A LOT!!  This is the epiphany I had a few years ago that really set my career (and satisfaction) on fire.  What most people don’t realize, IMHO, is that the answer to this question has changed dramatically in the last few years.

Yesterday I was talking with someone about how to transition back into the aerospace field after taking a job in another industry after college.  He has a pretty clear picture and vision of what kind of work he wants to do.  And he has a very good handle on his existing strengths and what type of work environment he likes best.  (Great advantages here–he knows what he is aiming for and what he has to work with.)

We talked about applying for jobs in big aerospace companies.  (More on that in Tip #8 in my book.)  Then I asked him, what could you do today or instead that doesn’t require you to get picked from a huge pile of resumes or applicants?  We came up with a lot of options that he is pretty excited about.  In future blog posts I’ll give some examples.

Here’s the deal.  Everyone today is their own media company.  And not just media.  We all now have the power and resources of information, research, networking, production, and distribution at our personal disposal.  This is a HUGE and exciting opportunity.

If there’s one book I would recommend to drive this point home and get you thinking in a new way, it’s Poke the Box by Seth Godin.  I enthusiastically recommend many of his books, actually.  But PTB makes a compelling and inspirational case for personal initiative.

“Reject the tyranny of the picked.  Pick yourself.” — Seth Godin in Poke the Box (Amazon link)

As many wise people have said, success often lies more in asking the right questions than finding the right answers.  So you want to be a rocket scientist or get into an aerospace profession?  Ask yourself, “What can I do that doesn’t require permission?”

More on this question and approach later.  Until then, have fun exploring the question.