The productive vs. the proactive 

If you’re a motivated student, you’ve probably been productive your whole life-- and we’ll take your word for that. Basically, you’ve conquered the world of academics, you are a master of theory, and know exactly how to cultivate focus and maintain momentum when it comes to grades. But you’ve been exposed to learning and growth in a setting that is entirely different from how things work in a professional context. 

In career-world, there’s something else that matters even more, beyond just productivity: it is a soft skill possessed and built upon only by the most tough and tenacious of them all: proactiveness. 

When you’re lost at sea, don’t blame it on the captain, just learn to steer the ship yourself!

At Minite, we make the difference between productivity and proactiveness because we see the gap between the academic and the professional world, and with student freelancing, we’re building the bridge between those two. Productivity comes from taking what tasks you’re given and being efficient about getting them done: you are productive when you finish three homework assignments in one night. Essentially, it’s a skill derived from a pre-existing, pre-established task and expectation, and it’s a great thing to be able to do, but it’s not going to get you much further than a stable job once you leave your studies and enter the “real world”. 

So, how can we combat this? Enter proactivity. As a High-Flyer, you’re really going to need it. It’s the initiative that comes along on its own, without a predecessor or existing base… it is the weapon of the ambitious entrepreneur, and the key to success for every growing startup. When you’re proactive, you don’t just sit down and work in an efficient way and then call it a day. You are bolder and brighter, shining in the growth that comes with this skill: proactive people think of new directions to take the ship of success. They know that, for further destinations to be reached, following the captain’s orders is not enough. They imagine ideas and have the drive to put them into action.

The only way to navigate a landscape dictated by constant change is through proactivity-- it is your paddle in the rocky waters.

Initiative on board

When you land a task, don’t get comfortable on board, start learning how to sail the ship yourself! Take initiative in scheduling meetings with your client, so that you can establish expectations, deadlines, and deliverables off the bat. If these aren’t clear, it’s up to you to ask for clarification--  when you’re lost at sea, don’t blame it on the captain, just learn to steer the ship yourself! That’s what proactivity is all about. Being tough and tenacious in this way will give you the independence and freedom that also comes along with student freelancing: and it’s a good feeling when you’re reaping the rewards of your rigorous initiative-taking. 

But beyond proactiveness in the organizational and communicative sense, you can also fuel your initiative with inspiration. What ideas are whirling around in your head? You can use the power of your fresh perspective and creative mind to come up with new solutions for your company’s marketing strategy or SEO efforts. When you’re taking initiative, don’t just propose times to meet and discuss deliverables, also propose new ideas and make yourself independent in your responsibility. Proactive people don’t wait for the world-- they make their own. Your student freelancing success is entirely in your hands. 

You may not always feel comfortable pushing yourself beyond the expectations and making new suggestions to your team-- and this is where Minite’s shift of mindset occurs. In academic-world, your grades and professors have always assured you that when something is done, it is done. But when you join a startup as a High-Flyer, you’ll see that your work is constantly evolving. This is the difference in the career world: if you want to grow professionally and share your ideas for a better future, it’s not about perfection, it’s about persistence. 

If you want to grow professionally and share your ideas for a better future, it’s not about perfection, it’s about persistence.

Propel into your future

You see, productivity brings a satisfaction that is secure, but nothing about the professional world, and certainly not about the startups you’ll be working for, is secure. The only way to navigate a landscape dictated by constant change is through proactivity-- it is your paddle in the rocky waters. You cannot be afraid to launch your ideas or to make mistakes, to both struggle and shine. You water your own tree of growth, and it’s important to realize that companies turn to High-Flyers to save them time and add value. In simpler terms, remember that you are the owner of your own project. 

Simultaneously, you’re learning an invaluable lesson along the way, and you’re getting it earlier than anyone else: working as a freelancer, you have less structure and set expectations, so you know how to build things from scratch. You already understand that, when it comes to passion and ambition in the career world, this cake of potential doesn’t bake itself. When you share your experience as a student freelancer with future employers, the personal ambition you include in your expectations for yourself will not fail to impress-- you’ll be trusted with more responsibility and a higher roll from the start, or, if you want to become an entrepreneur, you’ll already be familiar with the mindset-- beyond the skills-- that it takes to build a company. 

So get the proactiveness rolling today and sign up to become a High-Flyer-- turn that talent into a tough and tenacious young individual ready to enter the business world. 

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