A 20-Something’s Thoughts on Working With 20-Somethings

I’ve had the fortune of working at multiple companies that are comprised largely of young professionals just beginning their career, like I am. From small startups to relatively new, but large companies, I’ve gotten the chance to work with young blood, as eager and naïve as myself.

There is something really invigorating about walking into work everyday knowing that people who aren’t yet jaded surround you. These people want to create and explore and prove themselves for the first time to their corporate peers and to themselves.

Camaraderie is strong in teams of fresh young talent. Sure, you may see each other as competition, but you can also see the fear, the drive and the raw energy pulsating behind that competitive exterior, and you recognize it because you possess it too.

As a young person, the friends you make in a workplace full of other young people are friends for life. You’ll have both professional and emotional crises and find that your coworker-turned-best friend knows exactly what to say and what funny cat video to send you to make you feel understood, if not OK.

Sometimes, though, it’s hard. What you miss out on by working in a company full of young people is mentorship, wisdom and time-tested knowledge. You receive unadulterated passion but sometimes lack people with the know-how needed to channel that passion. You have the freedom to think outside the box, but sometimes, the tools needed to execute those ideas are unavailable to you.

Working with other young people can be motivating, but it can also slow down your growth. At times, you may find yourself with unlimited possibilities but severely limited resources, and that’s OK. It’s not about whether working at a hip young company or an old school establishment is better. It’s about choosing one and knowing what it lacks so that you can take proactive steps to compensate.