I've done manual labor in both construction and at a lumber mill.
Invariably, the following happened:
- I was given grunt work as a I was the new/junior guy
- Did this for about 1.5 weeks
- After the above, someone (usually the owner's wife) would say something like: "Instead of Alex doing grunt work, why doesn't he helps us <fix technology thing>"
And that ranged from "order us a new computer" to "fix the North American Controls lumber sorter machine".
My point is:
Being able to solve complex problems is a surprisingly transferable skill. It's so transferable that even in the trades, if you can solve those problems, people will identify it and rapidly move you to the most complex problems they have.
You were lucky then. I know highly intelligent people who worked in the trades who were stuck doing grunt work for a long time, not because they weren't capable, but because they didn't have the right connections. Of course white collar jobs can have the same problem.
Being personable and having good to great communication skills is a prerequisite for almost everything. The software and hardware engineering fields have largely had a free pass on this historically because supply was so low.
How do you define "Great communication skills"? Is it replying to emails quickly, using a lot of exclamation points in your replies, being a clear thinker and having good ideas, or just being friendly and docile?
It is using words to accomplish goals. Get shit done.
The exact formula will change depending on the scenario. Maybe it is a prompt email, maybe it is getting a beer and giving someone a pieceof your mind. Most important, it is knowing when to do which one.
alexpotato · · focus · HN ↗
Invariably, the following happened:
- I was given grunt work as a I was the new/junior guy
- Did this for about 1.5 weeks
- After the above, someone (usually the owner's wife) would say something like: "Instead of Alex doing grunt work, why doesn't he helps us <fix technology thing>"
And that ranged from "order us a new computer" to "fix the North American Controls lumber sorter machine".
My point is: Being able to solve complex problems is a surprisingly transferable skill. It's so transferable that even in the trades, if you can solve those problems, people will identify it and rapidly move you to the most complex problems they have.
thayne · · focus · HN ↗
medellin · · focus · HN ↗
pvab3 · · focus · HN ↗
s1artibartfast · · focus · HN ↗
The exact formula will change depending on the scenario. Maybe it is a prompt email, maybe it is getting a beer and giving someone a pieceof your mind. Most important, it is knowing when to do which one.