It’s that anxiety-filled time of year where the joy of Christmas is drowned out by the college application process. I usually get solicited for career advice at this time of year. I attended an excellent private college and spent a chunk of time at a great public university. I’ve worked overseas & across the United States. I’ve walked the hallways of some of the world’s biggest companies, and now serve the U.S. government.
What I’ve learned is that optionality drives career success and happiness. See my prior blog post about the great football coach Bill Belichick. Becoming skillful at many things is better than being a one-trick pony. To find those things that make you tick and make you a storyteller takes effort. It’s akin to looking under a lot of rocks. Most importantly, I never stopped learning.
I believe there’s a correlation between storytelling skills and lifelong learning which helps increase optionality. More learning translates to more opportunities. Numbness happens when learning stops and people stop maintaining their social networks. Some of the most educated people I know seem to have stopped reading and connecting with others. That’s the beginning of the end.
I’m reading the recent bestseller from The Moth podcasters including Meg Bowles.
I get asked a bunch of questions during this time of year. In this tech-fueled world, should young people pursue a career in computer science or get hyper-specialized in something like biotech? Is STEM the only path forward towards an upper middle-class or rich lifestyle? Does one need a degree from a top 50 college?
The answer to these questions is “maybe, but not necessarily.” Several prominent business executives like Marc Benioff of Salesforce say fewer programmers will be needed. Managerial jobs are being cut at Google. AI tools are optimizing the healthcare industry in many ways. A recent study showed that breast cancer detection is vastly improved by using AI. Fewer doctors will be needed to get better healthcare. AI is eating the world.
Will there be job growth in a world optimized by AI? Yes, in the short term. Marc Benioff signaled the need for more sales professionals to sell AI.
So, where am I going with this post directed towards parents and children? Storytelling is the most essential skill of all for young people. Being able to hold a conversation, tell stories, engage an audience, and convince them of something you believe in — these are the pieces of storytelling. Being conversant in AI technologies as a storyteller is the secret for success. Selling oneself across multiple channels as a tech-savvy AI proponent is the ultimate game changer. AI will start filtering the truth better so that real storytelling gets noticed. To get there, it will take a deeper immersion in civics, books, travel, arts, international culture, crafts, and tech —- stuff that I highlight in this blog.
Arguably, the greatest storyteller in the tech world was Steve Jobs. He was a dropout from Reed College. He became a learn-it-all, not a know-it-all. The irony of his contribution to the world, especially the advent of smart devices, is that these products make us dumber due to over-consumption.
On the other hand, Apple devices probably generate most of the world’s IP thanks to their end users. Smart storytellers take what’s good and leave everything else behind.
Young people should take notice of this video and see how Steve Jobs connects with Apple aficionados.
customersuccessforgood.com 