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youth unemployment

27 October 2010

#300 Get an inspiring mentor

There’s constant talk about how youth unemployment is high, higher, highest. Politicians, agencies and economists are horrified over the numbers. We are not horrified at 365. We have different figures. We have: “Seven things you can do if you are unemployed”.

I cried when Mr. Miyagi died. And you those of you who don’t know who Mr. Miyagi is are perhaps not interested in popular culture or maybe there’s just something wrong with you. And that's okay.

Mr. Miyagi is the old guy in the Karate Kid movies. He coined the term: Wax on, wax off. He was the one catching a fly with a pair of chopsticks. The one who teaches Daniel-San to do the crane.

Mr. Miyagi is my first picture of what an inspiring mentor is. My first idea of what it’s like to have a wise and powerful role model. As you all know the goal of life is of course to become stronger than your mentor and eventually to become independent. This was the case in the Karate Kid-movies. And in real life as well. But in real life I’ve had the luxury of having more than one mentor. I surround myself with mentors. They give me energy, contact information of good people to know and tips on things I can do to be even sharper, smarter and more creative. Having a mentor is like having a bigger sibling except that you usually don’t get beaten by your mentor. Except Daniel-San. He got his ass kicked by Mr. Miyagi. But it was like coal needing pressure to become diamonds.

Text: Navid Modiri

Required time: 
1 day or less
Cost: 
Free.
Cons: 
A mentor has a lot of power. This can be abused.
Pros: 
By using your mentors experiences and tips you can avoid a lot of traps and mistakes.
Taggar: youth unemployment, wax on wax off, mistakes, mentors, karate kid, inspiring, coffee, 365 things you can do
26 October 2010

#299 Apply for you dream job

If you’d be better at Frederik's job, apply for it! Photo: Emma Öije.

If you’d be better at Frederik's job, apply for it! Photo: Emma Öije.

There’s constant talk about how youth unemployment is high, higher, highest. Politicians, agencies and economists are horrified over the numbers. We are not horrified at 365. We have different figures. We have: “Seven things you can do if you are unemployed”.

I have no journalistic training. I don’t have a single university credit. I’ve never written an exam and never been to a lecture at a university. It’s not a political stand. It just never happened. I'm incredibly eager to learn things and study. Knowledge is pizza for your soul. Knowledge is a dependency. I just haven’t had the time. I have been busy working on things I dreamed of growing up: radio, music and writing.

When I was born the midwife happened to ask my dad to cut the umbilical cord. But instead of cutting the cord my dad accidentally cut off the flap of skin in the body that contains social codes and a sense of limits. So I have a small disability which has followed me throughout my life. I don’t know what I can and can not do. So when I get the urge to do something I forget to ask permission. Applying for a job is no exception. I do not understand the need to wait until they publish an advertisement for the job in order to be able to apply for it. I’ll apply for it anyway. Even though there’ s already a person doing the job. I think that it would be fun if I got the job instead of that person. So I’ll submit an application for the job. Everything is my dad's fault. All complaints can be sent to navidsdad@hotmail.com.

Text: Navid Modiri

Required time: 
1 day or less
Cost: 
Free.
Cons: 
You can get a no. Getting a no is like being cut with a blunt spoon in the eye. I was kidding. A 'no' is actually not at all dangerous. It has been scientifically proven.
Pros: 
You might get your dream job. At worst, you get a no and then the employer knows that you are interested and maybe they’ll keep you in mind for other positions down the road.
Taggar: youth unemployment, umbilical cord, social codes, search your dream job, Fredrik Reinfeldt, 365 things you can do