Career Advice from the 'Younger Me'

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A common, if not “cheesy”, interview question often posed by potential employers is “If you could travel back in time, what advice would you give to the “Younger You”?  It’s one of those non-scientific, psychological inquiries used to assess a candidate’s maturity, wisdom, and maybe, sense of humor. They’ll tell you there is no “right” answer. Which begs the question, “Why ask it at all?”

A better question to ask might be, “What words of advice would you get from the ‘Younger You’?”

In the 1986 movie Peggy Sue Got Married, Kathleen Turner’s character goes back in time and has the chance to change her life history.  Instead, the “mature” Peggy Sue learns a life lesson while revisiting her younger days, finds renewed purpose to her life, and rediscovers her happiness.

Recently, I came across an old article about Desktop Publishing from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel “Careers” section. In the upbeat article, reporter Heidi F. Schudrowitz interviewed a local art director whom she referred to as an “expert” in the field. I was that art director. I smiled as I read the old article, now peppered with archaic terminology, when a quote at the bottom of the page caught me by surprise: “Don’t be afraid of computers.”

“What?,” I wondered, “Whatever happened to that girl who was so excited about new technology?”

At the time that article was written, I primarily designed for print media but had begun dabbling in web design. In fact, that is how the reporter found me. While looking through the graphic design listing in the local Yellow Pages, our company’s colorful display ad—which I designed—caught her attention.  It drove her to the company’s simple website—which I also designed. Ms. Schudrowicz liked what she saw and called the company owner to set up an interview. You might call that a successful “print-to-digital” media push!

After the article was published, job-changes led me deeper into the print industry where I enjoyed cutting edge print technology. While exciting and very fulfilling, creative jobs in the shrinking print industry were becoming scarce. With more and more employers asking for web design and social media experience, a career shift was necessary for me.

Professionally speaking, working with the Internet can be creative, informative and meaningful. Technology can also be frustrating, and judging from news reports, downright scary at times. To begin my own successful “print-to-digital” push, I had to hear my own voice, speaking to me from the Past: “Don’t be afraid of computers.” And like Peggy Sue, I returned to school. Today, there is renewed purpose to my career…and I find I am truly happy again.

Inspired by advice from the “Younger Me.”

This photo was taken by photographer Tom Lynn.