I had the luxury of being in your course as a MSHA student. I admired your mind and thought process. It helped me accept my diverse way of thinking. I loved reading your article this morning and hope to stay in touch.
Wow! I should have picked up on the name. You have no idea how much this comment pleases me. Honored to be thought of that way. And we WILL stay in touch — Bob
Love this one. So glad I attended a small liberal arts college even though I could have gone Ivy League. I changed my major 2 x, and almost ended up with a triple major. I got my first job through college contacts - the same day I received a rejection from HR, I received an interview offer from the department I was applying to.
Really good advice Bob and I totally agree. I know young people who were rail-roaded from day 1 at very good to excellent universities and one is working at Home Depot.
I used the letters and follow-up notes when changing my career. Worked very well. Instead of seeking advice I asked the person I was interviewing, “You are considered one of the leaders in this field. So I can do more research in this field can you tell me two or three of the top issues you and others in this field are facing today.” If I was interested in the organization, two or three days later I would send the person a detailed outline with suggestions addressing the issues they had brought up. Resulted in some job offers after a second or third meeting. It also got me past the gate keepers in Human Resources.
I'm going to forward this to my sister-in-law, who created an employment center at one of the California State University campuses and will no doubt nod and smile.
Back in the "L.A. Law" television show days, when I was a legal word processor (and picking up enough law to move up into legal editing and analysis), the firm at which I was working would send around photocopied sheets with new associates' photos and a summary of their degrees. I wish I could remember names, because it would be interesting to see how many were well rounded and how many had gotten the law school bug because it was the hot "yuppie career." My cohorts and I usually assumed the latter, which was good for laughs.
Glad you liked it! You have indeed gotten around. Reinventing oneself is exhilarating. And, I love the Heinlein quote. I find myself quoting him in a lot of ways. I think I recently cited him as the originator of the Gell-Mann Amnesia Effect.
Ironically, I found being a polymath was a career killer in higher education, at least at the R1 school I taught at. I have a BS in chemistry, an MPA, and an interdisciplinary PhD in health economics and epidemiology. I had previous held faculty positions in political science and psychology departments. My research area was on the relationship between political institutions and health programs - big picture, systematic stuff and I collaborated with faculty in non-traditional fields (industrial engineering, economics) for my department. I was told my work was too broad.
I plan to share this with my grandsons , great advise more than worth the price of admission, thank you.
Delighted! Best of luck to your grandsons.
I had the luxury of being in your course as a MSHA student. I admired your mind and thought process. It helped me accept my diverse way of thinking. I loved reading your article this morning and hope to stay in touch.
Melissa Yopp
VCU MSHA class of 2013.
Wow! I should have picked up on the name. You have no idea how much this comment pleases me. Honored to be thought of that way. And we WILL stay in touch — Bob
Love this one. So glad I attended a small liberal arts college even though I could have gone Ivy League. I changed my major 2 x, and almost ended up with a triple major. I got my first job through college contacts - the same day I received a rejection from HR, I received an interview offer from the department I was applying to.
Really good advice Bob and I totally agree. I know young people who were rail-roaded from day 1 at very good to excellent universities and one is working at Home Depot.
And I know first-hand that your mind was very much appreciated in the world of high finance.
I used the letters and follow-up notes when changing my career. Worked very well. Instead of seeking advice I asked the person I was interviewing, “You are considered one of the leaders in this field. So I can do more research in this field can you tell me two or three of the top issues you and others in this field are facing today.” If I was interested in the organization, two or three days later I would send the person a detailed outline with suggestions addressing the issues they had brought up. Resulted in some job offers after a second or third meeting. It also got me past the gate keepers in Human Resources.
Great strategy!
I'm going to forward this to my sister-in-law, who created an employment center at one of the California State University campuses and will no doubt nod and smile.
Back in the "L.A. Law" television show days, when I was a legal word processor (and picking up enough law to move up into legal editing and analysis), the firm at which I was working would send around photocopied sheets with new associates' photos and a summary of their degrees. I wish I could remember names, because it would be interesting to see how many were well rounded and how many had gotten the law school bug because it was the hot "yuppie career." My cohorts and I usually assumed the latter, which was good for laughs.
Yup. Fads come, fads go. Hot field this year, cold field next.
A cautionary tale and good advice
I have worked in film, TV, Theatre (on and off Broadway, Dance, Circus.
Construction, Performer and Tech.
Management and design.
At 33 ... I reinvented myself as Real Estate Developer ... fed my family and enjoyed it immensely
I use what I learned in my previous lives every day.
“Specialization is for insects” ... Lazarus Long (AKA Robert Heinlein)
Glad you liked it! You have indeed gotten around. Reinventing oneself is exhilarating. And, I love the Heinlein quote. I find myself quoting him in a lot of ways. I think I recently cited him as the originator of the Gell-Mann Amnesia Effect.
Ironically, I found being a polymath was a career killer in higher education, at least at the R1 school I taught at. I have a BS in chemistry, an MPA, and an interdisciplinary PhD in health economics and epidemiology. I had previous held faculty positions in political science and psychology departments. My research area was on the relationship between political institutions and health programs - big picture, systematic stuff and I collaborated with faculty in non-traditional fields (industrial engineering, economics) for my department. I was told my work was too broad.