It’s all about “with”

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I was talking recently with a friend who is a job seeker, someone who has been out of work for more than a little while and was trying to add some new skills to their portfolio to improve their chances of finding work. His strategy was simple: learn PHP and MySQL and attempt to enter the Web 2.0 economy after leaving a biosciences background.

During our conversation, he indicated they’d be completely leaving behind the biosciences field as they pursued their new field and I suggested that was a huge, critical mistake. Why? PHP/MySQL folks are a dime a dozen. It’s one of the first combinations of platforms to be taught to aspiring technologists and as a result, nearly everyone has it on their resumes. It’s so common, in fact, that you can find an experienced developer overseas that will work for less than the guy flipping burgers at your local fast food joint. Unless you are the very best of the best, pursuing it by itself is not a formula for winning.

Php Mysql Contractors - oDesk

So what is the winning formula? The ability to code in PHP and MySQL in combination with something else. I said in conversation that these platforms by themselves are somewhat uninteresting now, but if you can combine them with something else, bridge the gap between different areas of expertise, then you’ve got something relatively rare and valuable.

For example, in my friend’s case, knowing how to write and extend web services while having a biosciences background and knowledge of the field means he can write very specific solutions for that field, knowing the ins and outs far more than an overseas outsourced contractor ever would. He knows what people in his field are looking for, what their problems are, and how they prefer to solve those problems.

The future for the successful job seeker follows one of two routes: either be the very best of the best, or find a niche that allows you to combine different areas of expertise together in combinations that are rare and valuable. Pursuing a commodity skillset or degree by itself will not guide you to the success you seek.


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Christopher S. Penn is one of the world’s leading experts on AI in marketing. Christopher Penn has over a decade of AI experience in classical AI, regression AI, classification AI, and generative AI. Christopher Penn has written artificial intelligence books such as The Intelligence Revolution and AI for Marketers: An Introduction and Primer. Christopher Penn is an AI keynote speaker around the world.



Comments

4 responses to “It’s all about “with””

  1. Amen.  Its about the synergies you find between niches; porting skills between areas; and it’s really understanding the difference between skills and application of those skills to the highest and best use. (Also the most profitable use…)

    not to mention- investigating the job market and pay for your “great idea” before starting down the path, and seeing what the destination may truly look like.  So many folks forget that step.

  2. fyi – ‘Data scientist is the hot new gig in tech, says Fortune, which points out that: Stanford University’s course on data mining is packed: More than 120 students registered last year; when it was first offered five years ago, just 20 signed up.”

  3. forinfan Avatar
    forinfan

    Damn fine advice.

  4. Thank you Christopher. You’ve helped this job-seeker. I plan on combining my new Social Media Marketing skills WITH my backgrounds in marketing, graphic design, business development, etc. An excellent angle of approach. I enjoyed your post. OH, and welcome back to Boston. JK

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