Best Career Advice by Dan Meyer, Founder & Director of BACK&PACK

Credit: Dan Meyer, Founder BACK&PACK

My job is to create and deliver authentic and meaningful experiences for young adults. Helping others figure out what they want out of life — and, equally important, how to get there — has always been a cornerstone of this work. I am the product of a couple of incredible mentors and teachers myself and am acutely aware of the value of good advice!
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While I’ve been on the receiving end of a lot of great advice over the years, one piece sticks out in my mind. A former director of mine once told me that, when hiring, he’d “choose passion over experience any day of the week.” That small insight pushed me to pursue my dreams and go for the jobs I really wanted, even though — at the time — I wasn’t the most experienced or qualified candidate. Over the years, I’ve made it far following my own internal compass and would encourage others to do the same. In retrospect, I think what always made me stand out to employers was my drive, enthusiasm, and authenticity. In other words, my passion. That’s a great base on which to build your career.

Meet Our Contributor — Dan Meyer, Founder and Director of BACK&PACK, an experiential travel program for international backpackers and gap year travelers.