Steve

My dog sitter is a young college student. Every Monday evening, she comes by for a few hours to play with my puppy while I am out and about in the world.

It’s inspiring to come home to a youth studying vigorously about cool subjects like marketing and law. It reminds me of how happy I am to be done with full-time study life but also how there is hope for the future.

Our conversations outside of “Dog Talk” often turn to, “Well, what are you thinking of studying in university?” and eventually, “What do you want to do when you graduate?”

“I don’t know… lawyer? Maybe marketing? Maybe business?… I am not sure yet.”

Sound familiar?

When my father was four, he looked up at the sky, saw an airplane and decided he’d be a pilot. And he was, for his entire life, never taking any other job but flying metal in the sky. This, though, is the exception to the rule. Part of being human is following our curiosity—and that often means exploring new frontiers after we’ve settled for a while.

I have had people of all ages ask, “What should I do with my career(life)?” and I can see how overwhelming that thought can be. We spend about 2080 hours a year working—that’s a third of our waking hours. Our identities are tethered to our work, socially and personally. How long after an introduction does someone inevitably ask, “What do you do for a living?”

My interactions with my dog sitter this week had me nostalgic, thinking back to her age and my thoughts on work and careers back then versus my hot take now. I’m still surprised at how frustrated this walk down memory lane made me. Frustrated at the BS I was fed about entering the job market. With few exceptions, it feels like a lot of what we’re told is narrow or flat-out misleading.

The following day, Tuesday, was Election Day, and the political nerd in me tuned into Rachel Maddow way into the wee hours of the morning to catch the calls on which state went to whom. It’s a ritual I have loved for years ordering a pizza and eating my stress away.

This year watching Steve Kornacki in his Gap khakis, calculator in hand, spewing facts about Maricopa County the Recruiter Nessa couldn’t help but think about the journey he took to get where he is.

So, what does Steve Kornacki have to do with your career path? Well, let’s break it down into three key ideas we don’t think about enough:

THE BIG 4

When we talk about careers, certain titles get brought up over and over: doctor, engineer, lawyer, business exec. It’s as if these fields alone represent the entirety of ambition or success.

Now let’s take a look at Steve Kornacki’s job: Political Data Journalist. I highly doubt his guidance counselor brought this up as a suggestion his senior year considering the job didn’t even exist.

The same could be said for jobs like social media manager, app developer or UX designer, which didn’t exist a few decades ago. And think about what’s on the horizon— roles like Virtual World Builders, AI Ethics Managers and Climate Adaptation Specialists could become synonymous with No Code Developer. These aren’t the “Big 4,” but they offer the kind of impact, innovation and growth that can well lead to a rewarding career.

Take a step back then from the job title and maybe spend a little TLC on something often neglected: the industry.

A technical animator in the gaming industry experiences a very different career than one working for scientific simulations, autonomous cars or architecture. Regulation, demand, pay, culture, vibes, norms, hours – all these factors change depending on the industry.

TALENT VS PASSION

We hear a lot about following your passion but talent tends to be the underplayed winning hand. Passion often leads to overstaying one’s welcome while talent is a fast track towards both success and satisfaction. As business expert Scott Galloway points out, focusing on your talents can bring you success and help you carve a more sustainable career path.

Think about Kornacki—his passion, as seen through his social media, is sports, along with a love for long hikes. Yet neither of these relate directly to his current role. What Kornacki excels at—and what got him into this job in the first place —is a talent for processing and analyzing complex political data then translating it into digestible nuggets for his audience.

His knack for “seeing” numbers and trends and his ability to distill it for all for viewers is what merits a dedicated Kornacki Cam.

Talent leads to passion. When you’re good at something, it motivates, encourages growth and fosters a sense of mastery that feels pretty damn similar to passion. Research backs this up: those who capitalize on their talent report greater job satisfaction than those who simply “follow their passion.”

THAT ONE THING

In an era of over-choice, finding a niche can feel counter intuitive. But here’s the thing: niching down early in your career might limit the number of available jobs but statistically, it also means higher wages, increased job security and a chance to become a known expert in the field.

Look at Steve K again. He’s carved out a specialty that might only get prime attention every election cycle but that niche gives him security, a loyal following (Kornaki Cam) and a distinct identity that has turned his name into the job title itself (at least for his fans anyways). Studies show that specialization and focus in a field are directly related to income potential, job stability, and career longevity. You are the Go-To Person and we always want that kid on our team. 

Choosing a niche doesn’t mean giving up on other interests; it simply helps you build a foundation that can be leveraged in the long-term. Just like Steve mastered political data analysis, once you nail down “that one thing,” you can always branch out or pivot in ways that broaden your scope.

My professional crush on Steve Kornacki is shared by many – Leslie Jones has an entire ode to the fellow. And it makes sense because when someone is both good at their job and enjoying what they do, it’s a recipe for being irresistible. And this can be you at any time you decide to make that shift. You too can be a Steve Kornacki – minus the khakis (unless that’s your vibes, in which case, yes!).

#Carrer #JobSearch #SteveKornacki