The first time I read an article that announced my stupidity to the world I was in shock. But what’s new? Every class of college graduates faces the doubts and hesitations of future employers. Everybody, no matter how experienced, is slightly insecure about whether or not they’re good enough to do what they want to do. Whether they know enough to accomplish what they need to. How they measure up to their competition. That question of ability really helps to keep us motivated. I’m probably one of the least competitive people you’ll ever encounter, yet even I want to know I’m at least measuring up. If not, what value am I to my employer?
I’m sure a lot of our hypothetical superficial knowledge has to do with the fact that we have access to so much. At work, I’m currently learning about the business world, about e-commerce, about Yahoo!, about web programming, copy writing, internet marketing and … QuickBooks. (That’s a lot at once, and I’m not even considering my own personal endeavors.) Sure they’re all related in one way or another, but in order to reach my goals of creating engaging copy and a successful internet marketing campaign for our business, I need to be incredibly knowledgeable of all of it.
How do I do this, now that I'm not at school? I create my own school. I ask my co-workers and my bosses "Well, what do you think?" "How do I do this?" "Where do I find that?" For things my co-workers don't know, I start with friends and family, old teachers I'm still talking to...and then I head to the web. Usually, searching for information on the web is overwhelming. We've all started searching for tips on something or another and ended up reading about how to keep a cut apple from turning brown. There's a lot of info out there, and it's all just a few clicks away. If we're motivated enough though, we stay focused and on task and filter to find what we need from sources that we trust.
The thing is, we're all completely capable of becoming experts. Really, maybe our potential is a little intimidating? Maybe we haven't spent the last 10 years in an apprenticeship, and maybe we've been taking jobs we're not quite fit for (it's the economy...I know SEO wasn't exactly what I wanted to do, but I have a job...and I happen to really like the challenges) but there's a reason we're getting hired, beyond the fact that we'll do it for less. We know how to process all the information that we're consuming.. the information that's changing and evolving quicker and faster than it ever has before.
So, I'm more intelligent than I am smart. I don't know a ton about a ton (not yet anyway), but I can admit when I don't know what's going on, I'm always ready to learn and I'm pretty f*ing resourceful.
What are you?
P.S. Here's the real article on how to keep a cut apple from turning brown :p
It's not terrifically on-topic, but a lot of what you're saying re: evolving systems of information access (and the particular resourcefulness of our generation in handling it) reminded me of this article from 'The New Atlantic,' which presents a slightly more...cautious view of technology and the way we work:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.thenewatlantis.com/publications/the-myth-of-multitasking
Interesting stuff! I think your point in the third-to-last (or 'antepenultimate,' if we want to use the fancy word) paragraph is particularly germane to the article's arguments. Focusing and filtering are abilities we seem to be losing as technology gets faster and fancier, so it's doubly critical for people in the workforce to be aware of how they use it.
That's a really great article. It raises some points that I didn't have the time (or elected space :p) to discuss within the post.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with you that we have to be uber careful about the way we focus and filter when we expect so much of ourselves, when there's so much stimuli around us. As technology changes, the way we learn changes and history is evidence of that.
We do need to pay serious attention to focusing on one thing at a time (haha, see the pun? I'm so funny.) I should have stressed that more in my post. I do see how people younger than me multi-task and am constantly baffled by their ability to simultaneously carry on a conversation in feverish texts as well as in person and watch TV. So, I am aware of the way our elders could look at the way we multi-task and not understand.
My point...which has gotten lost among tons of gibberish, is that we need to remain aware of our passions, our competition, and our goals in order to focus on the task at hand. (a.k.a. We never have, never will be able to really truly monotask, but we've adapted in the past, as we are in the present and as we will in the future.)