tend to today, so tomorrow shines

The other day I was conversing with my 13-yearold daughter and two of her friends at my kitchen table. Topics of conversation ranged from what’s your favorite movie to what do you want to do when you grow up? As the discussion continued, I found myself asking what I could tell these young, impressionable minds at this moment that would engage them and create a difference in their behavior and/ or decision-making for tomorrow. I mention this because having a conversation with 13-year-olds today is very different from a similar conversation with a tween 30 years ago. I realized the conundrum when the careers they shared with me didn’t even exist when I was their age.

In my effort to keep them engaged in the dialogue, I figured my hindsight could be their foresight for the future. So I proceeded to share the following list of items they need to tend to today to tell “their story” to potential employers tomorrow. Keep in mind, this list does not account for the myriad of laws, regulations, controls, standards, policies, etc. It’s simply a mom giving young minds some advice.

The bottom line, I told the girls, is that people will base decisions you made in the past to determine the type of person/ employee you will be today. Is it fair? Probably not. However, the reality is that you must take responsibility today for the future you want tomorrow and do all you can to keep your integrity and work ethic intact.