Career Advice

Last night I met a script supervisor. She works with directors to make sure a movie has the right continuity, and one scene fits the next. It’s a fascinating job, hobnobbing with top directors, writers, and celebrities. No two assignments are the same. How do you get that kind of career? She earned a degree in anthropology and just “fell into it” through a series of events.

I know the feeling. I majored in economics, got an MBA, worked at a bank, then a phone company, and became a cartoonist.

For every person who studies something specific, such as the law or medicine, and actually ended up in that sort of career, I think there are five who let chance pick their careers. That works out more often than you’d think, but you can’t recommend it as a career strategy. Instead, I recommend a general formula for success. Allow me to explain.

If you want an average successful life, it doesn’t take much planning. Just stay out of trouble, go to school, and apply for jobs you might like. But if you want something extraordinary, you have two paths:

1. Become the best at one specific thing.
2. Become very good (top 25%) at two or more things.

The first strategy is difficult to the point of near impossibility. Few people will ever play in the NBA or make a platinum album. I don’t recommend anyone even try.

The second strategy is fairly easy. Everyone has at least a few areas in which they could be in the top 25% with some effort. In my case, I can draw better than most people, but I’m hardly an artist. And I’m not any funnier than the average standup comedian who never makes it big, but I’m funnier than most people. The magic is that few people can draw well and write jokes. It’s the combination of the two that makes what I do so rare. And when you add in my business background, suddenly I had a topic that few cartoonists could hope to understand without living it.

I always advise young people to become good public speakers (top 25%). Anyone can do it with practice. If you add that talent to any other, suddenly you’re the boss of the people who have only one skill. Or get a degree in business on top of your engineering degree, law degree, medical degree, science degree, or whatever. Suddenly you’re in charge, or maybe you’re starting your own company using your combined knowledge.

Capitalism rewards things that are both rare and valuable. You make yourself rare by combining two or more “pretty goods” until no one else has your mix. I didn’t spend much time with the script supervisor, but it was obvious that her verbal/writing skills were in the top tier as well as her people skills. I’m guessing she also has a high attention to detail, and perhaps a few other skills in the mix. Probably none of those skills are best in the world, but together they make a strong package. Apparently she’s been in high demand for decades.

At least one of the skills in your mixture should involve communication, either written or verbal. And it could be as simple as learning how to sell more effectively than 75% of the world. That’s one. Now add to that whatever your passion is, and you have two, because that’s the thing you’ll easily put enough energy into to reach the top 25%.  If you have an aptitude for a third skill, perhaps business or public speaking, develop that too.

It sounds like generic advice, but you’d be hard pressed to find any successful person who didn’t have about three skills in the top 25%.

What are your three?

Comments

[Denise]

Good writer Erica,

As a good writer, you should know that you are one right out of the CHUTE, not the SHOOT. Or perhaps you're a typical child of the 90's and have overestimated your abilities.

[Michel]

Oh, I thought the affirmations were enough...

[dssdf]

testing

[dssdf]

testing

[That kid]

Succinct
vision thing
observant

When a man tells me who they are I believe him.

[Vishala S.]

You made it on to Lifehacker today!

http://lifehacker.com/software/career/career-advice-from-dilberts-scott-adams-284565.php

[Emil Hunefalk]

Great post!

My skills - as a mensa member I guess one has something to do with IQ, so I'll say logic/math for the first, spiced with some programming and reasoning. For the second I'd say languages, with fluent swedish, english, danish and pretty good german, norwegian and spanish I'd say it's a skill... The third is a bit more difficult, but maybe should say creativity with paintings, graphical design both 2D and 3D, and constantly coming up with new ideas for new business, websites and interesting things to study (or new skills to develop..)

So where do I go from here? :-)

/E

[HominidX]

I live my life as I want to live it, 100%!!! Here are five (5) things that I think contribute to my happiness at the moment:

1) I do what I want.
2) I've got an attractive body and haircut.
3) I understand psychology on different levels.
4) I am tender.
5) I am only emotionally attached to myself.

