Think about it:

Nobody takes you seriously. The world refuses to listen to your voice. And the people you work with are twice your age, have three times your knowledge, and four times your experience.

What’s a kid to do?

Instead of going postal on your entire office with a semi-automatic machine gun (which isn’t as effective as it sounds) here’s a collection of strategies, practices and practical advice on making a name for yourself as a young professional:

1.   Branding isn’t a novelty—it’s a necessity. It’s the price of admission. And it’s got nothing to do with dressing for success, company logos or flashy websites. Branding is the best version of you. Branding is how people experience you. Branding is how people experience themselves in relation to you. Branding is what you’re known for, what you’re known as and what you’re known for knowing. Think of it from an algebraic perspective: Your brand is the coefficient and the goal is to make that number a little stronger every day. That way, when a new opportunity enters the equation, you’re prepared to multiply the hell out of it. Bottom line: You have to decide how you want people to experience you. Because if you leave your brand experience to chance, the result will never fail to disappoint you. Remember: You never know when your brand will need to rise to the occasion. What gives your personal brand its power?

2.   You have to make your company money. Every product has to be sold and every organization needs cash to survive. Your challenge is to learn how your work actually affects the bottom line. Here’s how: Begin calculating the value of your individual achievements. Take the time to compute the profitability of your productivity. Even if you have to take the company accountant out to lunch and pick her brain for two hours, do it. Whatever it takes to learn how to connect what you do to the wallet of the organization. Because if you can present to your superiors and coworkers that your daily activities have increased company profits, saved considerable time or decreased company expenses, you win. Remember: People go where they smell green. Help them take a whiff. How are you positioning yourself as a profit-minded employee?

3.   Follow the opportunistic trajectory. A personal mantra of mine is, “The door must be opened from the inside.” I learned this from the story of Zacchaeus, the tax collector who climbed the sycamore tree to become more visible to Christ. By putting himself in the way of finding what he sought, he found more than what he sought and he proved that in order to make the world say yes to you, you have to put yourself in the way of what you seek. Lesson learned: Success means putting yourself on an intercept path with opportunity. And it means making the following question part of your daily repertoire: “Now that I have this, what else does this make possible?” Who knows? Maybe you’ll earn a greater workload. Besides, responsibility is a sign of trust. Take it when you can. Not for the money, but for the experience. That’s the best way to learn how to demonstrate multiple areas of competence and extend your range of business interests. Remember: Opportunity enters through the door of yes. And it never stops knocking—you just stop listening. What do you need to stop saying no to?

Remember: Just because you’re young doesn’t mean you’re useless.

As the youngest person in your office, you have an opportunity to bring new blood, fresh perspective and youthful energy to the workplace.

Be patient. Be proactive. Be pointed. And be a problem solver. And maybe you won’t even need that semi-automatic machine gun after all.

Let me ask you this:

Is your age helping or hindering you?

Courtesy of Open Forum