And we’re here for the second Weekly Shot ! If you don’t know what is it exactly, you can still go check the introduction of the #1 where I quickly explain the concept of it.
Now that you did it (you did it right ?) we can go the the introduction of this one.
Introduction
This week, the main idea will come from the book “The personal MBA” by Josh Kaufman. For the one who don’t knows, a MBA is a Master in Business Administration, one of the most prestigious (and expensive) diploma that you can have in the business field, mostly if you have it in a good university, like Harvard for example. So with this diploma, you should learn all the aspect of a business, a company, from marketing to finance, pasing by managment etc… To summarize, a lot of knowledge in many domains. So this book took all these main concepts and ideas that you have to know and put them all in one book. This explain pretty much the title…
Anyway, today I will will just use a part of the introduction to explain my thought through it.
Should I do a MBA ?
During the introduction of the book they obviously make the comparaison between a real MBA and this book. Why should you do a MBA that will costs 10% of what you will earn during your whole life if you could have the same knowledge just by buying a book that cost few dollars ?
The short answer is no. Except if you’re sure of what you want to do and you really want it, they advise to better learn all the concept from books (like this one, or others). You will save “some” money and time.
So if it’s so simple, why some people do it anyway ? (And what will you talk about in the next minutes ?)
That’s here the main question. From my point of view, people do it for the diploma and the prestige. Obviously you can learn everything with books, but how can you prove quicly that you know all what you pretend to know ? With your MBA. And it works with pretty much all the diplomas in all kinds of field. Actually that’s the purpose of a diploma, to say that this or this person have all the skills and knowledge in a given domains. And it’s mainly used from companies to know the skills of someone who try to apply for a job.
Ok so what about what you said earlier ? In this situation a MBA is necessary
Obviously, if you want to apply in one of the biggest companies in the world, it will not really works like you could expect if you come and say “Hello, I know everything, I read a lot of books but I didn’t want to waste my time to make a MBA”. But then come the next question.
Do you really want to work for one of the biggest company ?
First thing I want to say before continuing: I know all the companies, big or not, are not the same, all the jobs are not the same, and all the people are not the same.
Now, let’s go forward, I will be more general now. We get some diplomas to work on some companies, but the questions is do you really want that, work for these companies ? Obviously, there is some great companies, and you would like to work for, but here, I will talk about the other people.
I don’t get it, what do you mean ?
To make it simpler, I give you a good example, myself.
For the one who doesn’t know, I’m currently doing a master degree in Computer Science, by apprenticeship. Before that I made a two years technical degree, and two bachelor degree, all in Computer Science. So it’s been almost 5 years now that I do studies, and I still have one year before I finish them.
After all of that I don’t want to work on a company.
Yes, you read it well. I could work for some specials one, but in general, I don’t want.
So why did/do you do all these diplomas ?
That’s good because we’re back at the first question, with the MBA. And for my case, it’s a good question because as I don’t want to specially work for a company, I don’t really need all these diplomas. I made them first because I really wanted to learn Computer Science and I did it well because I really love that now. But the problem (for me) is that I did it only the two first years, during my two years technical degree. After that, I learned nothing from school. Most of my knowledge come from online courses/tutorials and what I could see and experiment in company during my internships/apprenticeships and by myself.
Okay so what do you want to do then ?
That’s a good question, I want to do what I love.
Do what you love.
You could probably guess it, I love developing apps, really. I could spend hours and hours doing that. If we didn’t have to sleep, I could even do it day and night, non-stop. I still have many things to learn, to discover, to test, to apply, many possibilities, I would like to be able to try them all. And everyday or every week, there is something new to test, so it’s like an unlimited flow of things to do. That’s something that most of the people doesn’t get it well because for them, it’s some work, it’s my job, and for many people unfortunately, work is something bad to do. As say a master in this domain, Gary Vaynerchuk :
“If you wait for the week-end, and you’re happy to be on Friday evening, you have to reconsider all your f*cking game”.
For me developing apps is an hobby, a game, I feel good when I’m coding. Most of the people tell me :
But Erwan, why don’t you go out ? Why don’t you play video games more often ? Why you always working ? You don’t have a life ?
The subtle thing is that for me it’s not some work, it’s pleasure. I enjoying developing apps, as some other enjoying doing sport, watching TV, playing video games, go to the club etc…
Okay we get it, you love it, but why you don’t want to work for a company then ?
That’s a good question too. Before I answer it, I want to introduce a concept. Instead of words, I will show you an image to explain it :
Actually, we can think that I reach the concept of Ikigai, I love making apps, I’m good at it, I can be paid for and the world needs some. So what’s the problem ? I don’t think I’ve reach it yet. Actually I think I’m in the Satisfaction part (Love + Good at + Paid for). For the last part (Needs), the world needs for sure the app made by companies, but I would like to help the world with my own apps. I have many apps ideas, maybe good, maybe not, but I would like to work on them and test them all. I don’t want them to be just side projects that I work on during nights and week-ends, I want to spend my full time on them. And it’s the same for discovering new things, to make even better apps that will be more useful for more and more people.
So that’s the point, to reach this concept I would like to works on my ideas, not the one of someone else.
The problem coming here is that, then, should I still be paid for ?
I love what I do, and if I could, I will not do it for money, but everybody needs money for live, and that’s the bad part here, in my opinion. People could find something they love to do, and contribute to help other people in different ways, but to be able to survive (I call it survive and not live) they have to make money. So they will either find a job that they love, either fin a job that they love a bit or not, just to have money and do what they like during their free times (nights and weekends) or either find a way to get money from what they like, what I want to do after my studies.
Ok good, but you forgot something, what about the diplomas, you still don’t need them so ?
You’re right. I want to get them for two reasons.
- The first one is the security. We never know what could happen, if something goes wrong, I still have diplomas, and I could find a job to make money, even if I think that diplomas doesn’t really show your skills at all.
- The second one and the most important one is for my family. I’m not from a great big family or something, and my mom doesn’t have diplomas. However, she worked hard to be able to give me all what I needed, and the most important one for me, the best education, the mind to always do more, go harder and make the things better than anyone else if I want to succeed. Most of my family are still in Africa, and they all know me as “The smart one, who will make big studies and run the world”. I have all their hope on me and they all wait the day that I will have my M.S degree in C.S to celebrate it. So, I can’t take that day away from them, and I want them to be proud of me. I can obviously do it without, but it will be a way better with.
The end word
To end this story, I just want to say that you’re not forced to do as the society want us to do. It can fit to you, but for someone else, it’s not the case. We only have one life, so be sure to do what you really want to do everyday, and not undergo something you don’t want to. That’s all, simple.
Again I repeat, I don’t advise to everyone to not get diplomas, or not works for a company, it was my own thoughs about it, everyone is different, love and want different things, please don’t take it as a general purpose.
But anyway, remember to always try to live the life you really want to live. 💕
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Thank you for reading. Please feel free to leave some claps or comments to let me know your opinion. Sharing is also allowed and free !
