Attention Campus Protesters!
Are you raising your voice for change on campus? Before you dive headfirst into the protest pool, listen up!
Recently, a "Shark Tank" judge dropped some serious wisdom bombs about the impact of activism on future job prospects. Now, let's take a moment to unpack this.
First off, kudos to you for standing up for what you believe in! Your passion and commitment to making a difference are commendable. But, as with any action, it's crucial to consider the potential consequences.
Here's the deal: While activism showcases your dedication and leadership skills, some employers might view it through a different lens. They could perceive it as controversial or disruptive, potentially impacting your professional opportunities down the line.
So, what's the takeaway? Balance is key. It's possible to be an advocate for change while also being strategic about how you present yourself in professional settings.
Here's the silver lining: Your activism can actually be a valuable asset in the right context. Companies increasingly value employees who are socially conscious and engaged in their communities. Just be mindful of how you frame your experiences and achievements.
In essence, keep fighting the good fight, but also be savvy about how you navigate the professional landscape. Your passion for change shouldn't hinder your future success—it should propel it forward!
Remember, every wave starts with a ripple. Keep making waves, but do it with your eyes on the horizon.
#Activism #CareerAdvice #SharkTankWisdom
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NewsTranscript
00:00 But are some students about to get an education they maybe didn't bargain for when the protests
00:04 began?
00:05 Well, that's a question that some, well, CEOs are now appearing to answer.
00:09 Just listen, for example, to this warning by ExxonMobil CEO Darren Woods when he was
00:14 asked if the turmoil on these campuses will actually impact who his company even hires.
00:21 What we're seeing on campuses today in some places is something very different from that,
00:27 harassment and intimidation.
00:28 I think there's no place for that, frankly, at those universities and certainly no place
00:32 for that in a company like ExxonMobil.
00:34 So we wouldn't look to bring folks like that into our company.
00:38 And if that action or those protests reflect the values of the campuses where they're doing
00:43 it, we wouldn't be interested in recruiting students from those campuses.
00:47 I mean, that might be surprising or not surprising to you.
00:50 Woods, though, isn't alone.
00:51 I mean, you have hedge fund founder Daniel Loeb telling the New York Post, quote, "We're
00:56 looking for high quality candidates, but we're going to be looking at different places."
01:01 The CEO of an executive search firm tells the Post, quote, "I'm hearing from people
01:05 they don't want to send their kids to these places, but also from the banks that they're
01:09 leery about recruiting now from these highly visible schools and will look to places maybe
01:14 in the Midwest where you don't see this type of activity."
01:17 Of course, you are seeing some of this on different campuses all across the nation.
01:22 But is this just a bluff from corporate America, or might they be serious this time?
01:28 Well, joining me now, Shark Tank judge Kevin O'Leary, who's also the chairman of O'Leary
01:33 Ventures.
01:34 Good to see you, Kevin, as we are watching all of this unfold.
01:37 And I want to lean into your experience as a longtime businessman.
01:42 You've hired thousands of people over the course of your career.
01:45 And I'm really intrigued about what corporate America's response might be.
01:50 But involvement in protests like these, for example, would it deter you from hiring some
01:56 young adults from any of these schools?
02:00 So I'm agnostic to brands.
02:02 I would hire from UCLA.
02:03 I would hire from Columbia.
02:05 It doesn't matter.
02:06 The hiring decision is an individual decision.
02:09 It's an individual basis.
02:10 And so what I don't think we are talking enough about is a tragedy occurring at the individual
02:17 level right now.
02:18 When these protests occurred in the past, and by the way, there have been student protests
02:23 since America was formed, and we allow free speech, and protests have been part of it.
02:27 And you think about the '60s and the '70s, Vietnam War, and all of the protests that
02:33 have occurred, most of those were shot on 16 millimeter film.
02:38 The majority, 80, 90 percent of that was high grainy.
02:42 You can't really get any resolution.
02:44 But unfortunately for these participants in the last few weeks, that's not the case.
02:50 Let me explain it.
02:52 It's being shot on 1080p and 4K video and from surveillance cameras with extremely high
02:59 resolution in low light conditions, including retinal scanning.
03:04 This is what's happened with AI.
03:06 So if you're burning down something or taking a flag down or fighting with police, I'm sorry.
03:14 You're trashing your personal brand.
03:15 And let me explain how this works.
03:17 When I'm hiring somebody, and I'm not different than any other corporation, you just heard
03:22 from S&P 500 CEOs, we do what's called a deep, dark search.
03:27 So if you're a candidate in the executive element of a company or any candidate of materiality,
03:34 you do this.
03:35 You look at their resume and you say, let's hire a firm.
03:38 It's about $4,800 per search and go deep web, go dark web.
03:44 All of this imagery that you're seeing tonight, all this unedited film is going to be there
03:49 in about two weeks.
03:50 So if you're out there right now, even in the dark with no sunglasses on, even though
03:55 you've got a mask on, I'll see your eyes at 4K resolution.
03:59 I know who you are.
04:01 And unfortunately, what's going to occur to these young people who have not thought this
04:05 through, I'll see your resume.
04:08 You may be a great candidate.
04:10 Then I'll find that you were doing this or fighting the police or whatever it was.
04:14 I'll put that resume on the left into the garbage because I know I can find someone
04:20 else just as good as you, of which there are tens of thousands of candidates that didn't
04:24 participate in this.
04:26 You are trashing your future.
04:29 And look, I'm not against you protesting, but you must understand in today's economy
04:34 with AI technology, you just killed your career.
04:38 I feel sad for them.
04:39 I really do.
