Young Professionals Roundtable

With the recession and rise in technological dependence, today’s young professionals are adapting quickly.

The recession has decreased job opportunities; it is now necessary for the workforce to have versatility in skill and ability. However, this also allows particularly driven young professionals to thrive in today’s changing job market. With their innovative minds, they become an asset to any company.

Parents and grandparents are no longer retiring by the age of 55. Social Security is no longer promised. Young professionals, typically in their early-to-mid 30s, somehow maintain tenacity through these dramatic changes.

And while these professionals are assuming executive or managerial positions, those who are in their 20s are developing experience and preparing for their own future success.

We spoke with three local professionals: Karen Candy, 35, media relations manager at Princess Cruises; Josh Mann, 29, manager of business retention and marketing at the Santa Clarita Valley Economic Development Corporation; and Chris Angelo, 38, CEO and president of Stay Green Landscape Services.

Through their own agency and unwavering optimism, they have found professional success at a young age and provide insight into their peer group’s mentality.

Q: How has being young helped or hindered your career?
Karen Candy: I started working when I was 22, and I’ve been working ever since. I’m 35 now and proud of the position I’m in. I started at a PR agency and moved into corporate seven years ago. The worlds are vastly different in terms of things you learn.

Josh Mann: In most respects, my age has been very helpful. Many employers are interested in the excitement young people bring to the table; they’re not risk averse. But it can also be a hindrance at times; you’re often thought of not being as experienced or capable as others when the only real difference may be age. It’s an interesting dynamic.

Q: Is this because you need to build trust first?
Mann: It’s really about relationship development. That is going to be the way you overcome any hesitations someone may have about you being a younger person in your field.

Chris Angelo: Being young has helped me in my career. My youth has provided me with a lot of energy, so I’ve been able to work and dedicate more hours than somebody at a different age level. I’ve been able to put in the time, research and resources to be able to gain the knowledge I need in being able to go to the next step. Being young also helps you be immune to rejection. You don’t give up, and you fight a little harder to get through those weaker moments.

Q: How do you manage groups of people who may often be older than you? Do you manage any differently than you would with your peer group?
Angelo: I don’t manage people by age; I measure people on whether or not they are committed, their level of willingness to be in the company and their role, and their level of competency. Plus, there are different styles of management. Are employees in a directing stage where they would need micromanagement? Are they in a coaching role where we can check in on them on a frequent basis? Are they in a mentorship role where we just touch in? Or are they in a delegating role where we give them an assignment and they get it done?

Candy: No matter who you are managing, you need to listen to what people are saying. You need to keep your ear open when someone needs assistance and when someone doesn’t.

Mann: There is a large difference in how different generations like to be managed. Those who may be older may appreciate more structure and knowing what they’re getting into before they get into it. For someone my age, to get ahead you have to do whatever it takes. If you’re given a task and you’re on your own, you deal with that. You’re certainly not dependent on the structure we may have seen in the positions we hold now 30 years ago.

Angelo: Managing and communicating may be perceived as being the same. There is a difference in older generations in how they want to be communicated with from their manager than a younger person would. Technology plays a role in that. Often, older generations appreciate a phone call or face-to-face interaction as opposed to an email.

Q: What can young professionals learn from the older generations who may have more experience?
Candy: At Princess Cruises, I’m working with people of all ages and people who have been with the company for more than 30 years and really know the business. You really need to get the information you need and process it to understand what it means for the business. I need to think of what results the older executives want to see. It’s not about jumping to decide anything; it’s about thinking of it from a higher level.

In my experience, older professionals are very patient. They also have to adapt to our generation. It’s about understanding behaviors, what they mean, and how they can affect your business.

Q: Many of these differences come from experience with technology.
Candy: We’ve really embraced social media at Princess Cruises. And my team has been the impetus behind it. Our older executives now really understand the importance of having the “citizen journalist” backing your business; The fans become advocates of your brand and your business.

Angelo: What I have learned from older team members and professionals is patience and listening. We were raised and taught to make decisions quickly, but that impacts a lot of people around us. And if we move too quickly, we’re not considering the bigger picture.

Mann: Older generations certainly put things into context and provide some background history you may not otherwise have. Oftentimes, young professionals are excited about getting things done, but may not have the perspective of what has worked and what hasn’t worked. So much of today is about relationships, and if you don’t have the knowledge of how prior relationships began and what has happened in the past, that can greatly affect the success of whatever you are working on.

Q: How traditional was your career route? And what was your first real job?
Angelo: My means to my career was traditional in the sense that a lot of the American Dream is becoming a second generation owner of a family business. But it was unique in that you are influenced by the people around you in how you will obtain the position. It makes it a little more difficult to get it because you’re held at a higher standard than other people who are being considered for the position.

Candy: My first job out of college was as an intern at a PR agency. I didn’t think it was so great, because I wanted a (paid) job. But I quickly learned in the two months I was an intern, and then I was hired at the agency and was there for seven years. I found this job at Princess Cruises coincidentally. I moved here in 2003 when my husband’s sales territory was transferred.

Mann: My route falls into the new tradition. How I got to where I am today was completely built on relationships. I find there’s an interest in many organizations to bring the new generation of leadership up, to try to keep the energy and momentum going. The management trainee programs and the apprenticeships are all gone; they’ve gone the way of steno pools and expense accounts.

