You could have knocked me over with a feather to learn that nearly 75% of students enrolled in the prestigious School of Graphic Communications at Clemson University are women. After all, we’re living in a current reality that print is an industry predominantly led by men.

Intrigued by this irony – and determined to do Women in Print Alliance’s part to ensure all of these women actually transition from scholars to Next Gen workers in the print industry – I flew to South Carolina to spend a full day on campus engaging with these young women.

Here’s what I learned. And, more importantly, what these aspiring young women in print want to learn from those of you already working in the industry.

  • They are anxious about finding the right niche. The industry’s done a great job impressing upon young women the myriad options available to them with a degree in graphic communications. Maybe too good of a job, because many are apprehensive about what pathway to take as they enter the industry. Sales? Design? Manufacturing operations? They want to hear about your career roadmap, whether it was linear or long and winding. And they need to know it’s OK to change their directions within the print industry after an internship or first year on the job.
  • They are fully aware that they are choosing a career field where men outnumber women. Even though many post-secondary print programs register more female than male students, these Next Gen women have seen by way of internships, student days at trade shows, or career fairs that they will be fewer in number in the real-world work environment. They are not intimidated by this fact, but they are eager to hear how you “make space” for yourself and “keep your confidence up” in a field led largely by men.
  • They are on the cusp of new and exciting technologies. And they may well know more than you about certain emerging processes in print. I spoke with graduate students and even college juniors and seniors who were conducting specialized research and publishing findings in industry publications. Don’t assume you know what they’ve studied. Ask them about their unique areas of concentration; they are excited to share it with you!
  • They think you’re awesome – but they know you’re not perfect. In fact, they hope you will be honest and vulnerable enough to share your early career mistakes with them as “learning moments” they can internalize and try to avoid repeating. They want to be fearless, but also value any cautionary tales you’re willing to impart.
  • They are grateful to you – and excited to be part of the next chapter of women in print! Allow them the space to fan girl a bit. Accept their connections on LinkedIn. Compliment them for having the gumption to design and hand out their business cards even though they are still in college. Help them build their nascent networks through safe forums like Women in Print Alliance. They are truly excited to follow in your footsteps.

Many of us working in the industry today don’t really stop to think about the fact that we are the women making history today. The work we’re doing now is the legacy we will leave to the women in print students in college now. It’s a responsibility – and an opportunity – we all share to lift up the Next Gen workforce.

Bonus Content: Women in Print Alliance director Lisbeth Lyons Black asked female students attending Clemson University’s Employer-Intern Day, “If you could ask a woman who’s been working in the printing industry for 10 years for one piece of advice, what would it be?” See the video of their responses posted on LinkedIn.