How To Be A Strong Business Competitor In Your 20s

As a business professional in my 20s, I faced many challenges. Some were real. Some were imagined. But, there was one inescapable truth through which others viewed, and often judged, me: “You’re young. What do you really know?” Having recently escaped my 20s, I can look back with clarity of hindsight and see how exciting, yet trying, that decade can be, reports Forbes.

Exciting because I was bold and adventurous. Trying because I struggled to figure out how I fit into a fast-moving world. I tried new things, knowing that if I failed, it wasn’t the end of the world. I had a lot of life left to find something that would work. I dove head-first into new opportunities, determined to “take on hell with a squirt gun,” inspired by numerous examples of people in their 20s accomplishing greatness.

As Emerson said, “Life is a journey, not a destination.” Every day we can and should learn something. As I look back, I learned many lessons, mostly the hard way, on my journey as a 20-something in business:

1. Be conservative

I enjoy changing haircuts and clothing styles often to be cutting edge, but I learned that people judged me by how I looked. So, I decided that I would not let my clothing be out of step with the norm in my industry. If someone notices what you are wearing (for good or bad), they will automatically attribute it to your youth. “Fitting-in” in this instance is a good thing because it allows people to focus on you as a professional and not on you as a young person or fashion victim. It’s better to play it safe; dress and act conservatively for the sake of “winning the game.”

2. Be thorough

What I lacked in experience I made up for in research and study. Like me, you grew up with the Internet, so use it. Do your homework—a lot of it. At a young age, mental absorption capabilities and brain elasticity are very strong, letting you to retain information easier than your older colleagues.

Within your industry, study everything you can get your hands on. Read as many books (or listen to audiobooks) as are available. Set a Google Alert and read news on your topic. Don’t let anything happen in your industry without knowing about it. It won’t take long before you are on the cutting edge with the trends in your field.

As I reached out for advice from older colleagues in my industry, I sadly and repeatedly found that burnout and previous success (or lack thereof) caused the vast majority of them be jaded, complacent, comfortable, uninterested and often ignorant of technological or methodological advancements. I developed an edge over them with my extensive research and study.

3. Be sure

I had strong opinions, but because I was young, most people were unlikely to give credence to what I said until I was able to cite reputable sources supporting my position. Therefore, use the information you gather to validate your statements when you can. Your aptitude for accuracy will be a breath of fresh air that others will grow to rely on.

4. Be confident

You’re now conservative in your appearance, thorough in your studies, and sure in your statements. Add confidence to the mix. I’ve found that people often doubt their own positions and when pressed will give in to the view of someone with more confidence.

Since you have compiled and absorbed the latest and greatest information in your industry, speak with the confidence that comes not only from your own informed mind but also with the added authority that comes from those you study and from whom you learn. If you sound weak, you will not inspire confidence in others.

5. Be humble

Contrary to popular belief, humility is not thinking less of yourself, or denying your gifts or abilities. It is thinking about yourself less and about others more. This mindset is exemplified in a service-based attitude which frees you to focus on being a person of value who contributes to the well-being of others through your work. I’ve found that when I started to focus on adding value to other people, I became valuable to them, thus increasing my value at large.

When you’re humble you realize that you have a right to disagree with other people, but never the right to disrespect them.

6. Be consistent

“In essence, if we want to direct our lives, we must take control of our consistent actions. It’s not what we do once in awhile that shapes our lives, but what we do consistently.” — Tony Robbins

Because my attention span is short, I am naturally distracted by “bright and shiny things.” WARNING: This does lead to the road of consistency. In the past, it has caused me to pivot at the drop of a hat to something new if I caught a whiff of success in a different method or organization. Big mistake. Recognizing that this is part of my nature has helped me develop a series of internal “checks and balances” that helped me manage this and in doing so, have improved my ability to act with consistency.

Have patience and remain steadfast in your work and research, so as to give yourself a fighting chance so that you do not come across as impulsive to those around you, which will be interpreted as a weakness. Or worse.

Be consistent or else you’ll be seen as untrustworthy. Remember, “Trust is built with consistency.” — Lincoln Chafee

7. Be kind

The only thing worse than a “know-it-all” is a young know-it-all. Remember that people already have prejudices about you because you’re young. Don’t let your knowledge become annoying because you’re cocky. There is a big difference between confidence and cockiness that lies in the delivery of what you say. My mom always said, “It’s not what you say. It’s how you say it.” Additionally, let your manner of speech be clean so as not to unnecessarily offend anyone.

Be considerate and remember that while you are here to do a job, so is everyone else. And, for the most part, everyone is trying their best. Be respectful of that.

Go out of your way to be nice. Care about others. Help them. When we treat others the way we would like them to treat us, good things happen.

Being intelligent and helpful in your 20s paves the way for a career and life filled with connections and accomplishments that will carry you through to the very end, as long as you continue to learn and grow.

When you’re conservative, thorough, sure, confident, humble, consistent and kind, you will receive attention and naturally endear yourself to people. They will see you as a powerful young professional, full of potential.