Everybody can learn something, and everybody can teach something. But the richest and most valuable professional sharing often takes place when people from two generations get together and exchange ideas based on their different journeys.

This series introduces us to a host of millennials, baby boomers, Gen Xers — and even members of the Silent Generation, born between 1937 and 1945 — as they collaborate, counsel, mentor or reverse mentor across the generational divide.

Actually, as we’ll see in the coming weeks, age gaps seem to shrink, or even disappear, when the multi-generational give-and-take is mutually rewarding.

That’s certainly the case for millennials, who are drinking from the mellow cup of older-generation experience as they launch careers while, at the same time, refilling this aging vessel with the cutting-edge fizz of the digital age.

My plan after graduating from Bentley was to go into investment banking. But it was a tough job market, and I found other ways to use the finance and marketing skills I gained in college.

I’ve learned that not following the conventional path has many benefits. My advice to millennials? Don’t be afraid to take risks and gain experience through paving your own path.

I’ve been very lucky because I’ve had great mentors in the real estate business. I met my current boss, Josh Golden, when I was 21 and a sophomore in college. That’s when I started my career in real estate. When you’re young, you are still searching for the right career path and essentially what you will be best at. Josh taught me to find my strengths and passions, which, after a short period of time, became real estate. Once I was able to identify these things, I didn’t feel as lost, and I could stay focused on my future path with some degree of confidence.

When I graduated from Bentley, I had the opportunity to build my own brokerage with a private equity firm where I was an intern during my last semester of college. My mentor and former boss, Jeff Carter, pushed me to work smarter and trust my instincts. During college, I certainly had concerns about what I would be doing in life, but the assurance of knowing you are making the right choices, and succeeding at the opportunities you are being given, is a great feeling. Personally, I felt that my growth — both professionally and personally — was greatest during the time I was most challenged.

I believe millennials need to know that they probably won’t find their way and strengths until they’re actually out in the workplace.

And, of course, it helps to have great mentors who will guide you. When you’re looking for a job, or considering a job, in your early twenties, I believe that should be a significant factor. In other words, ask yourself, “Who will help me grow, who will help me identity my true self?”

Ultimately, these things help you become your own professional brand.

I’ve realized that my professional brand centers around sales and networking; and, yes, I also know how to run financial models on real estate investments, which helps me add value to my clients.

My professional brand also has an entrepreneurial side to it. In real estate, you’re an entrepreneur, and I still run my own boat-shoe company part-time, which has helped me identify the inner entrepreneur in myself.

One thing that I absolutely recommend for millennials is being great at presenting yourself and showing your confidence when speaking to people. In college I knew it was important, but never to the extent I know now, and I’ve worked hard to continually improve at this. It may sound simple, but it takes years of knowledge to prove to others that the argument you are making is the right one and well thought out.

I look back at my college experience and appreciate certain teachers I had at Bentley — especially Professor Phil Uhlmann. He taught international finance and was one of the most difficult teachers I had. Although it was the hardest class I took, it was also the most rewarding. I spent many sleepless nights trying to figure out everything, but it was his innate ability to really challenge us and think outside of the box that led to a greater knowledge of finance.

And guess what?

That’s what I’ve been doing every day on my professional path, which isn’t nearly as straight as I thought it would be.

Jeffrey Shuman' 12, who graduated with a Finance degree, is a senior associate at Luxury Residential Group in Boston. He is also the co-founder and COO of Category Five, a lifestyle brand that specializes in custom, high-quality footwear.