7: leadership

I've found that in my experience, I work better in an environment where I feel my opinion is valued by leaders. It seems like a simple concept, but sometimes in the corporate world, it just isn't.

Starting early in the corporate world (or, what I consider early, at 20, I'm now 22) I always felt my opinion was taken with a grain of salt. I don't have anywhere near as much experience and expertise in the field as some of my more senior peers, but I do feel I have a youthful, collaboration savvy worldview to bring to the table, that most others won't have. I attend school in the heart of the Silicon Valley, which truly brings with it the cutting edge technology and different experience of growing up in this area, and in this technologically advanced environment.

It isn't just work-related. This is also true about personal matters. I often receive comments about living at home with your parents. Yet, I'm in the same, terrifying economic situation as everyone else supporting themselves. I'm lucky that I don't have children yet, but I am also unlucky to be the age I am and not be worth a sufficient amount of money yet. I can only hope that with aged appearance, I am perceived differently.