Every twenty-something knows who Mike “The Situation” is from the Jersey Shore. Many people mock his infamous views on “GTL” and the dating world. What most of us don’t know is that The Situation is set to earn FIVE MILLION DOLLARS this year. Yes you heard that right. That’s a lot of money.

How will The Situation earn this gigantic some of money?

  • Cost per episode. Apparently this number is at $60K per episode. Yes their drama is worth that much per episode.
  • Dancing With The Stars. Not sure what this pays.
  • Biography. A biography already.
  • Workout book. The world needs another fitness book.
  • Event appearances.  Supposedly Mike can earn anywhere from $15K-50K per appearance.

Instead of making fun of him today I wanted to try a different approach. So now let’s talk about what we can all learn from The Situation:

Branding is important.

We often hear about “personal branding” and “creating a brand.” This type of thinking may come off as “scammy,” but it’s exactly what happened with The Situation. Instead of being another character, he created a brand around his name and his unique presence. This is what us 20-something folks need to do as we attempt to make our marks on the world. We need to create a brand and perhaps a following of sorts.

Be yourself.

This may sound lame but its completely true. Instead of trying to change his image to appear more sophisticated or something that he’s not, he showed his true colors. This can apply to many of us young people out there. Our parents may want to push us to conform to some sort of a “corporate” image when in reality being ourselves could be much more beneficial. Being yourself may not always be the greatest idea to land you that respectable corporate position, but it could potentially elevate you to bigger and better things.

Stand out.

Over the last few years I’ve realized how truly important it is to stick out. To be honest, being a college student in a major lecture hall, keeping quiet may seem like the best option at times. However, this could end up being the worst option because we all know that the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Those that go out of their way to stick out can often benefit from additional recognition from the peers and superiors. I learned this early on in my academic career. I figured that being the quiet guy that studied hard was the way to go. In reality, my grades didn’t really excel until I became outgoing and started speaking more frequently with my professors. I’m sure we’ve all experience how standing out can be beneficial.

Timing is everything.

Some opportunities will only come once in a life time. Whether it be the opportunity to appear on a reality television show or the chance to present in front of highly respected professors. I’ve taken advantage of great opportunities to join groups around my college campus that are highly involved. I’ve also missed excellent networking events simply because I didn’t feel like sticking around the campus for a few extra hours. It seems like timing is everything and we need to learn how to take advantage of time-sensitive opportunities.

As easy as it is to make fun of the Jersey Shore I’m sure that we’ve all learned something from the whacky cast of characters. What have you guys picked up?

Img src: sarahmonline

Martin Dasko

Martin Dasko