Did you know that people use only 30% of their capabilities at work? Behind this percentage lie multiple causes, but one explanation could be the late introduction of young people into professional spaces: if there were the possibility to experiment earlier, they would likely learn the specifics of individual tasks more quickly and develop the skills necessary to manage them better, resulting in a greater sense of self-mastery and challenges.
We had already delved into this topic when we curated the Videostrategy for The Adecco Group's "CEO for One Month" contest. The project involved 12,000 young men and women from 46 countries, ready to compete in various trials, from psychometric tests to interviews and video interviews, from online business games to a group Virtual Assessment, with the goal of winning and shadowing the group's CEO Andrea Malacrida in all daily activities. On that occasion, we realized how much, if given the chance, young talents are eager to closely observe the world of work, testing their hard skills, technical skills, and soft skills, the personal attributes of individuals. This becomes even more important when we consider that HR managers estimate that "in 2050 it will be essential to master problem-solving, time management, as well as emotional intelligence and leadership."
For these reasons, we are more than happy to have joined, thanks to The Story Group - Born to Tell Your Story, of which we are a part, "Watch Milan at Work," the first job shadowing project conceived within a Public Administration and promoted by the Councillor for Labour Policies and Economic Development Alessia Cappello. 200 young men and women from Milan, aged 18 to 25, had the opportunity to start working in synergy with companies, firms, professional studios, entities, and institutions. The project was joined by 70 companies and firms from publishing and design, hospitality, tourism, IT, just to name a few.
Last Thursday, we at Social Content Factory welcomed our first guest, Margherita Manganelli, a student in Psychosocial Communication Sciences at the University of Milan-Bicocca.
After a day at our Videostrategy agency, she commented: "I really wanted to experience a communication agency firsthand. I had the chance to observe how tasks and roles, often hybrid and transversal, are divided, and I watched how creatives and post-production managers work. What struck me the most was the speed required in changing perspectives: you move from one project to another, with very different themes. You need to adapt to this speed."
"Flexibility is definitely very important in this job. Do you think it also fosters creativity?" "Absolutely yes: living every day with this speed develops curiosity, and consequently, you learn that being creative is already great in itself, but seeing your creativity grow and change in a highly dynamic environment is even more of an added value."
"Had you already had other similar experiences to this one?" "A similar one but not the same: in the previous three-month curricular internship for an HR tech startup, partly in smart working and partly in person, I learned a lot. But here I had the chance to ask questions freely, without fear of judgment, finding great willingness to listen on the other side. I go home reflecting on the many things I learned, and I can't wait to come back next time with different eyes!"
Article wrtitten by Isabella Garanzini, Group Head of Storytelling at The Story Group
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