Bold, handsome, confident, and good-looking are the words that immediately come to my mind when I try to describe my personality. On second thought, other words that come up are gorgeous, sexy, and brave. You might think I am being unrealistic, but there are no real negatives that occur in my mind immediately. If you want me to say something negative about my personality, I'll have to think very, very much (which is positive).

[rick bruce]

"Programming", while being cited here repeatedly as an asset; actually is far from one.

[Cole Matson]

1) Empathy/people skills/good listener
2) Written & verbal communication
3) Love of reading and watching TV & movies
4) Understanding of Christian theology and love of mythopoeia
5) Very good at organization and customer service/diplomacy
6) Good singer

I have a B.F.A. in Theater and Psychology from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, and went directly into a doctoral program in clinical psychology (Psy.D.) at a small Jesuit college. I left after one semester because, while I loved working with clients, the curriculum and practica spent way too much time on psychological testing (e.g. cognitive tests for ADHD) rather than doing therapy for my taste. I'm now acting and working as the administrator for my city's theater alliance. I know I want to go back to school, but I don't know what I want to study.

Maybe I'll be a performer for a while, then get a Masters in Theology and a Doctorate in Pastoral Counseling. Or maybe go to NYU's Gallatin School for Individualized Study and get a Master's in Christian Mythopoeia (http://www.mythsoc.org) - not that NYU, that bastion of post-post-modernism and rampant atheism/agnosticism would be the place to do it, but I don't know of anyplace else that has such an individualized program.

Maybe I should just write a book. That's easy, right?

[sohbet]

It's not that the ad is more important or anything but constantly moving colourful graphics with 3D effects tug at your attention more effectively than black text on white background. We're just wired that way.

[grimm]

drawing
highly analytical
good sense of humour

where am i ???

[adora]

Great advice! It's obvious, but I never thought of planning it. A friend of mine was unhappily working at video rental store after graduated from film school. He got a law degree and became a lawyer for a major film studio.

My top 25% skills are:
1) Tetris
2) Drawing
3) Math & Logic - got 780 & 740 on my GRE.
4) Fluent in 4 Chinese dialects.
I'm an average architect. I'm looking into studying psychology. Wonder how that mix will turn out.

[Guru]

My advice is that you keep it simple and profitable. A career has to offer you lifestyle and cashflow.
If you wish to pursue a very lucrative part time career in any of the following roles:

a) the order processing & despatch clerk

b) purchases/receivables clerk -
c) project manager -
d) sales assistant/sales person -
e) accountant/ financial controller -

Then a set of Microsoft Dynamics Nav skills is must have..
For more information visit www.myspace4erp.com

[Guru]

My advice is that you keep it simple and profitable. A career has to offer you lifestyle and cashflow.
If you wish to pursue a very lucrative part time career in any of the following roles:

a) the order processing & despatch clerk

b) purchases/receivables clerk -
c) project manager -
d) sales assistant/sales person -
e) accountant/ financial controller -

Then a set of Microsoft Dynamics Nav skills is must have..
For more information visit www.myspace4erp.com

[Guru]

My advice is that you keep it simple and profitable. A career has to offer you lifestyle and cashflow.
If you wish to pursue a very lucrative part time career in any of the following roles:

a) the order processing & despatch clerk

b) purchases/receivables clerk -
c) project manager -
d) sales assistant/sales person -
e) accountant/ financial controller -

Then a set of Microsoft Dynamics Nav skills is must have..
For more information visit www.myspace4erp.com

[tareh]

im not to sure how to combine these 3 traits
- im a divemaster, been diving for the last 10 years
- i play the bass, im in a band and rather good at it
- also i race bikes, won a few races. here & there..

*sigh*

[Erica Friedman]

I'm a better than average writer, right out of the shoot. With editing, I'm a very good writer.

I'm a better than average public speaker, and funny in much the same way that you are - I just say what I think and people translate it into humor, because otherwise they may have to think about it.

And I became the subject expert on an extremely teeny niche subject that overlaps with two other not-quite-as-teeny niche areas.