04:40 I want to ask you, I mean, first of all, it's daunting and really foreboding the way you
04:45 describe just how accessible the information really could be and that people's anonymity,
04:51 when they intend it to be anonymous, is compromised.
04:54 But there are those who probably have two reactions.
04:57 One is maybe take your job and shove it.
04:59 The priority is what I believe in, in terms of what I stand for.
05:02 That might be one response.
05:04 The other might be, well, hold on.
05:06 I'm from a generation.
05:07 I mean, not me.
05:08 I'm an 80s baby, but a generation where my whole life has been documented on social media.
05:12 And so join the club.
05:14 Add it to all the other things you're likely to find about me.
05:18 It's unfair that you say you want me to protest and I get held accountable.
05:22 Can either be reconciled?
05:24 Well, there's three ways this affects you.
05:28 Let's take the Google situation.
05:29 You broke company policy, you got fired.
05:31 You can sue Google.
05:32 Good luck with that.
05:34 You're not hireable anymore.
05:35 You're referring to those who engaged in that sit-in, essentially, of employees from Google.
05:41 There were dozens of them.
05:42 I should have told you about it.
05:43 There were dozens who were fired or placed on administrative leave because they were
05:47 participating in employee sit-ins inside of some of the offices last month.
05:50 And they have filed a complaint arguing that they had protected speech and that they were
05:55 unlawfully fired.
05:56 Go ahead.
05:57 It's fine.
05:59 You can litigate till the cows come home.
06:00 You're not going to get hired again.
06:02 You have to understand you have an employment contract and you breached it.
06:05 That's number one.
06:06 Number two, you broke the law.
06:08 You're caught on a 4K security camera for the rest of your life.
06:12 You're there.
06:13 I'm sorry.
06:14 You just didn't think it through.
06:15 And I understand the passion when you're in your early 20s.
06:18 We're all there.
06:19 I mean, everybody went through this.
06:20 In college, you have passion.
06:22 I think it's great.
06:23 But you got to think about your future when you're starting a family.
06:26 Today, all of these people, tens of thousands of them, won't know why they didn't get that
06:32 job.
06:33 They don't know why they can't join a board or they couldn't get a loan or they couldn't
06:38 join a nonprofit.
06:41 It's because of what you did in the last 48 hours.
06:43 I'm really sorry for them.
06:46 And I teach at colleges and universities.
06:48 And I tell these young students, we're in a new era of AI, high-resolution imagery.
06:55 It just is what it is.
06:57 I mean, I wonder what your opinion of it is.
06:59 I mean, I know you've expressed feeling sorry for them.
07:02 But might that translate to, OK-- and I'm not talking about people who have committed
07:09 heinous acts in the course of things.
07:13 But there has been even a push for people who are returning citizens, who have had felonies.
07:19 And there was a push under the Obama administration not to have to check a box every time you
07:23 were trying to return to society, having been promised an opportunity once rehabilitation
07:28 occurs and all those are in deterrence and punishment, that something will consistently
07:32 hang over your head for the rest of your life.
07:35 Might the sorrow you feel translate to a second opportunity to go beyond what has taken place
07:43 in the last 48 hours or weeks?
07:48 I wish I could come by eye with you on this.
07:50 I really do.
07:51 No s'mores and roasted marshmallows for you and I, obviously.
07:55 No, I'm sorry.
07:56 I'm sorry.
07:57 Life is hard, then you die.
08:00 So you really have to think about the decisions you make.
08:02 And I urge young people today to understand the world they live in.
08:06 There are hundreds of thousands of people competing for great jobs.
08:11 And the minute you put yourself in this precarious position where you're filmed in AI, 4K, 1080p,
08:19 forever for the rest of your life, you're tainted.
08:22 I'm sorry.
08:23 I actually-- I feel the weight.
08:25 I feel so bad for these people.
08:28 They have no idea what they're doing to their future.
08:31 They are tainting their personal brands forever.
08:35 But let me tell you what your colleague-- I'm not against their passion.
08:39 I hear you, but I want to just reach you.
08:41 I know we have limited time, but I just wanted to read you a statement that your former fellow
08:45 Shark Tank member, Mark Cuban, actually provided to our show.
08:50 He said, "Business is like Dory.
08:54 It quickly forgets what is inconvenient."
08:57 This suggests, in some respects, that there's more or less some bluster and that if a business
09:02 wanted to overlook something for its own corporate benefit or otherwise, if they wanted to lean
09:06 into a movement or lean away from a movement, it's kind of their Bobby Brown prerogative.
09:11 What's your reaction?
09:12 By the way, Bobby Brown was a great R&B singer from the '90s.
09:18 I love this.
09:20 And Mark can hire them all.
09:22 It's just fantastic, because I won't be hiring any of them.
09:25 Really?
09:26 OK.
09:27 Well, it's interesting to hear your perspective, and I think it's one that we have not heard
09:31 as a different way to approach the consequences of what has happened.
09:36 I do wonder, though, in the grand scheme of things, those who are as impassioned as we
09:42 have obviously seen-- and I'm not going to comment at the moment on the nature of where
09:47 that passion is directed-- whether they're thinking in a way that you are describing
09:52 and thinking as a potential employer.
09:54 Kevin O'Leary, nice to talk to you.
09:56 Oh, go ahead.
09:57 I knew you were going to have the last word.
09:58 You two, and I will say this.
09:59 I knew it.
10:00 No, no, no.
10:01 No, listen.
10:02 Tonight, let's kumbaya.
10:04 Let's be proud of these people and their passions.
10:07 You hire them.
10:08 I won't.
10:09 Thank you.
10:10 All right.
10:11 Well, there you go.
10:12 No marshmallows happening in the CNN studio.
10:15 Thank you, Kevin O'Leary.