“Money won’t create success. The freedom to make it will.”
- Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela, a leader of the anti-apartheid movement and the first black President of South Africa, changed his country’s fate with this one resolve — the urgency to live in freedom.
27 years of imprisonment, no one would’ve blamed him if he had turned mad. No one would’ve stopped him if he had decided to turn violent. But instead, he showed the world that though the cost to freedom is great, nothing is worth more than actually living in it.
A similar attitude was adopted by Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi, both civil rights leaders prominent for their approach to social and political changes. What these leaders share is a fundamental belief that freedom before all things is the key to new and better opportunities.
This simple yet powerful concept speaks volume especially in today’s society where young people can afford more choices than those of their preceding generations.
History Matters
From 2007 to 2008, the global financial crisis hit with the collapse of the investment bank Lehman Brothers. Millions of people have lost their homes and jobs, and history marked this event as the worst crisis since the Great Depression.
According to CNN Money, the total jobs lost in 2008 amounted to 2.6 million nationwide and unemployment rate rose to 7.2% — the highest rate since January 1993. Around 11.1 million Americans lost their jobs and about 8 million found only part-time work.
Even more frightening is that this unleashed a wave of anxiety for the then twenty-somethings and has quite naturally affected their choice to pursue a career of their interest. In other words, they chose to play it “safe.”
And understandably so.
Instead of choosing a field they genuinely wanted to get into, they felt obligated to choose a job with more stability and better income.
Now versus Then
In today’s job market, the twenty-somethings — including Millennials and Gen Z, are occupying the workspace with more freedom and clarity than those of the other generations. While the global economy had recovered from the financial crisis, those who have grown up witnessing the fall of small and large companies, did not — at least on an emotional level. So instead of working for big brand companies, many will try to establish their own brands or attempt to disrupt several key industries. And now that the economy is healthier, young entrepreneurs will have less competition and a better financial climate to support their goals.
What this ultimately means is that young people will start a business for the right reason — because they want to. They work not to pay for the next month’s rent, but because they want to fulfill a dream. In his Forbes article, Karl Moore notes that millennials are not so concerned about money, but rather “they want to be part of something bigger than themselves.” In other words, they want to work for purpose.
This purpose is what Nelson Mandela referred to as the freedom to make money. And this is what drives today’s most young workers to go to work each morning.
Let’s Change the World
Half of our employees at QARAsoft are made up of the twenty-somethings — some interns and some full-time workers. Over the course of several months, we’ve seen our young team step into leadership roles and take the front lines in many different projects. So here are a few lessons we’ve learned while working with the young employees at QARAsoft:
Motivated — When asked about why he works, a friend quoted that “he wants to prove he’s not lazy or entitled.” Many of our twenty-somethings are driven to make a name for themselves — a passion to make a change or put a dent in history. In meetings, they always take initiatives and provide areas where we can make improvements on our ongoing projects.
Fun — While that may sound overwhelming, they also know how to have fun. This means work isn’t always just work. Whenever there’s free time, they grab a coffee or head downstairs to play some ping pong. After work, a few co-workers sometimes get dinner together or hang out at a local pub for some drinks.
Goal-Oriented — They always work with a goal in mind. Almost everyone who came to work at our company came with a mindset to learn. For example, our Software Developers are currently busy working with projects related to Deep Learning technology. They study on the job and learn by applying the principles they’ve learned to the software applications.
Work Smarter, Not Harder — Managing time and keeping the communication tab open are key components to work productivity. Our twenty-somethings are great at doing both, especially when they have to handle multiple projects at the same time.
Value Experiences — Our company consists of people from the United States, Canada, Australia, and South Korea. Studies have shown that Millennials and Gen Z will prioritize experiences over anything else. While previous generations have considered ownership of cars or houses as their priority, the younger generations prioritize connecting with people and experiencing different cultures. Our team is no exception.
Our Future
Our hope is to adopt a purpose-driven work culture. At QARAsoft, we believe in the twenty-somethings. We believe that they can play a significant role in leading our company to a better future. To conclude with the final words of William Durant, the founder of General Motors, “Forget past mistakes. Forget failures. Forget everything except what you are going to do now and do it.”
