I saw the movie “The Internship” last night. I’m not a fan of Owen Wilson (he always seems to be slightly whiny) or Vince Vaughan (who usually plays a dolt) but I thought it might provide some useful insights into a new and slightly mysterious workplace: Google.
But really, all I was left with was a story about old style sales guys showing the ways of the world to the youth of today. I did not need a movie to show me that and frankly, it did a disservice to college students.
It seemed that the student interns learned a lot about tequila, sex and sales but the two “dinosaurs” did not learn anything except that the future is not really that scary. For Pete’s sake! What kind of lesson is that?
I would like to have seen much more balance. We all have stuff to learn in the workplace. It is imperative that interns and presidents figure out how to lead and learn.
That’s what companies like Apple and Google are supposed to be revolutionizing. Every single person who works there has something to develop and something to contribute.
Whether you are working on the first steps of your career or the next steps of your career, think about what you have to contribute. What are you good at? What is the essence of what you do well every day?
If you can figure out how to articulate this in a way that is clear and easy to understand, you will be on your way to moving a lot closer to your dream job.