The world is noisy. You are constantly being bombarded with information about education, career and achieving success. If I could go back in time, the strategy below is what I’d tell young me to use to start “my thing,” and begin to leave my mark on the world. Most of you think that you will stand out and land your dream college, company by having a packed resume, straight As and lots of standard leadership positions (president of X, head of Y etc) Truth is admissions and even hiring manager doesn’t reward raw intelligence (sorry, school has lied to you…again) Getting all As in your AP classes will not guarantee you a spot at that research internship or at your dream college. Here’s the fun part: it’s not about working harder & being smarter. So what matters then? Getting into selective opportunities is about being uniquely impressive by creating VALUE in your community. By VALUE, I mean REAL product/service with USERS – not just another school club. See how his project amplified his interests (engineering + medicine = healthcare tech) and showcased his unique SKILL SET, which made him stand out from other candidates? Ofcourse your value adding activity is not limited to engineering projects. For example, if you’re an athlete who loves to write, you might combine these interests by finding a niche in sports journalism, such as starting a column for your high school newspaper. Or, if you’re a musician with a passion for helping your community, you could teach music lessons to children at your community center. If I was in school right now, I’d worry less about accolades for my resume & more about skills that I’ve built. I’d tell myself to start measuring the impact of my initiatives often. There’s no greater valuable lesson than learning, so I’d do more of that. Then watch the opportunities pour in. Lena |
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Let me tell you a secret most people don’t figure out until they’re way older (and way more stuck): Your job?Your part-time gig?That internship your parents made you apply for? It’s not your future.It’s your first investor. But FIRST If you are new, welcome to OCE’s weekly newsletter curated for the ambitious youth…here are some articles you missed from previous weeks: 📈 Why No One Successful Wants to Mentor You Read More → 🎨 Best tools for building your passion project Read More → 📘 The...
There’s a line I never thought I’d write. School told us the map.Study hard.Get the grades.Snag the shiny degree.Land the safe job.Then…security?Happiness?Meaning? Funny.All I see are burned-out adults who did everything “right”…And still feel stuck.Still feel dispensable.Still chasing approval in boardrooms and inboxes and overpriced condos. But FIRST If you are new, welcome to OCE’s weekly newsletter curated for the ambitious youth…here are some articles you missed from previous weeks: 📈...
Something strange is unfolding in North America’s workforce. A quiet unraveling—not in factories or shipping yards, but in offices, on campus, and in the inboxes of career advisors and startup mentors. You can feel it in the numbers: In Canada, the youth unemployment rate (ages 15–24) hit 14.2% in May 2025—up 1.4% from 2024 and nearly double the national average.And this doesn’t even account for the delayed ripple effects of rising tariffs and macroeconomic tightening. Source: Statistics...