If You're in Your 20s, You Must Ask Yourself This
Chasing curiosity, not résumés
Résumé Prisoners
When I was a pre-med in college, I noticed something fascinating.
Kids were taking classes and doing things that they clearly didn’t want to do.
It struck me as odd that they would make themselves prisoners just to have their résumé look good down the road.
But then I fell into the same trap.
After pursuing a certificate in Neuroscience, I realized that although it was interesting, it would overcomplicate my degree plans. You see, I was trying to weave together my physiology degree, pre-med classes, and this certificate.
It would look great on my résumé. It had some prestige.
But it was a real pain in the ass.
If you feel overwhelmed or lost like I was, you need to ask yourself one question:
Am I …
Joining this club
Taking this class
Doing this volunteer work
Because I’m genuinely interested in it?
As I learned the hard way, if you pursue things you’re not curious about and only what you think your future boss wants to see, you’re not being true to yourself.
Of course with medicine or law you need more “résumé items” like volunteer work, shadowing, and extra classes. These are highly competitive fields, and I know first-hand that building your résumé and taking certain classes helps you stand out.
All I’m saying here is that you shouldn’t take the first opportunity that comes your way.
Especially if it’s not interesting to you.
Am I doing this for my résumé or is it something I’m genuinely curious about?
Ask yourself this daily.
There’s another way I like to phrase it:
If nobody knew I was doing this, would I still do it?
That might give you a better answer.
Pursuing projects for extrinsic reasons will burn you out and destroy your mental health.
As Robert Greene talks about in Mastery:
“we spend a substantial part of our waking life at work. If we experience this time as something to get through on the way to real pleasure, then our hours at work represent a tragic waste of the short time we have to live.”
Of course, there will be some dreadful mandatory college courses. Which is why I’m a big fan of self-education and reading.
And yes, your résumé is important.
Just fill it up with stuff you’re proud of when you look back. Things you’re excited to tell your future employer about.
Looking Back on Life
Speaking of looking back, do you know what’s the #1 regret of people on their deathbeds?
"I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me."
- From “The Top Five Regrets of Dying”
Ok, this just got even more serious.
But sometimes, it’s best to take advice from vintage people.
Follow your curiosity and forge a path for yourself. Not what you think your parents, friends, or society want for you.
And don’t expect to know exactly what you want to do in your early twenties, either:
I still don’t. But I have a good idea of following my curiosities and developing my skillset in the school of life.
I like to follow Steve Jobs’ advice on this:
“You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something - your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.”
This post isn’t to discount your Linked-In Profile.
It’s about building a résumé that you’re proud of instead of wasting time doing shit you’re not remotely interested in.
College makes this tricky.
So remember to always ask yourself:
Am I doing this for my résumé or is it something I'm genuinely curious about?
If nobody knew I was doing this, would I still do it?
At the minimum, I hope this post plants some seeds of self-awareness.
Ciao,
- BB
PS: This post is mostly advice to my past self, who was obsessed with GPA. “What to do with your life” is one of those big questions I’ve thought about at length, so subscribe to see more posts about it in the future:
(This button should say “Subscribe Now” but it glitches out in email).
If you liked this, you’ll enjoy my daily short-form writing on Twitter. It’s where I share most of my ideas, stories, and thoughts.
Further Reading
If you liked this post, you’ll definitely enjoy these reads:
GPA vs. Skills: How to Stop Worrying About Grades by Nat Eliason
Mastery by Robert Greene
“Watch this if you’re tired of being broke”
I’ve lately been obsessed with Alex Hormozi’s content. For those of you who don’t know him, he’s 32 and worth over $100,000,000. He’s doing what Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos didn’t do: documenting the process of becoming a billionaire.
I came across a video of him giving advice to a desperate man who approached him on the street. The guy is young, has a kid, is working two jobs, and didn’t want to be poor anymore:
Goodbye.
Love your thoughts on the 'school of life'.