Hell yeah. The only job i was ever “qualified” for was as army recruit at seventeen, half way through year 11 high school. Four (fascinating) years later I wrote to a university and said ‘Let me in - I’m a war hero’. I wasn’t - however they did say ‘Sure, just pass everything in your first year and we will let you keep going’. I did. I was never qualified for any subsequent job over the next forty years. The rest of my career(s) consisted of winging it. These included university administration, business communication, managing childcare programs, elearning “expert” (developed programs starting in 1999), contracts manager, indigenous vocational training, and others.
I had an enormous amount of fun, did interesting things and moved on when I saw something more interesting. The “native 9” were very much the underpinnings (even though I guess I never really thought about them like that).
Seventeen years ago I decamped from paid employment and have been wonderfully “rewired”. The current goal is to become a world famous artist (unqualified) and I guess this one is giving me much more fun than fortune.
I am not sure just what is going on there, but am aware that many of the people I have looked to for inspiration were not qualified, in the formal sense, for their roles. And some of the seriously qualified people I have met were never going to make my imagination pop.
I recently read an Atlantic interview with Chinese writer Yu Hua. His story embodies many of the ideas you discuss, and is a reminder that the road less traveled can take you to amazing places.
Thank you once again for your insights and thoughtfulness, Marty! I'm genuinely so grateful to have you as a reader. Going to read that Atlantic article this week. Thank you!!
Hell yeah. The only job i was ever “qualified” for was as army recruit at seventeen, half way through year 11 high school. Four (fascinating) years later I wrote to a university and said ‘Let me in - I’m a war hero’. I wasn’t - however they did say ‘Sure, just pass everything in your first year and we will let you keep going’. I did. I was never qualified for any subsequent job over the next forty years. The rest of my career(s) consisted of winging it. These included university administration, business communication, managing childcare programs, elearning “expert” (developed programs starting in 1999), contracts manager, indigenous vocational training, and others.
I had an enormous amount of fun, did interesting things and moved on when I saw something more interesting. The “native 9” were very much the underpinnings (even though I guess I never really thought about them like that).
Seventeen years ago I decamped from paid employment and have been wonderfully “rewired”. The current goal is to become a world famous artist (unqualified) and I guess this one is giving me much more fun than fortune.
I am not sure just what is going on there, but am aware that many of the people I have looked to for inspiration were not qualified, in the formal sense, for their roles. And some of the seriously qualified people I have met were never going to make my imagination pop.
I recently read an Atlantic interview with Chinese writer Yu Hua. His story embodies many of the ideas you discuss, and is a reminder that the road less traveled can take you to amazing places.
Thank you once again for your insights and thoughtfulness, Marty! I'm genuinely so grateful to have you as a reader. Going to read that Atlantic article this week. Thank you!!