Many of us career writers constantly tell people to find what they’re good at. I’ve said it a few times in my column.
But sometimes people take this a bit too literally. Just because you’re good at sex, for example, doesn’t mean you should find a job where you could use those talents. I’ll admit, there are some lucrative professions you could consider but they may be a bit unsavory, and ILLEGAL.
You see what I mean, right?
There are many things we’re good at but that doesn’t mean we can find a profession that fits our talents. Let’s think logically folks.
Sometimes, however, your likes or talents could translate into some sort of business. Maybe you like scrapbooking. There aren’t a lot of corporate jobs that could use that kind of skill. But maybe you want to start an Internet based company selling supplies, or offering advice to other scrapbookers.
But sometimes your talents are just talents you can enjoy, on your own, and forget about making a living from them.
I can eat lemons without making a sour face, but to date, I haven’t gotten anyone to pay me to do this. Well, many moons ago, I did make 25 cents off of a kid who didn’t think I could do it. But a quarter won’t even buy you a bag of chips these days.
Here’s something that is a great example of the point I’m trying to make. I just got the cutest email from reader in Hong Kong who misinterpreted the thoughts behind the “find-what-you’re-good-at” advice.
“Dear Eve,
I’m very good at guessing a movie’s storyline and my husband agrees that any movie that keeps me guessing to the end is one of the best movies we’ve ever seen (”The Game” is certainly one of them!).
Are there any jobs out there that can utilize this “talent” of mine?
Thanks and best regards,
Karina, Hong Kong”
I was getting ready to answer her but then I thought I would share it with my readers to see if they can actually come up with some ideas for the career path based on this “talent”.
Now, if you’re part of the Gen Y group, no matter what your talents, it seems employers will throw opportunities at you. Check out my column today on the subject.
October 17th, 2007 at 12:04 pm
I love to read so much that in 5th grade I got in trouble for it. The school librarian and the principal of my elementary school called my mother (and me) into the office to say I was “mocking” the librarian by checking out so many books. My mother, flabbergasted, looked at them, looked at me, looked at them…and asked “Well, how many books is she checking out?”
“Three a day!” The librarian glared.
“But that’s how many I need,” I explained. “One to read on the way home and after school, one to read at night, and one to read on the way to school and during recess.”
They didn’t believe me but begrudgingly allowed me to continue my three book-a-day habit (with a strict limit, enforced even on Fridays when I could have used more books to get through the weekend).
I went on to become the Senior Publicist at HarperCollins Publishers in New York, Publicity Manager at Basic Books and the president of a literary PR agency called LeadingThinkers.
I am currently reading five books.
October 17th, 2007 at 12:07 pm
Hi Karina,
Since most of us like movies with twists, turns and unique plots that keep us guessing, perhaps you can look for a career in the film and television industry?
With your special talent, perhaps you can find new scripts out of ordinary, work with producers to develop interesting pilots or act as an editor looking for ways to add excitement to a boring script? There are many career possibilities for you!
I wish you all the best,
Melanie, Rembrandt Communications
October 17th, 2007 at 12:32 pm
Absolutely. Producers, actors, and directors spend quite a bit of time reading screenplays in search of their next project but they are not the first stop after the script is written. Talent agents, creative agencies, and studios screen projects prior to sending them to their clients or affiliated talent to ensure the screenplay is high caliber enough to put in front of an actor or director. Perhaps you could work for an agency or a production house. Production houses option thousands of screenplays that never make it to production, so your knack for exposing weaker plotlines would be a value in the early stages of the film production process.
How about movie reviewing? You won’t jump right into the shoes of Siskel and Roper but the Web’s never-ending need for user-generated content is a great place to try some amateur reviewing and if you feel good about that, set up your own blog. Before you know it, you will have an entire portfolio of reviews to submit to potential employers. New media is quickly becoming the alpha dog in the print vs. online debate, so if you rule the Web with kickin’ reviews, you’ll double up your appeal.
October 17th, 2007 at 12:35 pm
Karina — there are lots of options for you.
A financial analyst — if you can predict outcomes of movies, perhaps you can predict stock performance in the markets.
A script reader — provide coverage for studios and agencies to advise on plot strategies and whether or not audiences will be engaged.
A recruiter — can you use your skills to predict performance and cultural fit of prospective employees?
Good luck in finding the right fit.
October 17th, 2007 at 12:44 pm
Karina –
Life is a movie and so is the world of work. Guessing end results — before they happen — is certainly a valuable interpersonal and professional skill.
In his book, “Bring Your ‘A’ Game: The 10 Career Secrets of the High Achiever,” Rob McGovern (also the CEO of Jobfox) puts a lot of weight behind seeing the end game. While I don’t have a specific job recommendation for you, this is a valuable skill you can use throughout your career process.
Borrowing from Rob’s thoughts (I’m allowed to since I work for him), use your skill to:
1. Foresee your next ideal job — and the one after that — with your overall career goal in mind (as Rob would say, the top of your career pyramid).
