Quality vs. Quantity

By Bruce Lund, NEXTPERT
Topic: Career Development, Marketing, Networking, Personal Branding, Success Strategies, Reputation Management, Social Media, Entrepreneur, Gen Y, Millennial, Job Searching

 www.nextpert.net

Be Different by Being Normal

To be different in today’s Generation Y society is really to be normal.

How are you projecting yourself?

With nearly half the Millennial population now having a tattoo it’s almost to the point that you can differentiate yourself just by being normal. That is, acting in a professional manner by being world-class in everything you do.

Easier said than done I know. But start by not doing one thing a day that could be deemed as negative or that may add drama to your life or others. If it seems like a “norm” in Gen Y standards it may not be a good thing.

For instance, if you’re thinking about getting your next tattoo to express yourself I ask that you think twice and if on your second thought you still want to do it then think again for a third time.

We already have a hard enough time during this Recession to land a job so don’t let this be a deciding factor.

Let’s look at the statistics given by new Pew Research on Millennial expression.  

Self-expression

• 75 percent of Millennials have created a profile on a social networking site
• 20 percent have posted a video of themselves online
• Nearly half have a tattoo and half of those have up to five tattoos
• 25 percent have piercings in some place other than an earlobe which is six times more than adults who’ve done so

I do believe Facebook is a great tool in personal branding. If done PROPERLY, in a professional manner, you can really set yourself up for success. I suggest that you create a (truthful) profile that will best express who you are and what you can offer (limit the 

Society feels sympathy for those who wear their hearts on their sleeves, but for those who wear

their hearts on their arms in the medium of ink, society may feel anything but sympathy ~anonymous 

The reality is that your future employers do judge you based on appearance. A survey by Vault.com  revealed that 85% of people surveyed believe that tattoos and piercings impede ones chances of landing a job.

The phenomena that is “body art” has played a pivotal role in appearances of Generation Y. Visible Body Modification (VBM), whether you like it or not, will affect your chances of landing or keeping a job. Visible Body Modification is known as tattoos and piercings that can be seen on exposed parts of the body.    

I strongly encourage you to cover up your tattoos and remove any piercings when interviewing for a job.

Other appearances to consider are dress and the overall presentation of yourself. I would rather be overdressed than underdressed and am often times told that I may be a little overdressed. The reality is being the “overdressed guy” is always superior than being projected as the slob that walks in with a pair of holy jeans and a flat bill, backwards hat.

Have we really gotten to the point that being normal is considered abnormal?

Being normal never felt so good. In the end, your career will thank you for not making hasty, spontaneous decisions that will affect your future. We’ve been scripted to “express” ourselves and stand out but the truth is you better be careful to the extremes in which you decide to do so.  

Bruce Lund is the Founder & CEO of NEXTPERT, a training and consulting firm offering insight and strategies to help recruit, train, and retain the BEST of the NEXT Generation leaders. Bruce is a Next Generation Expert completing his Ph.D. on the leadership of this unique group. Bruce has worked in and through many top organizations and teaches the whole self (Mind, Body, Heart, Spirit) approach in leading. He is seeking to become THE Leadership Expert Generation Y can count on for guidance to take them from where they are right now and teach them the distinctive habits of successful people to live an extraordinary life.