Generational Differences and Finding Your Passion within the Dental Industry

Gary Zelesky, a professional speaker, has perceived some changes between generations when it comes to choosing a career path. Over time, he argues, people have become more focused on carving out a passion and making a difference. However, focusing too much on “me” can be detrimental in career development. Listen how Zelesky connects his claims about this topic to the dental industry.

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Interview Transcript (Modified for Readability)

“There’s a different generation out there now. When my father’s generation was looking for work, here’s the thing: You never asked how much money you were going to make. You didn’t ask what the benefits were, you were just grateful that you had a job no matter what it was. Then you’ve got the baby boomers, and we were like, ‘Yeah, we kind of need to know, do some planning, how much are we going to make?’ But now you have — and I hate to say millennials because they hate that term – but you have the millennials who are thinking a little too highly about themselves and not enough about the person they may be working for. So, when I tell people when they’re looking for a job, ‘Make sure the number one, does it fit within the life of your passion? Is there any part of that job that you find a tremendous joy in doing?’ If there isn’t, you might want to rethink it, because after a while, you’re just going to burn out. The second thing I would do is have the team interview you -- not the boss, not the dentist, the team. Let them interview you and you interview then. Why? Because that’s who you’re going to be spending most of your time with, not the dentist. I tell them to build those relationships, and find out what they’re like. Call and find out about people who have been there, look up clients and ask them, ‘How was your experience?’ I’ve even had employees – maybe the dentist didn’t know – go in there as a patient and see what the treatment is like. I tell them to go in with humility. It’s about what you can give them, not always about what they can give you. I think that’s a healthy way to approach any job.”

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