Dear Grads of 2022,
I bet when you heard there’d be lots of test-taking in college, you didn’t think that meant twirling swabs up your nose. But you made it! Your multitasking-from-anywhere skills are perfect for today’s work world. You deserve your reputation for resilience under dire conditions. Meanwhile, the reputations of experts are in tatters.
But be warned, you’ll forever be the Zoom-groomed Corona crew. No matter what you say or do, like drinking Blueberry & Açaí Truly Hard Seltzer or bragging about your now near-worthless NFT collection, you’ll be put in a box, stereotyped. Others will say behind your back, “Oh, that’s so on brand.” As you enter the real world from the conformities of the college cocoon, think hard about your reputation, your personal brand. Like it or not, wherever you go, your reputation precedes you.
People will probe to construct your story: “Where are you from?” “Where’d you go to college?” “What did your parents do?” Yes, life is like your college application on steroids. But you can break free. Don’t think worse of me for quoting the movie “Dirty Dancing” and suggesting “nobody puts Baby in the corner.” Take charge of your own reputation.
Hyperconnected Wall Street traders and bankers, analysts and salesmen do trillions in transactions every day based on the reputations of folks they often have never met face to face. You can lie to a customer any time but only once. And then word gets out, goes viral and everyone knows it. It’s a short walk from great rep to out of the business. On Wall Street, all you have is your reputation. Same for you.
If all goes well, you’re about to begin a job—you better, there are now five million more jobs than job seekers. “Influencer” doesn’t really count, but congrats anyway. You’ll figure out how to do well, get promoted, earn raises. Of course, there are always shortcuts—maybe cut some corners, trade in a bit of integrity to move ahead. Don’t do it! In this ever-connected world, everyone will find out. Everyone. People will stop dealing with you, and you’ll never really know why. Bad reputations are hard to shake.
Here’s a little story. A friend of mine was a bartender in college and famous for performing flaming shots that lit up the bar.