Saturday November 26: Whatever Happened To My So Called Career?

Well, yes this is a question I sometimes especially when I struggle (usually drink in hand) to explain my current portfolio career to some person I just met.  It's the only time I miss the simple answer of "I'm a lawyer."

Really, though its the title of fantastic lecture that R has given at the LSE, at the Cass Business School and yesterday, at the Munk School of Global Affairs. 

A fully unbiased review (of course) R was fantastic, funny, informative and inspiring.  I can say that I wasn't married to meet him, after hearing him yesterday, I would be looking to meet him...

After they intro'd him and his accomplishments, he opened by sharing his own ballsy story of graduating from Queens into the brutal Canadian recession of the 1990's, working temp jobs that he was serially fired from (for giving them advice on how to improve - classic, no?), to going to LSE with only enough money for his first semester and then starting a consulting boot camp for students, getting his job offer from Roland Berger and then taking that letter to the bank to borrow the rest of the years tuition.

 I've heard the story before, but each time I do, I get filled with a wave of straight up respect for the man. 

He also shared career insights that apply whether you're just starting out like the audience of graduate students in the room, thinking about a career shift or switch or something that's somewhere in between.   

Below are my top 5 lessons from his talk.  

Funny side note: at one point he mentioned that his wife was in the audience (and I sort half waved because really what's the right response to that?) and I heard the boy next to me whisper to his friend: "Why is his wife taking notes?"  

Because I learned or (re-learned) so much listening to him, including: 

1. Your Career Is Happening Right Now For years I suffered from this - the idea that "my real" career would happen sometime in the future and the rest of this was just temporary.  Whether you're a student, or mat leave or in a job where you are just killing time or paying the bills.  This right now is your career, you are in it.  

2. Beware of the Myth of The Perfect Career:  R used the Churchill description of how most people, even the most successful among us are actually operating on a day to day basis in dense fog.  You don't really know what's ahead so all you can do is  make the best decision possible with what's in front of you.  It's only after, in retrospect that dots are connected to create a narrative.  And then, when we read or hear about someone's career story, we're led to believe that they had this perfect plan which is what led to these impressive outcomes.  Yes, of course you need an idea of where you want to go, but don't worry about having the great plan or be intimidated by someone else's seemingly flawless career story or path.  You just don't hear all the messy parts that get skipped over when the story is being re-written. 

3. Remember The Newspaper Test:  We buy lots of papers in our house, the Times, The FT, The Globe and each weekend, it re-affirms the newspaper test which is: what sections do you always reach for first?  And why?  Odds are it hasn't changed for the past decade. The idea of the newspaper test is not to say that if you always go for the sports section, you should now drop it all and become a sports agent.  The Newspaper Test  is a reminder to remain aware of your true interests.  The further your career falls from them the harder it will be to sustain the passion. 

4. Don't Become a Victim of Your Lesser Talents:  Ten years ago, I walked away from Bay Street law job at a national firm. I'd worked hard.  And for a 25 year old, there was a seemingly large amount of money at stake, a career I had professed to want (and spent 3 years studying for), along with status and certainty that came with the job. Deciding to leave was both the hardest and easiest thing I've ever done.  It was hard for all the reasons above.  It was easy because after a year and half spent summering and articling I realized that I would never actually be a very good lawyer.   I  could stay, keep working on it but as Peter Drucker first pointed out, I would spending 90% of my efforts trying to get 10% better at something I wasn't great at (or interested in).

Alternatively, I could leave and finding the area where 10% of my efforts would make me excellent. And happy.  

5.  Who You Marry Matters:  A key point in from my last book, that who you marry matters since it impacts every part of your life - including your career.  Why? Because it shapes where you live, your networks, how your interests and values evolve and from that the career decisions you make.

It's nice to have an affirmation on mine. /rs