Commentary: 3 lessons for Gen Zers at the starting line of their careers, from a Gen Xer

I recently had lunch with a young man, the son of a former colleague. It was a “pinch me” moment: I couldn’t believe that sitting before me wasn’t the little boy I remembered but a strapping 25-year-old at the starting line of his career, raring to go.
My own older child has just started work too, and in our conversations, I tell myself to be cool, don’t jump in to give advice. But you know how mothers are. 
So here are three unscientific but thoroughly legit lessons on work from this Gen X mother’s lived experience.
I used to host a CNA podcast called Work It, where we ran a series asking C-suite leaders how they got to the top. Of the many wonderful guests I had, I often recall this quote from Google Singapore managing director Ben King: “You can’t get good at anything without putting in the hard yards.”
He took on the hardest projects, the postings others ran away from. While stressful, these gave him the best opportunities to learn what worked and what didn’t, what he was good at and what he wasn’t.
I believe this to be the basic building block of a good career.
Think of everything you’re good at: Sports, music, public speaking. I bet none of those skills developed only because you were innately good at it. 
Mastery requires time, patience, effort, falling, getting up and, yes, doing the same thing over and over again.
When I first became a journalist in the mid-90s, I had no clue how to write an article, much less how to get the information required to do so. My first story at The New Paper — strange but true — was about a homeowner who had lost 16 pairs of shoes. 
That first article was barely 300 words, but not only did that short write-up get rewritten, I got yelled at by the copy editor and came home crying, wondering if I had made the biggest mistake of my life. 
The next decade was a long expanse of hundreds of assignments. They weren’t always big or exciting, but I did them anyway.
Looking back, this was my march towards mastery. It taught me that if you find your work meaningful, no task is too small or boring. All of it adds up — not just the skills you acquire, but the values you display about your willingness to learn and stick it out. 
Sometimes young people ask me what the best thing about my work and career is. 
There are memorable times when I got promotions and more money, or when I was trusted to create something from nothing. But increasingly, my first thought goes to the people I’ve gotten to know. 
I’ve effectively had three jobs to date, in three different organisations. And I have friends from each of those places — we meet regularly, and they are an integral part of my social circle. 
But barring colleagues who become friends (and I dearly wish this for everyone starting out anywhere), one very underrated skill is that of making allies at work. 
Fortune really does favour the bold here. If it sounds like too much to go up to someone and say hi or ask them if they’re free for coffee, it can be as simple as sending a message on a work chat platform to tell them you thought their latest work was good. If you know a colleague has had a bad day in the office, it takes nearly nothing to send a note to empathise and encourage. 
To be clear, this is not some kind of Machiavellian scheme to get “patrons” on our side. People can see through that kind of fake behaviour. 
This is about being kind, curious and available to others.
It is a gift that comes back to you in times you least expect it. Many times when I got stuck without a paddle, unable to solve a problem on my own, it was my work allies who readily lent me an oar.
The questions we get most often on Work It are about promotions and pay: How long should I wait to get promoted? Should I ask my boss for a promotion? Why wasn’t I promoted? Why isn’t my salary higher? 
There are several caveats to this bit. First, it really depends on where you work and who you work for. For example, large institutions with deep pockets can remunerate well and often do. But those who move up the ranks to earn more must be able to perform at the very highest level. 
In more modest organisations, the pie to be shared is much smaller. Even if you do more than your share and nail all your targets, you may still be passed over for more money or a bigger title. 
But here’s something I’ve learnt: It’s about the little extras that stick in people’s minds. 
Do you offer a helping hand with tough projects? Do you come up with solutions before being asked? Do you display a curiosity beyond just clocking in and out or doing what you’re paid to? 
We’ve all heard of IQ and EQ, but in today’s context, there’s also AQ: Adaptability quotient. When things change (and they will), are you willing to adapt and work around it? These are the people bosses advocate for when it matters.
Even so, there’s nothing wrong with looking until you land something that sits well in your heart. 
Twenty years ago, I had to step away from journalism to care for my boys. Instead, I went into teaching for the stable hours. It was a long detour, one that didn’t pay well — but it was a necessary trade-off for time with my children. 
For us Gen X-ers, the unspoken rule is this: The higher you climb on the corporate ladder, the more wedded you are to work.
More responsibility means more money, but it also means the eternal challenge of balancing professional and personal becomes even more difficult. And it’s perfectly okay to choose not to do that too.
At the end of the day, you are the driver of your career. Decades of life have taught me a simple but valuable lesson: If you aren’t happy, seek better. (If I had a T-shirt made, this is what it would say!) 
To all young adults starting out, I wish one final thing: Dumb luck. 
Unless you’re starting your own venture, you’ll likely never get to choose your colleagues or your bosses. I lucked out because I had good people around me and never had to deal with a toxic work environment. 
It wasn’t always perfect. Nothing ever is — except maybe some South Korean actors. 
All we can do is learn to let go and keep walking. As Miley Cyrus sings: “It ain’t about how fast I get there or what’s waiting on the other side. It’s the climb.” 
Trust this Gen X mother: It will be quite a climb. But the journey will make you stronger with each step you take. 
Just don’t forget to stop and enjoy the view.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Crispina Robert manages the podcast team at CNA, where she also co-hosts the Deep Dive podcast.