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

[Audra]

I think that this is very helpful advice to keep in mind. As a college student, I continually feel the pressure to narrow my focus, so I can graduate and find a career. It is much easier to narrow my focus to developing a couple of skill sets or areas of interest instead of focusing on one career track.

[Audra]

I think that this is very helpful advice to keep in mind. As a college student, I continually feel the pressure to narrow my focus, so I can graduate and find a career. It is much easier to narrow my focus to developing a couple of skill sets or areas of interest instead of focusing on one career track.

[Francois]

Hey these are such the nice advices and also some more opportunities are waiting. Some of the good opportunities are waiting for you at http://www.career-descriptions.co.uk

[Make children Successful]

Fabulous information. I would never allow other people to waste my time sitting at my desk talking to me when they have nothing better to do or by making me attend meaningless meetings. I will always try to keep learning and will constantly look for opportunities to improve my skills. I got so many ideas from your blog, similarly from Make children Successful tool.

[ibrahim]

hello.
i have university degree in management of information system and also Microsoft and Cisco certified. so my real career is in computer networks. i realize that i have the imagination to become a graphic design.i sometimes regret my study and wish i could change the past.i don't know if i should try to attend courses in graphic designs or stick in my major. though in designs i won't have the time to achive a university degree in it.
i dunno what to do.

[Advisor for top online universities]

One issue is the fact that alot of students need to work and go to school (I provide info on the top online universities and how to get in on my blog) - http://onlineuniversitiesreport.wordpress.com. Flexible schooling is an option and people need to be informed about how to find flexible and affordable training and education

[küresel ısınmaya hayır]

these are really valuable advices for young people, I hope they have a chance to read these.. I would definitely have taken them in account if I was younger.

[BitterQ]

I agree with HominidX's August 1 post... I've got a number of skills backed with experience, degrees and certification, but I've found that the programming skill often trumps the others when it comes to breaking the mold. It's all to often a reality that as soon as people learn that programming is among your capabilities that they box you into the stereotype.

Even so, this article is a great perspective on how to approach that problem - I'll give it a shot.

[Helen]

To continually grow and boost your work performance, I cannot emphasis enough the benefits of updating your skills and qualifications.This can be achieved through distance education courses such as those provided by Thomson Education http://thomson.edu.au/ who provide a wide range of courses from Accounting & Finance, Business & Marketing to even Professional Development.

[Ernie Zelinski]

I believe that quotations can offer us a lot in the way of career advice.

Here are some career quotes that come from my E-book "1001 Best Things Ever Said about Work (and the Workplace".

The difference between a job and a career is the difference between forty and sixty hours a week.
— Robert Frost

Find a calling you love and you will never work a day in your life.
— Confucius

Adults are always asking little kids what they want to be when they grow up because they're looking for ideas.
— Paula Poundstone

A musician must make music, an artist must paint, a poet must write, if he is to be ultimately at peace with himself.
— Abraham Maslow

Never get married while you're going to college; it's hard to get a start if a prospective employer finds you've already made one mistake.
— Kin Hubbard

If you don't like your job you don't strike. You just go in every day and do it really half-assed. That's the American way.
— Homer Simpson

Note: You can find the Free E-book "1001 Best Things Ever Said about Work (and the Workplace)" at www.thejoyofnotworking.com

Ernie Zelinski

Author of "The Joy of Not Working"

[Jobs Career in Abroad]

Nice informative article. thanks for sharing and keep sharing such kind of articles, as these articles really helpful for experienced and new comers.
http://www.jobs-career-listing.com

[One]

You know, I would've really benefitted from this advice ten years ago. Then again my perception of what I'm actually good at is propably much sharper now.

things I'm good at...
1) Saying things that help. For some reason when I'm alone with someone they quite regurarly start talking about their problems, and a lot of people tell me afterwards that what I said really helped, and even that I've really changed their lives. It's really weird since I feel so screwed up myself, but I guess it takes one to know one. I've considered studying to become a therapist. It's just I really hate studying.

2) Making stuff up = creative fiction. Top 10% easy, maybe even top 1%. Unfortunately my attention span is too short for anything but roleplaying, which has no money in it.

3) I can tell good from bad, even in things I don't know much anything about.

4) I listen to a LOT of music.

[Jupiter]

I'm a bloody good writer (I'm going to be arrogant and say I could be in the top 10%)
Below average biologist (probably the bottom 40%)
I have an excellent imagination...
...and the people skills of a dead frog, so where on earth does my future lay?

[Tummy Roller]

I can roll the fat on my tummy to look like a dance.

[Questioning]

Hello,

I am in the situation that I will soon be resigning from my position. I know that upon resignation I should :

Be sure to get a fair settlement for any outstanding salary, vacation (and sick and personal) days, and commission payments or other compensation due to you.

