happiness Posted August 16, 2012 Report Share Posted August 16, 2012 What do you do if you have a strong interest in a particular field of work, but lack the talent to hack it? For example, suppose you love computers and dream of being a software engineer at a company like Facebook or Google, but you aren't smart enough to compete with the brilliant young engineers who typically get hired at those companies. What do you do then? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicky Posted August 16, 2012 Report Share Posted August 16, 2012 Those brilliant young engineers weren't born brilliant, or talented. They spent their childhoods and early adulthoods learning and obsessing over math and computer science, until they got really good at it. JASKN 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happiness Posted August 16, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 16, 2012 I disagree with that. They weren't born with the specialized knowledge, but they were born with the aptitude for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dream_weaver Posted August 16, 2012 Report Share Posted August 16, 2012 I disagree with that. They weren't born with the specialized knowledge, but they were born with the aptitude for it. Isn't "They spent their childhoods and early adulthoods learning and obsessing over math and computer science, until they got really good at it." an integral part of aptitude? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
softwareNerd Posted August 16, 2012 Report Share Posted August 16, 2012 What do you do then?Your best is the best you can do. JASKN and mdegges 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdegges Posted August 17, 2012 Report Share Posted August 17, 2012 I read somewhere that it takes 10 years to become an expert in any field. Which begs the question, why is everyone in such a rush? JASKN 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicky Posted August 17, 2012 Report Share Posted August 17, 2012 I disagree with that. They weren't born with the specialized knowledge, but they were born with the aptitude for it. What does that aptitude they were born with consist of? What is your evidence for it (whatever it is)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CptnChan Posted August 17, 2012 Report Share Posted August 17, 2012 I hear people talk about athletes and geniuses having "raw talent" that they are born with. But most often, I hear those same athletes and geniuses talking about all their hard work or training. Who knows better, the athletes and geniuses or the people talking about them? On a side note, sure you hear stories of 2 year old kids knowing how to play the piano, or people who have photographic memory. Prove me wrong, but I don't think the majority of producers or "talented" people were in that category. JASKN 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicky Posted August 17, 2012 Report Share Posted August 17, 2012 Well there is plenty of evidence that both athletes and some geniuses are genetic freaks. In my estimation, the suggestion that any of us could play basketball the way King James does, with enough practice, or solve physics problems the way Einstein did, with enough studying, has been proven wrong. But the subject isn't athletes or geniuses, it's your average (albeit still quite brilliant) Facebook or Google developers and executives. They are normal human beings who've been at this for a long time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eiuol Posted August 17, 2012 Report Share Posted August 17, 2012 Genius, if we mean IQ, seems to only make people have an easier time thinking about abstract problems like math or philosophy. But that doesn't mean doing something brilliant, or even well. There are so many factors involved in a career that it's silly to say you lack talent. Maybe you lack programming talent, don't like programming much, and it's tough for you to grasp programming concepts. That doesn't mean you can't ever work with software engineers to help develop their products that you're so fascinated by. Basic programming would help, sure, but you don't necessarily need a PhD in computer science. Software engineers need management, organization, planning, business decisions, etc that you might be plenty good at. Maybe you're a good graphic designer, or you know how to design an interface. These are only obvious options. How you get involved in software engineering may only be a matter of creatively using the abilities you have developed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CptnChan Posted August 18, 2012 Report Share Posted August 18, 2012 "a particular field of work" doesn't sound like "developers and executives" to me, but ok. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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