Category Archives: Careers

“Ambition becomes counter-productive when you pursue your goals without the humbling realization that things seldom go as planned.”

~ Scott Belsky, We All Need A Margin For Error

Jeff Jarvis has a post discussing how our economic recovery can’t be based on job creation, simply because technology is making things more efficient, reducing the number of workers needed.

We’re not going to have a jobless recovery. We’re going to have a jobless future.

Our new economy is shrinking because technology leads to efficiency over growth.

It makes sense, as we’ve all heard about it before. The factory worker replaced by a robot. Only now, its expanding to more white collar/cerebral industries. Even in areas like retail – we buy more online,  so we need fewer stores and thus fewer employees. We get our news sourced, so we don’t need a local paper (at least not to cover national news).

So, to make it local, how do you protect your own attractiveness as an employable person? I’m not certain what skill set is needed. Jeff seems to imply that entrepreneurs are creating jobs. I agree, but I also don’t think everyone can support themselves by starting a business. Many just aren’t capable and will fail (insert statistic about 1 in x number of news businesses fail).

Are you nervous about job security? How do you make sure you aren’t replaceable by a computer?

When you are trying to do something that is risky, plenty of people will tell you not to do it. People tend to act cautiously, and if there is risk involved people will shy away from opportunity- even if the potential reward is great.

Many people back home told me I was crazy to move to California for a temporary gig. But, I knew I could never work in my dream industry if I didn’t come out here when an opportunity presented itself. Two weeks after moving here I got an interview for a permanent position. Two weeks after that I got the offer.

Seth Godin has a post today about ignoring the doubters in our lives:

If you engage with the heckler, if you qualify yourself, justify yourself or worst of all, rationalize yourself, the heckler will pounce, turning a small wedge into a giant hole. Like a standup comedian, it’s almost impossible to outwit or shut down a dedicated heckler.

But there is a strategy that works. Acknowledge and move on.

Agreed wholeheartedly. Chase your dreams. Some will fail, but those who succeed are far happier than if they wonder “what if?”

We spend most of our lives at work. That might sound depressing, but its true. Most of your waking hours will be spent working. During the evening, you have to sleep.

However, it doesn’t have to be depressing. If you hate your job, you probably hate this statement. But this is what I think is the great secret to life – Do What You Love, or put another way, your career should be your passion. Many people will think, why would I want to ruin my hobby by making it work. I believe the opposite is true.

If you like what you do for work, it doesn’t feel like work. Therefore you spend more time doing it, and probably do it really well, because you care. This will lead to success, and more happiness comes from there.

So, do what you love. And, no this doesn’t mean that you can just be a professional napper and eater. But, if you love something, find a way to get involved. I like technology and movies. While I am not an engineer or an actor, I chose to follow a path that lets me get involved with legal aspects of both of those industries. And I enjoy work. I love showing up and doing my job. If you don’t, its time you re-evaluate.

Why do you do what you do? I want to be in the Technology and Entertainment Law business because I believe movies and gadgets bring magic to people’s life everyday.

We have all heard the cliche that a college degree is the new high school diploma. Everyone has one, and it is the new baseline for competence for any job. This is especially true in this economy.

So, how do you set yourself apart? How does an applicant show they are qualified? I believe the best way is your last job. If someone impressive hires you, that means you must do good work. This assumes you didn’t get fired for incompetence, of course. But think about many corporate jobs – investment bankers often work for big companies, slaving away for a few years before going to work for a nice, small boutique. Same for many attorneys.

How does a recent grad accomplish this? Internships. You need to land a decent internship to get a job after school.

How does this affect certain groups? If you can’t afford to work for free at an internship? You just tripped over the hurdle. Don’t make the cut on that first interview? Welcome to second tier career paths.

Also, I think this encourages my generation’s seemingly endless jump from employer to employer. Instead of being company men like the previous generations, we jump from one job to another. I think this vetting process I described above contributes to this greatly. We see our first job as a stepping stone or interview instead of an opportunity for the future.