Yep. Self-induced lobotomy is a very useful skill.
If You’re So Damn Smart, Why Aren’t You Rich?
11–20 of 152 posts
Re: If You’re So Damn Smart, Why Aren’t You Rich?
#12I expected this article to be something totally different. I think it was a great article, though the title had little to do with the moral of the story. But man I can relate. When I graduated with my Mechanical and Electrical Engineering degrees, I thought the world was my oyster. I found a sweet job called Marketing Engineer that required both a well-formed understanding of engineering and a knack for marketing and…
I totally sympathize and if you are on the startup path it sounds like quiting was the right move.
But I think your expectations for an entry level job are too high. One thing newly minted adults would do well to realize is your first few years at any job are going to be spent doing the grunt work. If you go into it expecting to spend your days oscillating between mind numbing boredom and hectic days filled with busy work, it's a lot easier to deal with. People with this perspective know opportunities for better work will arise -- and seriously, two or three years is just not that long.
Re: If You’re So Damn Smart, Why Aren’t You Rich?
#13I find the idea of paper degrees being somehow a synonym of "smarts" a bit elitist.
As far as getting rich goes (at least in startupland), there's a big difference between "so, what can you do?" and "so, what can do to help me"?
If life isn't turning out quite like you expected, perhaps it'd be "smart" to be a bit more proactive?
Re: If You’re So Damn Smart, Why Aren’t You Rich?
#14i think the author of this post needs to drop his intense feelings of superiority and entitlement as they are obviously not backed up by any real world metrics. sorry, much of academia is completely disconnected from the real world. just because you made marks doesn't mean the rest of the world should bow before your superior intellect. sheesh, the nerve of some people...
Re: If You’re So Damn Smart, Why Aren’t You Rich?
#15It would appear that you talk like a fag, and that your shit's all retarded.
Re: If You’re So Damn Smart, Why Aren’t You Rich?
#16The problem probably wasn't having the masters degree so much as having the masters degree and applying for jobs with titles like "administrative assistant" moral of the story: don't trust "careers counselors"
From the sounds of it, the author didn't have much work experience. What else can he apply for?
Around the time I finished my undergrad, there was a recession (almost 20y ago), and most of my liberal arts peers were taking customer service jobs. When you're fresh out of school, you gotta start somewhere.
Re: If You’re So Damn Smart, Why Aren’t You Rich?
#17I've never run into this myself (BSc Comp Sci, MSc Management), but that might be because most jobs I've had have come through word of mouth / networking. Plus, once you've got a bit of a career history, your education doesn't matter much compared to your experience.
I've spoken to plenty of friends/employers who don't care about degrees at all, but not many who would actively count that against applicants.
As other people have said, it most likely depends on the kind of jobs you're applying for. Being massively over-qualified for the position you're going for can certainly act against you as you're more likely to get bored and move on.
Re: If You’re So Damn Smart, Why Aren’t You Rich?
#18I really hope there's a good deal of fantasy into this story. Gladwell, in his great book Outliers, argues that IQ is only related to success to some extent: above the intelligence level that allows you to get a MSc without great difficulties (this is obviously a fuzzy metric), adding much more doesn't have a big impact. Other factors (was programming your hobby at 16 and you got access to a workstation when it was n…
Good point.
Brains can only take you so far. Passion, skills, experience, luck, timing, instinct... those elements are also in the success/riches equation.
Re: If You’re So Damn Smart, Why Aren’t You Rich?
#19The problem probably wasn't having the masters degree so much as having the masters degree and applying for jobs with titles like "administrative assistant" moral of the story: don't trust "careers counselors"
At least the counselor got him a job. What is strange is that he apparently gave up on his job hunt despite being underemployed in his new position.
I wonder at some of these stories I read where people spend months looking for work as if it were some kind of game. Do they not eat or live under a roof? How do they pay for those letters and faxes?
When I left school, I temped in warehouses, factories, offices, whatever, while I was hunting for a programming job. When I lost my programming job some years later, I temped at a bank until I got another programming job.
Re: If You’re So Damn Smart, Why Aren’t You Rich?
#20What was your graduate degree in? Could you apply that to create value somehow?
Staying alive and being able to pay the rent is creating value too.