This week, I’m not answering a question as much as responding to a gripe. It’s one I hear two or three times a week – and if you’re one of the gripers, read on:

I THINK I’D LIKE THE WORK, BUT I DON’T WANT TO DO THE JOB ALL THE REST OF MY LIFE …

This is not a problem!

The Department of Labor reports that the current crop of graduates – that’s you – can expect to have 10-14 jobs by the time they’re 38.

Only 1 in 2 employees have been in their current jobs more than 4 years. Looking ahead ten years, the ratio will be 1 in 4.

There is no more cradle-to-grave job protection in the United States. Forget about it. It no longer matters what your first – or even, your next, job is you won’t be doing it very long. What really matters is that you develop skills that will be invaluable in the next job. And then, the next.

This knowledge whacked my cerebral cortex this morning like a sharp slap to the forehead when first-year student, Nikhil Mathur, sent me an email that rocked the socks off my feet.
Check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cL9Wu2kWwSY.

The video clip was developed by Sony for a private presentation at last week’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Intended for an invitation-only executive conference comprised primarily of Wall Street analysts and high-level strategic partners, the video found itself onto YouTube. There, this 5-minute exploration of the post-information age has already garnered more than 9 million hits and a 5-star rating. The message ? We “live in exponential times” and the statistical support Sony provides for their assertion will stun you with its public policy implications.

I picked up the stats I just quoted from the clip. Another startling revelation I found was that technical information is developing so quickly that it has only a 2-year lifespan. Think of it. For undergrads getting a 4-year technical degree, half their knowledge is obsolete before they graduate.

That doesn’t apply to you. What you learn here has more to do with skills development than knowledge per se. The actual factual information you get from your coursework about countries, policies and leaders has a half-life shorter than a frog, but critical thinking skills are timeless. So, hone your ability to ask good questions and question the answers. Ponder the ethical and societal ramifications of public policy as much as the financial. Ethics is forever and societal change is slow. These are the things to carry with you into a job.

This brings me to internships and your first, apprentice-level, jobs. The pay is likely to disappoint you. Most of you will not start at more than $55,000 and some will receive far less. Fear not, most alums find that their salaries five years out are anywhere from 40 – 100% (or more) higher than the starting pay.

When you begin your career, the hiring assumption is that you don’t know much, but you’re bright and you have proven learning skills and subject interest. As much as you feel you are taking a risk by investing your time in an unpaid or low-paying job, so too does the employer perceive he is taking a risk in you. If you do well, you both prosper. If not, the risk was low on both sides. Move on!

That’s the way the thinking goes in a buyers’ job market and a decade of exponential change. You can beat the odds and make the situation work for you, but only by shifting your perspective:

1. Cast your net wide. Consider any job that looks interesting and that promises to develop critical skills you don’t yet possess.
2. Stay as long as you can in a job - as long as you’re still learning and stimulated on a daily basis. It’s a resume-builder – anything more than 90 days begins to look good. For a first job, stay two years, at least.
3. Build bridges – and never, ever burn them. Everywhere you work you’ll make friends and allies. Cultivate them. The traditional job search techniques worse less well every week. It is becoming a world of, “who you know” and “how to access your options” rather than any knowledge you possess. Remember: knowledge is transient.
4. Plan for change. From your very first weeks on the job, start looking around for projects you can take on that teach you new things. Ask for growth. After about six months, start looking around you for opportunities where you can apply the new skills. Never stop learning. Very often, the best opportunities to grow are in the same organization where you currently work or in another one in which your job brings you into daily contact.
5. Position yourself to be picked up when new positions open up. The approach you use with everyone is “I truly love my job, but I’m always open to hearing about new challenges”.
   
   TIMELESS MAC ‘N CHEESE
   Adapted from “It’s All American Food” by David Rosengarten

Since the days of our founding, Americans have swallowed their anxieties in gobs of pasta and cheese. It was on all pub menus in the colonies and gained a popular resurgence during the Great Depression. When Kraft introduced the orange facsimile in the familiar blue box, it was almost instantly popular for its convenience, but there’s nothing like the real thing. Try this – it feeds a hungry dorm room with leftovers. You’ll never go back to the box.

Serves 6 to 8

3/ 4 stick butter
3 T. dry bread crumbs
3 T. grated Parmesan
2 T. minced parsley
2 t. fresh thyme leaves
3 t. sweet paprika
1/ 4 c. flour
2 t. dry mustard
1 t. sea salt
Pinch nutmeg, to taste
2 1/ 4 c. milk
2-3 peeled garlic cloves
3/ 4 c. crème fraiche (or cream and sour cream mixed in equal parts)
1 package grated sharp cheddar, I used Kraft
1/ 2 package grated cheddar + Asiago (again, Kraft)
8 ounces elbow macaroni, cooked al dente, drained and rinsed

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Melt 2 T. butter. Toss with bread crumbs, Parmesan, herbs and half the paprika. Set aside.

3. In a medium saucepan, melt remaining butter. Whisk in flour, mustard, salt, remaining paprika. Whisk until smooth and bubbling lightly. Cook until it starts to color and become fragrant. Slowly, whisk in milk. Add garlic and simmer until thick bubbles form, about ten minutes. Be careful not to let it scorch. Remove from heat and beat in crème fraiche and all but about half a cup of each cheese. Discard the garlic cloves.

4. Butter the bottom of a baking dish and dump in the cooked macaroni. Stir in half the cheese sauce, making sure each noodle is well-coated. Sprinkle with half the bread crumbs. Pour on the rest of the cheese sauce, then remain crumbs and top with reserved cheese. Dot with butter.

5. Bake about 20 minutes, until toasty brown and bubbly. Serve hot.