Advice for TwentySomethings In a Slumped Economy

One thing I love about being in Buenos Aires is seeing how twentysomethings from the US are taking full advantage of the slow economy at home to go abroad and find interesting opportunities.

Things may suck in your town, your state or your country right now, but it doesn’t mean you don’t have options elsewhere! You can stay and compete for the same jobs with tons of others who have the same degree and experience you do, or you can get out and make yourself more valuable to employers and the world.

My advice to ANYONE is that if you are not thriving, then do something else. There is no reason to stick with a job that bores you to tears or in a work place that makes you dread each day. This is important for people of all ages but especially true for young people!

When you are young, you should be getting out there and learning in a range of settings that truly challenge you. It’s been shown that those who have lived abroad have more creativity and improved problem-solving skills. Well, obviously—when you have to figure out what’s going on, how to make things work, and how to make your way in an unfamiliar place, you have to get creative! Being adaptable and innovative is absolutely the key to success for those in the 21st-century global economy.

If you’re not actively increasing your ability to be flexible and creative and you’re not learning more about yourself and the world around you, quit what you’re doing and dive into something that allows you to come alive. Do not waste another minute doing the “right thing”—there’s plenty of time for that later, if you’re still interested in it. Instead, focus on your natural interests and talents. You won’t go wrong if you do what you love to do and you’re creative about finding new ways and places to use your skills.

Of course, if you have student loans, it’s a much bigger challenge. That’s one of the reasons I wrote The New Global Student—to help young people avoid college debt so that they are free to pursue their interests after graduation!

Remember: the key is to challenge yourself in new ways. You’ve done the classroom thing already. Think about how to leverage what you know and layer more knowledge and skills on top of it.

In what non-classroom ways can you expand and deepen your experiences and options?

Keep in mind that your life doesn’t have to follow a straight and predictable line. Often, your best opportunities are those that might seem to take you off on a tangent. The most interesting and successful people I know are the ones who have learned to trust their instincts and go where their interests lead them rather than follow a prescribed path. Don’t be afraid to do something that excites you even if it sounds kind of crazy.

My new book shows how people of all ages and with limited resources (some with less than $1,000) are creating new lives for themselves abroad. This has been an option for years, but it’s even more compelling if you happen to be in a situation in which you are:

* unsatisfied
* unable to find a job or an internship
* losing hope in your ability to do something creative, meaningful, fulfilling and self-supporting.

If you’re in your twenties and not fully engaged in work that lights you up, go find your spark somewhere else–at least for the time being. Who knows where it will lead?

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