
It’s been about a year since the launch of Life Skills for Young Adults (LSYA) in the US, a career guide for aspiring young adults.
Today, the US is in the midst of the biggest job-market expansion in a generation, thanks to a combination of factors including the introduction of the Affordable Care Act and the financial crisis.
But how does it feel to be able to buy a book for the price of a cup of coffee and a box of tissues?
“I’m happy to say that the LSAY is the first career book I’ve purchased in a year,” says LSA founder Emily Mihm, 28, who has been writing about and teaching about entrepreneurship since she was a teenager.
“It’s been a real eye opener for me and it’s definitely made me realise that I can still learn things.
It’s also a way for me to build my skills and confidence, because I can go into a new field and just dive in and start working from there.”
In this post, we look at the best advice you can get from the life skills guide and how to build your own career.
1.
Learn from experience, not by reading it You’ll be surprised how much you learn from reading the book, says Mih, who is currently working on a project about the impact of the financial crises on young people’s ability to learn new skills.
“I started learning about the financial markets when I was in university, and I was a really good student,” she says.
“As an undergraduate, I was really into investing.
When I was going through my mid-career, I got really interested in finance, but the financial crash was a huge factor in my decision to do that.”
In LSA, she explains, you’ll learn about everything from why you might want to sell your house, to how to deal with a cash crunch.
“If you’ve been working in finance for a while, you’ve probably learnt a lot about how the markets work,” she adds.
“The main thing is, if you’re a young person, you’re going to want to do it.”
So what are you going to do if you’ve got no idea what you want to learn?
“Just go and learn as much as you can,” says Muhm.
“That’s what I like about this book.”
2.
Get feedback from your friends and family The book isn’t just about what to do in your chosen field, but how to make friends and keep in touch.
“This book was the first thing that helped me to become comfortable with the financial world,” says 24-year-old Stephanie Soto, a recent graduate of New York University.
“Because I didn’t have any experience in that field, I had to go into it and make connections.”
Mih says she also likes the way the book encourages people to talk to their peers about their own careers, even if they’ve never worked in finance.
“They’re able to see that this isn’t for everyone,” she explains.
“People who have already done it are actually going to have a better sense of how to go about it.”
3.
Get advice from your parents What you do with your time will determine whether you’re successful or not.
“One of the most important things is to get advice from family and friends,” says Soto.
“In the past, people just didn’t get it, and they wouldn’t listen.
It really helps to have someone to talk with who has some experience.
I’m really grateful that my dad has given me that.”
Muhs advice for young people to get more advice from their parents includes making sure you keep in contact with them if you have a job offer and being sure you’ve put yourself forward to potential employers.
“Don’t let them get to you,” she warns.
“Have a good attitude.”
4.
Build your own business When it’s time to start your own small business, it’s essential to understand what you’re trying to do, says 25-year of finance at the City University of New London, Francesca Azzurro.
“You have to understand your business and understand the risks,” she tells The Guardian.
I think it’s a good idea to have some sort of insurance in place.” “
If the risk is that it’s not going to work out, that’s a real concern.
I think it’s a good idea to have some sort of insurance in place.”
“It may be the right time to get out of school,” she continues.
“But it’s also important to look at how you can start your business.”
5.
Develop a sense of purpose When it came to making her career plans, Mih decided to focus on education first, which is a major reason why she’s been so successful at running a startup, starting a small business and becoming an entrepreneur.
“Education is a big part of what I want to