Between the three, I've gotten both speaking engagements (not as many as I'd like, though) and writing assisgnments (ditto.) It's a process. I'm ultimately angling for an honorary Ph.D. from a prestigious university that would never have accepted me as an actual student, like Oxford. :-)

Cheers,

Erica

[vinay]

These are mine!!!!!!

1) I am a computer graduate.
2) I work on computer's for hrs together.
3) Its necessity for me to learn more of Computer's to survive.

Has computers replaced my 3 basic needs air,food and shelter !!!!!

[femmebot]

(1) good listener, ability to make other people feel good about themselves
(2) good writer
(3) knack for languages and music (and I have perfect pitch)
(4) interested in politics, science and religion

Somebody tell me why I went and got an MA in Computer Science... Now I have my pick of well-paid jobs I don't want.

[Josh Ziemann]

1. The ability to perform in front of others (music, poetry, juggling)
2. The ability to express myself via language
3. The ability to understand, accept, and adapt to the ideas of others.
4. The uncanny ability to find money on the ground.

[Steve]

My three

1. Finance/Accounting
2. Technology/Programming
3. Systems/Policy

...which is combining into a specialty of "turnaround work" -- every job I've ever had since college has been me going in to a new department, or a horrifically mismanaged one, and streamlining everything.

Well, that, and I've been lucky enough to have reported to good people who provided good management backing (yes, it can exist!) for my initiatives.

I really should look into finding out if there's somewhere I can do this where I'm not "bouncing" around quite so much...

[Dalebert]

I've just started dabbling. This still needs quite a bit of refinement- a little more attention to detail, some inking, more practice on certain objects and body parts, etc.

http://wiki.freetalklive.com/Image:Popup_ads.JPG

http://wiki.freetalklive.com/Image:Preheating.JPG

http://wiki.freetalklive.com/Image:Ignoring_Ron_Paul_smaller.JPG

[Bruce Harrison]

Scott -- Great post. I e-mailed it to my daughter, who in her younger days thought that success was determined by taking every course in college you could because if you missed the ONE BIG ONE you would doom yourself forever.

Since graduating from Swarthmore with a degree in economics, she has been an expatriate in Spain (fluent in Spanish) working in a kiosk on the beach and as a bartender; coming back to the states and doing admin work while pursuing a career as a jewelry designer and just completed a course in becoming a yoga instructor.

I would add to your advice in this way: your path to your perfect career is not linear. It jumps all over the place like a grasshopper on a hot stove. Life is so wonderful because of how unpredictable it is. You also won't know what the career you really can excel at until you stumble into it.

Most people change careers three times in their lives. That number is going up, not down. And the facile advice that "just do what you love" is absolutely fallacious. What I'd love to do is to tour all the famous wineries of the world and write about them while garnering enough money to own 2/3 of the world. And drinking all the wine I can get my hands on without having any ill effects from it. That ain't gonna happen. But there are other ways I can support myself; the challenge is being open to not just what you love, but what you're good enough at to get others to pay you to do it.

It's funny -- I always said you followed me around in my career and wrote Dilbert based on my experiences -- we've talked about that before, at least here. This time, you beat me by a couple of days. I was reading an article in USA Today by Matt Groening, the Simpsons creator, who said essentially what you did. He said that he had two talents, neither of which was world-class but both of which were OK. He was a good comedian, but not good enough to do stand-up; he was also a decent artist, but not good enough to hang in the Louvre. So he combined those two talents, and lo and behold, the Simpsons appeared (if you ever read his earlier strip "Life in Hell" you'd probably say that he's underestimating his talent, but there you go).

So I will now press on to find out two things that I'm OK at, but not great, and see if I can combine them. Let's see -- wine drinking and sex. Nope, hard to find a career there (no pun intended). Cooking and flying. . . hmmm. The Flying Gourmet? No, I don't think so. Writing incredibly cogent posts on the Dilbert Blog and driving fast cars? Nah.

I'll let you know when I figure it out.

[Andrew]

Engineering.

Public Speaking.

Selling Points.