It’s a way of uncertainty Dana Perino is aware of properly.
“People look back on their careers and go: ‘Wow it wasn’t a straight line,’” Perino informed Fortune. “If I had planned out my whole life, my life wouldn’t have been my life.”
Early on, she recollects being skeptical of the traditional profession mantra about ardour and pay finally aligning; in spite of everything, her profession started in a area not identified for profitable salaries. Expertise, nonetheless, modified her thoughts.
Somebody as soon as informed her: “Pick the one thing you love to do and do that—and the salary will follow,” Perino recalled. “I didn’t trust that advice at first, but he was right.”
“Once I focused and stopped trying to do everything, all the other opportunities came at the right time,” she added.
That perspective shapes how she views the nervousness many younger staff really feel immediately. Ready for the dream function, employer, or wage can really feel prudent, however it will probably additionally imply standing nonetheless. So, her recommendation for Gen Z is blunt however sensible: “Just start working—wherever it is. It doesn’t mean you have to stay there for two years.”
Networking could be Gen Z’s secret weapon—if it’s completed accurately
Regardless of the job, even when it’s a task like bartending, there are methods to make the most of the chance and overcome a profession hump, Perino stated.
At Fox, she at all times encourages entry-level employees to talk up in the event that they meet somebody new within the elevator, hallway, or inexperienced room.
“Ask them: ‘So what brought you here? What was your big break? What would you look back and say what made the difference in your life?’ And just ask people for their story or their advice,” Perino stated.
“What you’ll find is, that a lot of people, they want to help you,” she added.
However curiosity alone gained’t construct a community that lasts. Relationships require upkeep and plenty of professionals drop the ball as soon as a right away alternative passes.
A easy message each six months with a fast life or profession replace can go a good distance, Perino steered. Resurfacing simply whenever you want one thing not often results in a wholesome and productive relationship.
“If somebody goes out of their way to help you, or maybe they put in a good word for you, and even if it doesn’t work out, always be following up, because they’re more likely to help you again,” Perino added to Fortune. “If you don’t—take it from me—there’s very little chance that I put myself out there for you again.”
Being extra intentional with community constructing is one thing younger staff specifically might probably profit from. One 2024 survey from LinkedIn discovered that one in 5 Gen Z staff had not had a direct dialog with somebody over the age of fifty of their office within the final yr, partly resulting from a insecurity interacting with folks exterior of their very own technology.
As soon as your torch is lit, don’t overlook to go on the flame
When Perino grew to become press secretary in 2007, she was solely the second girl ever to carry the job—and the primary for a Republican president. After leaving the White Home, she discovered herself inundated with requests from younger girls hoping to seize espresso and search profession recommendation. The demand shortly outpaced what she might fairly do one-on-one.
So she scaled the concept.
Perino started organizing giant, speed-dating type occasions, deemed Minute Mentoring, that paired mentors with would-be mentees, giving dozens of younger professionals the possibility to make connections and ask questions in a single setting. The expertise, she stated, underscored simply how hungry early-career staff are for steering and the way highly effective even small quantities of entry could be.
Alongside the way in which, she realized mentorship additionally means being trustworthy in regards to the more durable, much less glamorous decisions that may in the end repay. Shifting cities is one instance.
“I would try to encourage people don’t be afraid to move,” Perino stated. “When I lived in D.C. and New York, people are afraid to leave. They don’t want to leave here, but sometimes you have to leave here and go get some experience somewhere else so that you can come back at a higher level.”
Underlying all of it’s a mindset she returns to time and again: staying alert.
“You have to be having eyes and ears open at all times—always be learning and to take advantage of opportunities when they come,” she stated.
In recent times, that philosophy has taken on a brand new life on social media, the place she shares bite-sized profession tricks to her almost 1 million followers. Her movies, typically dubbed “Mentor Mondays,” sort out every part from find out how to discover a job and navigate profession change to the fundamentals of constructing a powerful first impression—proper all the way down to find out how to shake arms.
She’s additionally written three books centered on mentoring {and professional} progress. This spring, Perino is about to launch her first novel, Purple State.
