 Pop sensation/Scientist

“Rock Stars get ladies, skateboarders do cool tricks and vets can take care of animals” - Conner 6 RockStar, Skateboarder/Vet

“I like to argue” - Alex 15, Corporate Lawyer
“Yes, he does. He can go to court for me when I get sued. ”

What job would you never want to do?

“A construction worker, they work to hard…” - Cameron 15

“I never want to be a vet, cause they also kill animals” – Anna Grace 8

“ A 9 – 5 job” - Alex 15

“ A grocery store bagger, that looks boring” - Conner 6

When should you quit your job?

“If you hate your boss” – Taylor 15

“If you like your boss” - Taylor 15

"If you like your boss???" –

“Romantically” – Taylor 15

"OH!"

“When it get’s redundant and boring” - Alex 15 years old

“The job disagrees with your values” – Cameron 15

What adult do you know that has a really cool job and why?

“Mom and Nicole cause they get paid to hang out” - Taylor 15

“Ms. Amanda cause her company is awesome” – Conner 6

“My dad he gets to serve people and make dreams come true.” – Anna Grace 8

Being around these insightful and talented young people made me reflect back to when I was a kid – dreaming about what I wanted to be when I grew up – A Rockstar (inspired by Prince), A&R director, Pilot (Top Gun), Agent (Jerry McGuire). I’m convinced we were more in-touch with our passions back then that somewhere along the path through adulthood we become jaded.

We start to tell ourselves things like:

“I can’t do this because…”
“I have to take this job because ..."
"In the real world this is the way it is.."
“only people with __ can do this I’m not __”
"it is what it is...."

It’s that deadened outlook that ‘screws it all up.’

I challenge you to do two things:

1. Take a look back to when you were a kid and teenager, how would you have answered these questions.

2. Ask your kids now to answer these questions.

Oh, yeah share your answers with us!!

amanda hite

talent revolution

Tags: amanda, career, generation, hite, interview, job, kids, y, youth

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Comment by Amanda Hite on September 5, 2008 at 3:21am: Paul, thanks for sharing!

Comment by Amanda Hite on September 5, 2008 at 3:21am: keith, lol

Non-Operator Comment by Paul Paz on September 4, 2008 at 10:23pm: Like Stephanie, I too wanted to be a teacher.

I didn’t graduate from college 'cuz I got busy with a 10-career in insurance and raising a family. I dumped the insurance gig, got divorced, became a single Dad... and fell into the job I’d fall in love with. I didn’t realize it was going to become my passion and vocation: a professional waiter.

Now with the training I do at my restaurant, my consulting, developing and delivering custom workshops... I've come full circle.

I became the teacher I always wanted to be.

Who would have thought… hhhmmm.

Life is rich!

Paul

Comment by Keith Bernhardt on September 4, 2008 at 11:38am: Amanda H,

"Give me a G Give Me an E Give Me an N Y Y Y"

Comment by Amanda Hite on September 4, 2008 at 11:30am: susan, they were soo thoughtful you're right.

Comment by Amanda Hite on September 4, 2008 at 11:27am: Amanda, would you believe in 7th grade I was a cheerleader? I had the long hair perm, bangs sprayed with aqua net etc LOL! There are a few black male pictures out there!

in regards to their seriousness - Cameron 15, head of internation business can articulate his 5 year plan better than I can mine. When he talked about leaving a company who's values disagree I thought he has more business maturity at 15 than half the people I've worked with. Made me feel good about the future.

Comment by susan holaday on September 4, 2008 at 7:33am: It was the thoughtfulness of their comments I found impressive.

Comment by Amanda Vroom on September 4, 2008 at 5:13am: I totally wanted to be a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader growing up. Apparently from the ages of 5 -7 this is all I talked about. Funny...I never did do cheerleading when I was in school, in fact, I kind of made fun of them a little...nothing personal...just picking on my friends who did.

I find it very interesting that instead of picking "cool jobs" that there were some very serious answers out of the group...what does that mean for this future generation? Are they already chaning the world before they have their HS Diploma???

Comment by susan holaday on September 3, 2008 at 1:10pm: I agree about the material stuff, Amanda. One of the most fun cars I ever had was an apple green Alfa Spider that I sold after moving to Boston where the rag roof was torn by someone trying to break in and there were other attempts to steal it. I realized it made no sense for the more urban life I'd picked and traded it for a more sensible car. Today, I have a Mercury Grand Marquis that I drive maybe a few times a month - I walk everywhere or take a water shuttle across the harbor or a bus to public transportation. Your priorities change as your life changes - look at old the people who grew up with Big Macs who've discovered healthy and even vegetarian options!