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Career Advice from Scott Adams (2007)

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Re: Career Advice from Scott Adams (2007)

#71

Post by drb311 »

jhrrsn wrote: post #61

On the whole, I think I agree with Scott's advice in this post. However, there are some real challenges that come with the choice to be 'good at a few things' instead of the 'best at one thing. Namely, if you're not starting your own business, I think it massively reduces your employment mobility. I am fortunate in that I am valued within my organisation for my 'generalist' spread of skills (including communication,…

I'm surprised. Most jobs advertised want competence in a range of things, not superstar status at one very specific thing.

Perhaps the difficulty is marketing the range of skills you have in a way that other employers will value?

Re: Career Advice from Scott Adams (2007)

#72

Post by collyw »

adenadel wrote: post #17
lifeisstillgood wrote: post #12

tl;dr Don't try to be the best at something, it's too hard. Be good at a couple of things and make a living in the Venn diagram intersection. It's a nice idea, but I struggle when I get to "software and ..." Cartoons? Cycling? DIY?

Finance, statistics, biology, mathematics, energy, manufacturing, education, fitness... (not trying to be condescending here) I think software could be a great pairing with many other areas. I'm not sure if it's better to have software as a foundation or as second skill to add onto your area of expertise.

Primary skill, if you have ever had to look at the code from self taught bioinformaticians from biology backgrounds.

Re: Career Advice from Scott Adams (2007)

#73

Post by rrherr »

galfarragem wrote: post #62

IMO, the crutial point is not just being in the top 25% of some skills. It depends on the skill. Maybe you only need to be in the top 50% on DIY to get an useful skill but e.g. on juggling maybe you need to be in the top 1% to have a relevant skill.

Very true. And for some skills, like juggling specifically, even the very top might not be good enough:

"Why did Anthony Gatto, the greatest juggler alive — and perhaps of all time — back away from his art to open a construction business?"

http://grantland.com/features/anthony-gatto-juggling-cirque-...

Re: Career Advice from Scott Adams (2007)

#74

Post by partomniscient »

hkmurakami wrote: post #22
dhmholley wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For a guy who doesn't take himself too seriously, he sure creates a lot of sockpuppets to argue with his detractors and sing his own praises.

I feel like anyone who makes knowledge of their MESNA membership public takes themselves fairly seriously...

Wait, Scott Adams is part of a organosulfur compound?

Re: Career Advice from Scott Adams (2007)

#75

Post by dragons »

lmm wrote: post #64
patio11 wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

BCC and AR were pretty modest successes.

I thought you said you sold it for high six figures, or did I misread? Maybe just my lower-middle-class background but that qualifies as rich to me.

If you follow this link you find that BCC reportedly sold for $57,000: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9602092

Re: Career Advice from Scott Adams (2007)

#76

Post by lmm »

dragons wrote: post #75
lmm wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I thought you said you sold it for high six figures, or did I misread? Maybe just my lower-middle-class background but that qualifies as rich to me.

If you follow this link you find that BCC reportedly sold for $57,000: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9602092

Ok, that's an order of magnitude below what I was thinking. Sorry for the mistake.

Re: Career Advice from Scott Adams (2007)

#77

Post by nadam »

This is good advice for success. On the other hand happiness is not the same thing as success, although they are related. This is the reason I put an unreasonable fraction of my energies into being very good at programming, algorithmization and things like that, instead of better diversifying my portfolio. Programming (the interesting kind) is something that I need to do to be happy.

Re: Career Advice from Scott Adams (2007)

#78

Post by [deleted] »

simonswords82 wrote: post #65
kelukelugames wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Damn, this is some extra crazy. https://www.reddit.com/user/plannedchaos Good thing PG only updates his footnotes when people "misunderstand" him.

Wow - there's few better examples of the fine line between crazy and genius. I can't tell if he's using the plannedchaos accounts on various sites to seriously defend himself by proxy, or is it that he thinks the Internet is a load of pixels on a screen that unlike some of us he just doesn't take it very seriously? Edit: somebody commented below that Scott is now a professional troll, and I'm inclined to think that t…

[deleted]

Re: Career Advice from Scott Adams (2007)

#79

Post by kelukelugames »

golergka wrote: post #56
kelukelugames wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Okay I'm home now. Let's dissect the most famous example. 1) Adams compares women to children and people with mental disabilities. 2) Claims he didn't and that everyone who thinks that has bad reading comprehension. Also plays the victim card anytime someone accuses him of misogyny. 3) Writes article about hypnosis. Adams says he can convince people that two things are related without doing it directly. Gives example…

> Adams compares women to children and people with mental disabilities. So, I googled the issue you apparently were talking about, and I have a general question. http://comicsalliance.com/scott-adam-sexist-mens-rights/ (That's it, right?) So, when americans say that someone "compared" A and B — do you guys, like normal people, mean that (1) said someone (in this example, Scott Adams) performed an operation of compari…

I don't know if you intentionally missed my point.

In his writing he describes how hypnosis can indirectly form associations between two things. This method also gives him plausible deniability, which allows him to say people have bad reading comprehension.

Re: Career Advice from Scott Adams (2007)

#80

Post by JSeymourATL »

harlanlewis wrote: post #33
kelukelugames wrote: post #5

Scott Adams used to give great career advice and cartooning tips. I think he got bored a few years ago and decided to become a professional troll. I will write some examples after work.

Is this how he trolls? http://misogynistdilbert.tumblr.com/

If I'm trapped in a burning car someday, a man will be the one pulling me out. That's the team I want to be on.

Brilliant!

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