Q: Do you think there are more opportunities for younger people in the professional world?
Angelo: If you’re young by nature and have limited work experience, you’re not going to have as many opportunities; an employer is going to gravitate toward somebody with experience. Because we have to be so lean right now, employers want someone who can be a driver and a producer. Experience in a real-life working scenario is more important than just being young.

Candy: You do have to have some experience. If you’re right out of college, I’d encourage anyone to do an internship to get your foot in the door. The younger generation also thinks they have the experience, so they want to come in at a certain level and they might not be ready. People want to start and move up as quickly as they can, but they may not have the experience to get to the next level.

Q: Would you say the expectations of the younger generation wanting to move up so quickly are unrealistic?
Candy: I wouldn’t take away their ambition; it’s great. In many cases, it can work for some people. But you can’t substitute real-life experience for anything else.

Mann: It really is a balancing act in terms of the expectation of the younger professionals and the positions they’re in, meaning they’re probably doing two-to-three people’s jobs from 20 to 30 years ago. You certainly need a level of passion about what you do because that’s what keeps you employed. But this is brought into check because as ambitious as you may be, at the end of the day the work still has to be done — and be done right. In terms of moving up through the ranks, everybody is fighting for the same position; it’s a very cutthroat situation. We’ve created this lean human resources situation throughout the world at this point, so you’ve got to be very driven to try to get to the next level. It’s very competitive these days.

Q: Who has been your professional mentor?
Candy: My father. He’s always been very respected. And he doesn’t just do a good job; he’s also very well liked. Having someone like that to look up to is great, because it doesn’t only make me want to do a good job, it makes me want to be a good person. I want people to respect what I’m doing so I can build relationships along the way.

Secondly is my boss, Julie Benson. She’s been with Princess Cruises for 27 years and has a vast expanse of knowledge. She’s incredibly well-respected and well-liked around town.

Mann: My father is also my biggest influence, but I have mentors all over the place. For example, Larry Chimbole, who served in the state assembly 40-something years ago. He’s 93 now, and still gets up and works every day, drives and is involved in the community. Our parents and grandparents are still working and are still being involved in their communities; the mythological retirement in Florida is gone. I think that’s where we’re going as a society. The job’s never really over, but you take time to smell the roses. You have to find a live/work balance.

Angelo: The live/work balance is an interesting point. With my parents, life was work-balanced; you work so you can live later. Our generation is much different. This is one conflict that has come up with older generations in terms of being committed.

My mentor, from a traditional perspective, is also my father [Richard Angelo]. He taught me faith, work ethic, and to treat people the way I wanted to be treated; these were instilled early on. I also surround myself with business mentors. I’m in a CEO peer group and a national landscape peer group as well. I like my mentors to be tangible to me.

Q: Karen, you mentioned Julie has held the same job for 27 years. The younger generation is steering away from this to hold more jobs in their lifetimes. What are your thoughts?
Candy: For younger generations, they see growth as changing positions. If you change positions and change companies, you’ll probably have a better chance of getting a higher position and a higher salary. It also might take landing in the right place, and finding something you are passionate about. You might not grow at the same rate, but you grow professionally tremendously. Being in the same place for a long time helps you greatly; you’re with great mentors and you have a chance to get involved, versus jumping around from job to job.

Mann: I’ve held four jobs in six years, so I guess I’m the mover of the group. It’s definitely representative of the next generation that’s coming up that’s always looking for new experiences and new challenges. There’s something to be said about finding that place of contentment, but for someone like myself, I’m content with always being challenged. Those new opportunities are probably my main motivation for moving around.  

On the flip side, the idea of having a single career where you work your way to the top doesn’t exist anymore. There are very few companies — big or small — that allow you that opportunity. You’ve got to be on your toes always looking for the next opportunity, whether that’s actively looking for a new job or building relationships. Companies are also being downsized and merged, so you have to roll with the economic changes. This will be something that will be more and more common as time goes on.

Angelo: When I think about job tenure, I think about what was available three or four decades ago when people in the work force were so loyal to their businesses; there just weren’t as many choices. We weren’t a global economy and there wasn’t e-commerce. There are a lot of differences that are now available to the workforce today. We’ve seen in the last two recessions the security blanket of a traditional business is no longer there. There is no security in pensions; there’s no security in job retention. So the loyalty of the employee has changed a bit, and vice versa. That’s culturally driven through industry.

Younger generations are also used to instant gratification. Look at the iPhone. You see a lot of resume jumping because the organization the younger generation may be a part of isn’t growing as rapidly as the person is moving, or the innovation and passion within the organization are lost. Passion drives retention. If you build a company or organization around passion about your product and/or service, you’re pretty much unstoppable. I think of the following and the culture of Apple. Who goes into their stores and doesn’t feel excited? You want to be part of their culture and team.

Mann: This speaks to something I’ve seen around the Santa Clarita Valley. There are a ton of on-fire entrepreneurs, whether they own small businesses or major corporations. They have entrepreneurial spirit and drive and are always looking for the next great opportunity. In my current job, I go out and meet these companies and talk about their business. I’m always astounded by the level of entrepreneurship here in the valley. Many people, regardless of how the economy is doing, are still getting out there and putting out the best product of service they know how to do. It makes me feel good about the future.