Young Professionals, Stress and Perfectionism
Perfectionism seems to be an important cause of stress in Young Professionals. They think they have to go the extra mile because of competition on the job market. It’s no longer sufficient to be ‘good’. You have to be the best at what you do and preferably with as little as possible guidance of your superior. As a result there’s no room left for making mistakes: perfection is the new standard. In the meantime it has gotten so far the amount of Young Professionals at risk of developing a burn-out is increasing. According to the TNO (2015), one in five young employees with a flexible contract of employment already have a burn-out.
Our intern Kim de Jong, master student Work and Organizational Psychology, did some research on Perfectionism and Young Professionals. I proudly present to you the Whitepaper – Young Professionals, Stress and Perfectionism she wrote in which you can read her findings.
Also I would like to point out the test she developed. It’s a useful tool for Young Professionals to determine their level of perfectionism. She gives tips on how to deal with your perfectionism and she gives advise to managers how to deal with the perfectionism of a Young Professional.
Jacqueline Weesie
Director Digne Consult
‘You’re fine, just the way you are. You’re not the brightest nor the dumbest. Not the best nor the worst. Like most of us, you’re somewhere between Einstein and Alzheimer. Nobody’s perfect. Nobody! You’re still fine with all your mistakes. Perfection is boring. Beauty lies in imperfection. How famous would the tower of Pisa be if it stood straight? Who is more interesting, Oprah Winfrey or a supermodel with a perfect face? Success could also emerge from imperfection. The famous yellow post-it pad is the result of glue that didn’t stick. Your character and unique qualities emerged from falling and rising. You don’t have to be perfect. You just have to be you!’ ~ Frank de Moei