Pay It Forward and Help the Next Generation

By: Scott Pansky

Now is the time to make a difference in young professionals’ lives, guide them in their careers and help them navigate the great recession we are about to enter. The U.S. recession in 1991 caused by the collapse of the real estate industry seems like yesterday. The job market was down and getting a well-paid job was difficult. I had just graduated from San Diego State University (SDSU), and I remember asking for an informational interview with Dave Nuffer, the CEO of Nuffer, Smith, Tucker and a San Diego PR icon who has since passed.

Dave was a charismatic magnet. He made you laugh, he told great stories and he was the kind of guy you wanted to work for. I was heartbroken as he tore apart my resume and said, “I want to know where you interned, who your clients are and what results you got for them… and, by the way, we aren’t hiring.”

I made the edits he suggested, and I submitted my new resume to another well-respected agency in town, The Gable Group.  Scott Allison, a newly promoted supervisor there and a fellow SDSU alum, interviewed me. Nearly 30 years later, we are still together.

The mentoring I got from industry leaders, like Dave, Scott, Dr. Glen Broom, Elizabeth Pecsi and Henri Bollinger, helped shape the work I do today. They listened to me when I discussed the areas of work that I enjoyed and to the ones I feared. Their tutelage, patience, guidance and support gave me the confidence to never give up and keep pursuing the things I was passionate about.

For more than 10 years, I have paid it forward and taken the lessons Scott and Dave taught me to help students in their career paths. I cannot count the number of resumes I have edited, or the tips provided, and guest lectures and presentations I have given to students at UCLA, USC, ASU, SDSU, Bucknell University, the Lagrant Foundation, PRSSA and PRSA. 

COVID-19’s economic impact is unknown but will be much worse than past recessions.  As we slowly creep up to more than 30 million people unemployed, I recognize how important it is to give back and help the next generation. It’s not necessarily about providing jobs. It’s about providing counsel in your chosen profession and helping them navigate the uncertain destiny that lies ahead. It’s no longer a conversation about millennials or Gen Z. It’s about life lessons and entering new fields where their skills can be used for jobs that can make a difference.

I can’t express enough how rewarding it is to help students entering the job market. You get to share in their successes and guide them through their lows. You can help empower them to grow and use their passions to learn something new. We need fresh minds, new creative ideas and new experiences to help us grow our companies.

What’s event better? They will remember your help; they will support others and mentor the generation behind them. You can be proud of the impact you have made and the incredible legacy you will leave behind. Don’t miss this opportunity – they need you now!

If you'd like to sign up for our weekly COVID-19 updates, click here.

Scott Pansky is a co-founder of the agency and leads Allison+Partners’ Social Impact group. Scott has extensive experience providing communications and crisis counsel to nonprofit organizations and developing board + ambassador training programs.