Great post – thanks! I’d like to add a comment on two of the points you raised:
1 – The reminder to consider opportunity costs is something I’ll take to heart. A lot of opportunities come my way, and I tend to jump on them without thinking through what else I could do with my time. Opportunity being the topic, I’ll throw in a favourite quote from that well-known management theorist, Ann Landers – “Opportunities are usually disguised as hard work, so most people don’t recognize them.”
2 – I couldn’t agree more with your observation about the value of experience over credentials, and I’d add that you can (and should) invest in creating your own credentials, even if you have a good degree. When I was in university I had a co-op term and never went back to finish my degree – I just liked the world of work too much. (Funny, given that your post also talked about the value of a co-op program.) That was over 30 years ago, and in all the time since, no one (other than immigration authorities granting work visas) ever asked for my credentials, or even a resume, at least until a request came out of the blue this year. What’s key is to (a) regularly take the time to reflect on your experience and capture it (not just think about it!) and (b) find ways to demonstrate/share your growing experience and knowledge. Even in that first job, I didn’t hesitate to share what I’d learned through presentations within the company and to relevant groups around town. Later, I built courses to teach it to other people, and started getting asked to travel to conferences to speak. I did a lot of that, and eventually wrote a book that is widely used as a text in MBA programs. (Ironic, given that I don’t have a degree.) The point – lots of people are smarter, more articulate, or have richer experience than me, but even in the age of blogging and social media, a surprisingly small percentage of professionals take their *own* experience, distill an asset from it, and then do something with it.
I’m still glad that all four of my kids have, or are working on, their university degrees – I don’t want to sound like I’m saying that isn’t important, because it is, and increasingly so. But experience, and demonstrating that you’ve learned from it, counts for more than some might think.
This comment is already too long, so I’ll resist the urge to go on about the apparent conundrum of “you need the credentials before you can get the experience.” In short, it’s more cliché than fact.
Thanks again for the excellent post – I’ll be sharing it.
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