1) Your first job is just a foot in the door. It's a springboard for what you really want to do.

2) The first job –really ANY job– is what you make of it. Want to do something that's not on the job desciption? Tell your supervisor! You'd be surprised by what opportunities may come your way if you simply ask for it. (And if you can prove that you're the right person to do it and how it will help the client/the company/etc., the more power to you.)

3) We've all had to pay our dues with “menial” tasks. On the flip side, these aren't as menial as you might think. I can't tell you how many interns at my company have complained about doing what they consider “menial” tasks–i.e. research, building media lists, etc. But what they don't realize is that these tasks are necessary steps to providing a fully thought out campaign. PS, can you take those “menial” tasks to the next level without being told? THAT is what will get you ahead.

4) As you grow and learn you will be given more responsibilities. You're never going to start out fresh from college with the same responsibilities as a seasoned pro–that's why they are a seasoned pro. But if you prove to your supervisor that you can handle the work and you “get it,” the more higher-level tasks you'll be given.

As much as I learned in college and as much “experience” I gained through internships, the real experience came from my first job. I'm so glad I didn't jump into a job with high-level responsibilities straight out of college. I probably would have failed. I wouldn't have known how to handle certain situations and, more importantly, wouldn't have had the guidance my supervisor gave me.

I will soon hire my first junior account executive (that's the entry level position at my firm), and I'm looking for someone who's willing to learn and is open to whatever tasks they are given. And as this person learns, grows and proves that they can take on more responsibilities, then I'm happy to give them more. I'm not willing to hiring someone that will sneer at the tasks I give them because they're “menial.”

This post was mentioned on Twitter by rferrier: Tug of Truth: A great essay abt the “what should i do after college” debate from Gen Y blogger Tom Madrecki. http://bit.ly/d0Kbqh...

Reality: you can't tell from the job description what hidden opportunities lie those seemingly meanial jobs open to you that you currently snear at. Life is full of surprises and work is life. Grab the job at the place most of interest and see if you can make it something more. Make contacts, learn, grow and move up into more there or eventually move on.

A man saw people working as he walked along a road. He stopped a man carrying stones and asked him, “what are you doing?” The man answered, “I'm laying stones.” He came to another man carrying stones and asked him, “what are you doing?” This man answered, “I'm building a cathedral.” Pick up a stone and get started building a cathedral.

The bad news: Nearly everyone had stories about the unfathomable spike in this… well, sense of entitlement is likely the correct phrase… among Gen-Y jobseekers. A number agreed that this blog post would get you spiked from consideration for a job.

The good news, I suppose, is that it's doubtful any of us — a group that represents agencies, in-house comms, content development, government work and research — have sufficiently fulfilling work opportunities to interest you.

Two thoughts:

First, there is an overwhelming chance that your first job may not be all that fulfilling — and that's OK. Short of joining the priesthood or the Peace Corps, your first job is *only* about getting your second and subsequent jobs. Looking for rich and nuanced fulfillment right out of school doesn't make you a latter-day Tom Rath (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Man_in_the_Gra… it *does* make you look like the kid who won't play a pick-up game of hoops because you just know you're destined for the NBA.

Corollary to above: There is an equally overwhelming chance that your first job will not have much responsibility — and that's OK too. The problem with hiring someone right out of school is that university life is a poor predictor of workplace success. The very things that you all but rolled your eyes at can be looked at through the lens of someone with real skin in the game: In “a tightly budgeted and relatively small industry,” we manage risk — including hiring risk. One way we do that is by spending relatively little on entry level jobs that “would most likely be lacking.”

We do this not to offend the precious snowflakes who want to change the world, but because there are clients and equity holders with real money on the line, and we want to be smart with our resource decisions. So, no, there's not much responsibility in first jobs — but that's because, as I said, university life and grades are a poor predictor of workplace success.

The global advertising market, by the way, is $600 billion; the global PR market is about $6.5 billion. Not sure what you'd think of as big if those are relatively small.

OK, this got long winded — my apologies. The short version is this: Many of the issues you bring up are important, but right now you view them like Plato's shadows on the cave wall. You'll be in society, in work and pursuing the happiness you say you want for decades to come; the best way to maximize those pursuits is to quit viewing them from afar, and dive in.