2. Have an action-oriented curiosity. Never let a potential learning experience escape your grasp. You’ll use it to your advantage down the road.
3. Create superior people skills. Predicting how people will feel is invaluable in business, spanning conversations, negotiations and relationships.
4. Handle corporate combat. Like a movie, organizations are created to create things that are bigger than an individual actor or scene.
5. Problem solve. With your ability, you can come up with novel approaches to move an organization into a more successful plot line.
I hope this helps.
October 17th, 2007 at 12:50 pm
Karina,
My sources have suggested the following career options for you: film critic, fortune-teller, political analyst, private investigator, marketing trend watchdog… all these professions require people who can make accurate predictions based on a series of clues and an ability to connect the dots.
October 17th, 2007 at 1:41 pm
it is amazing how many people think ther “talent” can be a business…first of all, there has to be a demand for the talent..just ’cause i think my talent is great doesn’ mean anyone else will…or there is a need
secondly and most importantly, there is a big difference between a talent and running a business..there are tons of accountatns, lawyers, doctors etc. that think because they are good at what they do, they can build a business…wrong!…there is a big difference between a talent and a business…two different things..
gurling, hard core w-o-r-k has to be applied too…people often love their hobbies unitl they have to do it when they may or may not feel lke it.. and it becomes w-o-r-k…
and lastly, to get “hired” in a traditionl sense i have to document the value i bring to a prospective employer…just ’cause i think i’d make the best president of the U.S. doesn’t mean i can make it through the “hiring” process… lots of other people have to appreciate my experience and expertise…my “track record” has to have traction…
maybe the movie watcher starts writing movie critiques for the local paper… for nothing for a while…gets some traction there and “moves” up the other publications…proibably take a number of years and lots of w-o-r-k to do
remember, my ability to do something is different than getting hired to do it
…two different issues
Anthony W. Beshara, Ph.D.
President
Babich & Associates
Texas’ Oldest Placement and Recruitment Firm
6030 E. Mockingbird Ln.
Dallas, Texas 75206
Phone 214-823-9999
Fax 214-823-9430
Catch my radio show, The Job Search Solution, every Thursday from 1pm to 2pm on KVCE 1160 AM, The Voice of Texas, where we discuss any topic regarding employment in today’s fast paced, business environment.
Look for www.TheJobSearchSolution.com , America’s only online job search program to help you find a job faster.
October 17th, 2007 at 2:07 pm
Dear Eve …
Rule busting can make for an excellent career path.
For some reason, known only to my parents and the local juvenile authorities, my primary school days were spent at a Catholic military academy. Both my high school and college were run by the ever controlling Jesuits.
Besieged from all sides by countless rules of proper comportment I soon discovered the satisfacton and fun of “mocking” these rules while still giving the appearance of playing the “game.”
This “talent” led to such adventures as being certified as a delegate to the 1960 Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles, as a 17 year old high school student.
Taking this talent of creative rule busting to the work place I rose quickly to become CEO of several multi-billion dollar companies.
So proficient had I become at this talent that I ended up passing along tips for effective rule busting via two books, CHEAT TO WIN - The Honest Way to Break all the Dishonest Rules in Business (Paradon Publishing,2005) and the just being released BEAT THE SYSTEM — Building an Entrepreneurial Culture in a Bureaucratic World (Wiley and Sons, 2007).
I guess it just goes to prove your point that any talent — no matter how mundane — if recognized and used effectively can take you a long way.
October 17th, 2007 at 2:21 pm
The woman from Hong Kong has a unique talent, guessing the endings to movies.
She could go to work for a movie studio and read screen plays to tell whether or not the endings are too obvious.
She could do the same for television weekly mystery shows. She could enhance their stories by making the ending less obvious. She work on Desperate Housewives for example.
She could do the same for writers of mystery novels.
She could be a mystery novel writer.
Dan Coughlin
Read “Dan Coughlin’s Daily Acceleration Blog” at dancoughlin.typepad.com
October 17th, 2007 at 3:01 pm
I turn a “talent/addiction” to TV news into a career as a public relations executive. I realized I watched so much news that I understood what it takes to make a great story! That same knowledge also helps me explain to clients great ways to get them on television.
Best of luck to you, Karina.
Samuel P. Chapman
CEO
Empower Public Relations
211 E. Ontario, Ste. 800
Chicago, IL 60611
Office: (312) 961-9492
schapman@empowerpr.com
October 17th, 2007 at 4:29 pm
Sounds like you’d make a good storyline consultant.
Do they exist?
I don’t know.
Try pitching the idea to a few studios - they sure could use your talent! You’ll only know the ending to this storyline if you don’t take the chance…
Good luck and have fun!
