Alex Dixon, a guest speaker in my class counseled the students that there were two different forms of jobs and that they would be wise to know themselves well enough to choose the one that best suited their skills.
In his view, a job either requires you to write research reports or take pop quizzes.
In a research report-type job, you attempt to answer the bigger questions: Is this a good strategic move? Should we greenlight the project? Should we buy this company? Is this the right time to do this?
In a pop quiz-type job, you determine the specifics: How much should we pay for this company? What are assets worth? Do we need one person or two to do this function?
It’s the difference between investment bankers and stock market traders. Both are important but require different patterns of thinking, varied levels of timing, and well-suited temperaments for the work.
Know yourself enough to pick the career path that best aligns with you.
