By Ashley Pace (LinkedIn), chair, NTEA Generation Next
Generation Next is a special organization, with true heart and ambition — ambition to help one another grow and find our places in the work truck industry. I have been incredibly honored to chair the Generation Next Steering Committee for 2023-2024 and am looking back on the past several years of service with gratitude.
In February, we held the very first Generation Next Town Hall as an installment of What’s Next with Gen Next. Brian Guillerault and I had a conversation about careers, professional development, the year in review for Gen Next, and all the upcoming events and resources for Gen Next members. You can view a replay of that webinar here to catch up on what you missed!
After our Town Hall conversation, I reflected on all the things I have learned over the past 6+ years in the work truck industry, and three pieces of professional advice come to mind. I’d like to share these short bits of wisdom that I’ve learned.
- Take oportunities. When an opportunity is in front of you, SAY YES. That’s how I got involved with Generation Next, and that’s also how I’ve gotten more involved with my career, as well. When a project comes up that may take some extra time after hours, SAY YES. When there’s an event or travel opportunity, SAY YES. When someone invites you to a networking dinner or social outing, SAY YES. The more you can jump into an opportunity, the more reward you will get, especially if it scares you.
- Ask for what you want. If the opportunity isn’t open to you, sometimes you need to ask for it. My advice is to understand your audience’s motivation, craft your message, gather supporting evidence, create a proposal, and ask for what you want. You may get a “no”, but if you put together a thoughtful proposal, at least you’ve tried.I would argue that even if you don’t get exactly what you want, the thought and effort that you put into the proposal will gain you something, maybe even later down the road. You are creating credibility as someone who thinks about the impact of decisions. This applies to anything, but particularly I think about: budgets, wages/raises, more resources for a project, a conference you want to attend, a training you think would be beneficial, attending a trade show (Work Truck Week), getting out in the field, and so much more.
- Start a conversation. If new to the industry, It can be scary to walk up to a stranger and start a conversation, but I promise it is worth it. People generally want to find new connections, especially at industry events. I have found that people want to be asked about themselves, their business, and their life. One of the best things about the work truck industry is the people; they are kind. Just have the courage to introduce yourself and get the conversation started.
These three things have been instrumental to me in my career, and I hope you will find them insightful. My wish is that together, we can all find growth in our professional lives as we come alongside each other in Generation Next, a network of people finding their place in the industry.
I am proud to be a member of Generation Next and I can’t wait to see where we go in the future.
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