Good enough to work for google and other thoughts on professionalism
Recently, I have been really fascinated with this question, could entrepreneurship be an excuse for mediocrity in our work? Does working for someone who has tight checks and balances force you to show up differently? Could it be possible that most entrepreneurs solo founders and people doing their own thing, wouldn’t be able to work for google or such a company?
I have been curious about this, because, now if you are an entrepreneur for example, who holds you to these standards? Who decides how much work good work is? Who decides the competition you need to go after for you to be successful?
How top companies conduct interviews!
When an interview for a technical role is advertised for something like google, the engineer does loads and loads of technical quizzes to prepare for the interview, which basically weeds out the poor performers from the top performers What can that teach one about life and work? Is it possible that one is a poor performer because there are no standards, checks and balances for one to create say, software, or even for one to be an accountant.
I am especially keen on this attitude on entrepreneurs and people who go out to do their own thing, vs those who stay down to work for someone else. What then is the benefit of the professional outlook in life? Could you say it’s a mind state?
A conversation about getting jobs!
I had a conversation with a friend of mine about getting jobs. And we are a bunch of entrepreneurs, getting jobs is the last thing on our minds. But I had experienced a change of heart about the value of jobs. I considered good jobs better opportunities for doing the same things you did. If for example, you worked for a local company as an accountant, you’d probably get to use the same skills you’d use if you worked for a top company in Wallstreet. But the other one affords you a better pay, and better perks. Basically, a better standard of living for the same skillset that you have.
If you are an entrepreneur, are you really good enough to work for the giant behemoth competitor?
So I started an introspection. Could I really work for Google? or , insert any top company that has a tight HR process etc.
I think so man. I think I could possibly be able to work for them. But how can I prove it? Is it important to me to think in these terms?
How then can you be an entrepreneur and also a professional? What determines professionalism? Is it the role or the job that you have, or is it a mental stance way before you get the job ? How is it that we call other people professional? What determines it? Who teaches them professionalism?
Interesting thoughts that I would like to explore a lot more later.
The Dunning- Krugger Effect!
I discovered the idea of the Dunning Kruger effect — which is the bias, that you think you are so smart and you know all the right and cool things etc, yet you know nothing!.
Turning Pro
Turning Pro is a real big deal to me right now in my life. I already turned pro, however, maybe one of the attitudes of not turning pro is refusing to spend on yourself. Not purchasing that domain, not saving up for a better laptop, a better working space, not posting case studies. etc.
I am really keen on the conversation of turning pro. I hope to explore it even more in future articles.
But what do you think? What makes one a professional? What is the professional thing in your line of work or career?
