I am a huge believer in the importance of adaptability, and it's served me well. I've made some unusual jumps in my career, and they've all worked out. I think there are some other traits that go with being adaptable, or at least go with being good at it. Curiosity is important, if you're not curious you'll never learn new skills that you just might need someday. Confidence is important so you can sell yourself, but tempered with realism so you don't go full-on Leeroy Jenkins.
Plus, I just think life is a lot less boring when you're learning and growing.
Yup, another great one. I started a job as an instructor after 3 years of retirement. Didn’t need to but it’s always about $ and the challenge. I knew it would be harder than I originally thought, I was right. The right answer is almost always, why not?
Wow! This resonates with me. I have been a farmer, pilot, software trainer, and HR specialist. At the age of 44 I moved my family from our ancestral home of 75 people to the fourth largest metropolitan area of the US. My daughter was a teenager at the time and I think she has finally forgiven me.
All I can say is 'Never say never'. I vowed I would never work for the government. My last job was with the city.
John Denver had it right: "Life is nothing but a funny, funny riddle."
I have always been a generalist, not a specialist. Served me well in my career as people would ask me to do things they would not ask another in my same role because they knew I would give it a try. I worked in many different industries and never had an issue getting work. People who get pigeonholed into a small role love small lives.
I moved from Canada to the UK following a guy I thought was my soul mate but ended up being just a jerk, lived there in my own for awhile. Moved back to Canada, then moved provinces. Will be moving provinces again before I go. Change can be hard but it is inevitable so you need to learn to embrace it. Not all changes turn out as you think, but they are all teaching us things.
At one point I was sick of moving and thought it would be good to stay put, then my friend moved away and I realized that even if I never moved, my environment would change around me so it didn't make that much difference. Nearly everyone I knew back then has since moved. I want to die in our current house, but I have no illusion that this little town will stay the same. If it ever becomes something I don't like, I will move again. I have collected friends all over and my life has been made richer for my moves.
Textile workers were put out of work when steam-powered looms were put into use in the early 1800's. Ten years later there were many times more people working in the clothing industry because suddenly it was possible for the common person to afford multiple sets of clothes: an unforseen consequence of the new technology.
Horse hostlers were put out of work when automobiles became widely used. The number of people working in transportation went up by magnitudes, because common people could afford reliable transportation away from the cities, and a migrataion into the suburbs was possible: an unforeseen consequence of the new technology.
The AI we have today, at the beginning of the revolution, makes it possible to give every work an idiot assistant almost for free. How much is that worth to a business? What will the capabilities be in 10 years? Really hard to tell, but it will make most everyone more productive than they are today. What are the unforeseen consequences of that?
I've had 3 careers, each in a different industry. Worked in the computer industry for 10+ years in Marketing & Strategy. Then moved to management consulting for 5 years, primarily in the chemicals industry. Then moved to an internal consulting position in financial services, and eventually became a leader in online brokerage. The first 6 months of every transition is scary; after that, your generic skills and capabilities take over.
I am a huge believer in the importance of adaptability, and it's served me well. I've made some unusual jumps in my career, and they've all worked out. I think there are some other traits that go with being adaptable, or at least go with being good at it. Curiosity is important, if you're not curious you'll never learn new skills that you just might need someday. Confidence is important so you can sell yourself, but tempered with realism so you don't go full-on Leeroy Jenkins.
Plus, I just think life is a lot less boring when you're learning and growing.
Yup, another great one. I started a job as an instructor after 3 years of retirement. Didn’t need to but it’s always about $ and the challenge. I knew it would be harder than I originally thought, I was right. The right answer is almost always, why not?
Wow! This resonates with me. I have been a farmer, pilot, software trainer, and HR specialist. At the age of 44 I moved my family from our ancestral home of 75 people to the fourth largest metropolitan area of the US. My daughter was a teenager at the time and I think she has finally forgiven me.
All I can say is 'Never say never'. I vowed I would never work for the government. My last job was with the city.
John Denver had it right: "Life is nothing but a funny, funny riddle."
I have always been a generalist, not a specialist. Served me well in my career as people would ask me to do things they would not ask another in my same role because they knew I would give it a try. I worked in many different industries and never had an issue getting work. People who get pigeonholed into a small role love small lives.
I moved from Canada to the UK following a guy I thought was my soul mate but ended up being just a jerk, lived there in my own for awhile. Moved back to Canada, then moved provinces. Will be moving provinces again before I go. Change can be hard but it is inevitable so you need to learn to embrace it. Not all changes turn out as you think, but they are all teaching us things.
At one point I was sick of moving and thought it would be good to stay put, then my friend moved away and I realized that even if I never moved, my environment would change around me so it didn't make that much difference. Nearly everyone I knew back then has since moved. I want to die in our current house, but I have no illusion that this little town will stay the same. If it ever becomes something I don't like, I will move again. I have collected friends all over and my life has been made richer for my moves.
Textile workers were put out of work when steam-powered looms were put into use in the early 1800's. Ten years later there were many times more people working in the clothing industry because suddenly it was possible for the common person to afford multiple sets of clothes: an unforseen consequence of the new technology.
Horse hostlers were put out of work when automobiles became widely used. The number of people working in transportation went up by magnitudes, because common people could afford reliable transportation away from the cities, and a migrataion into the suburbs was possible: an unforeseen consequence of the new technology.
The AI we have today, at the beginning of the revolution, makes it possible to give every work an idiot assistant almost for free. How much is that worth to a business? What will the capabilities be in 10 years? Really hard to tell, but it will make most everyone more productive than they are today. What are the unforeseen consequences of that?
I've had 3 careers, each in a different industry. Worked in the computer industry for 10+ years in Marketing & Strategy. Then moved to management consulting for 5 years, primarily in the chemicals industry. Then moved to an internal consulting position in financial services, and eventually became a leader in online brokerage. The first 6 months of every transition is scary; after that, your generic skills and capabilities take over.