October 24th, 2007 at 7:07 pm
Here 2 points on this:
First when it comes to talents or strengths, we have to drill down to the root or core strengths that are of value. In Karina’s case, the ability to detect a story-line has to do with a strong sense of reasoning or what I call “internal honesty.” This is a key leadership trait. In my book, “Radical Trust: How Today’s Great Leaders Convert People to Partners” I list seven key character traits of great leaders. Karina’s talent of internal honesty is one of them. What I am talking about is that most people’s reasoning gets derailed in a movie by the emotional appeal of other elements of the story line. That same thing happens in the work place. People constantly are derailing themselves strategically because of distractions that pop up and grab their resources and time.
Karina’s sounds like she has that important ability to remain focused on the real issues in spite of distraction. This is a critical leadership trait…the ability to keep focused on the prize.
Second, here is the deeper issue: we have to be careful to identify strengths based on market needs and be able to plug them into how they benefit the marketplace. And then it often takes a lot of work to dress up that strength with other skills to enable it to add value or be perceived as valuable. In my coaching work, a big part of what I do is help people uncover the value that lies beneath and then build on it with other skills.
As many of the readers of this blog have identified, it is not enough to identify a talent we see benefit in. The sad truth is that most people don’t see the gems they have because they are diamonds in the ruff. And the problems is it is not enough to polish that trait. The truth is the in the workplace, our gem of a talent has to be dressed up with many other skills that escalates its value. Some people have a talent that is like a big 2 carrot diamond. All they have to do is find a good company on which to mount their talent and like a big eye-grabbing engagement ring, everyone takes notice.
However, most people don’t have one big talent that is that easy to exploit. Instead most people have many talents that all need a lot of work and skills to orchestrate into value. For most people they should look at their talents as the raw materials for a beautiful broach. A great looking broach has a lot going on…many even get their beauty and value from their complexity. Most highly successful folks I know are more like a complex broach. Most movie stars and musicians are like the diamond in the engagement ring.
If you think you have talents to be a leader, then I would plan on accepting the reality and the journey to build a broach…and not waste time trying to be an engagement ring. Conversely, if you have a talent that immediately stands out as having value such as a great singing voice, you do have the luxury of having an easier time figuring out what you must do to refine that gem and dress it up to show value.
October 29th, 2007 at 4:24 pm
My favorite thing to do, in the whole world, is research. I can find people, places, information, historical data…you name it. I’ve been reading a lot about Ireland lately for a plannede visit, and an Irish acquaintance was astounded at how much I knew just from Internet research.
What does that translate to? I have no idea.
October 29th, 2007 at 5:18 pm
Have you ever thought of a career as a librarian? It’s not just about working at your local library. There is a big need for librarians in the academic world, for example. All research today is done on the Internet and librarians are among the most savvy when it comes to the Web.
Law firms are also always looking for people who are good at research.
You could combine your interest in other countries and you research expertise. International-based firms or non profits might be another place to consider.
So much is about knowing how to research these days.
Good luck!
October 30th, 2007 at 9:27 am
I am much like Karina from Hong Kong. While it was interesting to see some of the possible careers suggested for her in your article (I saw it before the blog post), I think the options presented there were too limited (though I like some of the other comments I see here). I’m guessing that Karina has an aptitude for strategic thinking–that she can very quickly, even subconsciously, look at a given situation and have a gut reaction as to what the best course of action should be. She may have been one of those kids who was able to tell the math teacher the answer to a complex problem, but was not easily able to show the work process that led to the solution. If that is the case, she may also do well in executive leadership, or in entrepreneurial endeavors (though she may need someone to come alongside for general administrative support, if she is anything like me). Consulting is another option. She may need to develop a career and associated skills before she will be able to work into situations like these, but I present them simply because her ability to guess the plot before it unfolds likely has implications in other areas of her life as well.
March 28th, 2008 at 5:27 am
hi, sounds like a really cool talent,
and I think it will be useable for a career,
now i can’t remember what the position is called but they look at trends it may be economic or social or polictal or environment trends and using their information they predict what will happen in sector in next years and then also determine how this will relate to people or groups or sector.
(perphaps the name is ‘professional estimator’ but i’m not sure)
so, as you know when you have a passion for something that will make work much more fulfilling and it’s more suceesful with gifts/talents/skills…………..so find a sector that you are interested, for example, you might be interested in human interaction trends, and you do a degree in phsycology /human realtions etc, and you will be able predict realtionship trends (in a newspaper column, or a professional estimator specialsing in personal relations for a company or as a personal consulant to help them or their company see if they are making the right moves)
This gift will prove invaluable for planning postions.
i hope this helps
March 28th, 2008 at 5:55 am
hi,
i also think this would be ideal for a career as an investagater or detective you would be very apt at seeing what kind of action the accused person may take next,
you would also be able to see behavior patterns while viewing the facts/evidence and thereby direct your team as what action to do and importantly what methods to use as not to be noyiced by the accused……….and you will be able to inform people in the general public as to how to deal with the accused (based on your invesigation of their behavour)
i hope this helps