Though, I am highly concerned about the company's viability. They have had problems paying their bills, and I just found out that they have not been paying out the employee's share of the 401K contributions. (Yes, err, that's against federal labor laws). I would say they owe me to date easily 4K in unreimbursed travel expenses and 401K contributions. I want to finish out my 2 weeks after the notice of resignation, but I am concerned about appropriate compensation. I have some deliverables due before my 2 weeks are over, could I use those as a bargaining chip to ensure I get my money? On the other hand I am concerned they might do a funky lock down on my 401k contributions

[Fresher]

I control the elements of fire and water and I can talk to animals...SNAP!

[Stevo]

David: Pitching DB admin services?

Guru: Theme park stunt person?

Sohbet: Accountancy cartoonist - why should engineers get all the laughs? :)

Rick Bruce: Filksinger, performer, original material artist.

Vishala: Translation of diagram-heavy mathematical textbooks. Or archeology.

Jim: Create surgical tools, orthopedics, designs for more efficient operating theatres, biomechanics etc. Alternatively, create a website of medical illustrations and sell them in book or CD form.

Abhijit: Bring conceptual laboratory work to the world or to the Board. Tell them what it's going to help them achieve.

Monkey: Translate manuals for extremely expensive vertical-market applications, or work on automatic language translation programs, or be an international speaker/teacher in computer concepts.

[Isabelle Dolce]

I have a young female colleague who frequently solicits my advice from sex to career success. I try but I think that sometimes my honesty might be too brutal for somebody young, naive, and fearful.

Yes, fearful. And the two things she fears most are failure and rejection. All of us fear failure and rejection but it oozes from her pores. She is like a squirrel running willy-nilly through incoming traffic, paniced, looking neither left nor right, unable to comprehend that there is an SUV with a car full of screaming children and a frantic suburban mom doing 47 miles an hour through a residential neighborhood.

She wants to know my 'secret' to success. What to say? Hard work? Perserverence? Strategy? Luck?

It is more than that. It is the gift of being able to make your future partners believe that they will personally and professionally benefit from cooperating. And no, I am not recommending bribery or 'you-kill-my-enemy-I'll-kill-your-enemy' mentality of politicians.

No. Success is far subtler and simpler. It is the ability to appeal to your potential adversaries vanity, greed or laziness. If you can appeal to all three, you are guaranteed success; only two, your odds are still high; one or zero and you're pushing boulders uphill.

Simple. Really.

[Monkey]

Top 25% among others doing the same thing for a living or the general populace?

[Mike]

I am good at programming (C, Matlab, bunch of others )and anything science. I have a Bachelor and Masters in Engineering.
Also pretty good at picking up languages, I speak 5 with various degrees of fluency.
So I hope to combine the two somehow, get really rich, and start my own space business. Kind of like Elon Musk.
Only I'm barely now learning web programming and I don't see a Paypal-like idea anywhere.

[Dave]

I wouldn't ignore your first option quite so quickly.
While it IS difficult to become the best at something that millions of people try -- like your examples, It is not that hard to become the best at a specific niche.

As an example, often location can create a niche for you in an otherwise popular field:
-The best NY style pizza place in Denver.
-The best scuba expert in a desert town.
-The best winter clothing retailer in Southern Florida.
-The best ice cream truck driver in Edmonton.

I'm really good at what I do. I'd estimate top 5% of the people who do it, which makes it easily the top .01% of the general population. Add to that the fact that I work in a very specfic niche, which means when jobs come up in my town, I normally get them. Or at the very least, I'm buddies with the guy who does get it... he lives down the street from me, and we've been competing for the same jobs for years, sometimes even working together on jobs. We're both successful enough that even if a 3rd guy came into town, there is room for us all.

Your concept is similar, but where you tell people to create a niche by mixing talents, I suggest it isn't that much harder to just find a pre-existing niche, and fill it.

[Abhijit]

Hmm...

Makes me wonder what skills Dilbert would need to become successful, hit the big-time.

Furthermore, what would you say are the 25% skills of Dilbert's pointy-haired boss?

:)

[Jim]

Teaching: I can teach anything that I understand, to anyone who wants to learn. I'm in the top 10% here.

Conceptual thinking: I can see the "big picture" more clearly than most. Top 25% for sure.

Public speaking: I'm quite good, entertaining and informative, engaging. Top 25%

But I'm an introvert *grin*, and must have passion and belief in the knowledge that I'm disseminating. Oddly enough, this hasn't served me well as a university professor at all. "Publish or Perish" has little to nothing to do with the creation or dissemination of intellectual creations (at least not in the IS field).

So what should I be?

[Sarvesh]

-Planning and Organizing
-Drawing
-Medical (currently in 2nd university year)
-Web Designing

I wonder...If I will really be a doctor with designing skills. How is that supposed to help me?

[D.D]

To became a cartoonist is always my dream,but I just don't know how to move on to it,for I studied language as my major in university. Thanks for your article,it helps. :)