I recently finished an interesting book by the creator of one of the most famous comic strips in America. However, he wasn’t always so successful, and he had a number of jobs early in his life. He holds an MBA from Berkeley and, before becoming a cartoonist, he worked in the corporate world for nearly two decades. During his many years trying different careers, he concluded that there were several skills EVERYONE should possess in order to be successful, regardless of the industry or type of employment. Here is his list:
public speaking
psychology
business writing
accounting
basic web/publishing design
conversation
overcoming shyness
second language
golf
proper grammar
persuasion
familiarity with technology
proper voice technique
As I read his list, I saw a link among many of these qualities. Outside of golf, accounting, and psychology, every one of the other skills is part of the field of English studies. English is about learning to read, write, think, speak, and create in a variety of contexts. And this is what will help anyone succeed.
So a rich and famous guy with years of widely differing professional experiences—from the corporate world to the creative world—is advising young people to be sure to gain proficiency in these skills that are all partially or completely related to the study of English. So why are students avoiding English classes? And why are colleges ignoring English programs?
While this disappoints me to no end, I guess the silver lining in all this is that when I go take my English-related frustrations out on the golf course, as I often do, I’m actually making myself more skillful. Hand me my seven iron!
public speaking
psychology
business writing
accounting
basic web/publishing design
conversation
overcoming shyness
second language
golf
proper grammar
persuasion
familiarity with technology
proper voice technique
As I read his list, I saw a link among many of these qualities. Outside of golf, accounting, and psychology, every one of the other skills is part of the field of English studies. English is about learning to read, write, think, speak, and create in a variety of contexts. And this is what will help anyone succeed.
So a rich and famous guy with years of widely differing professional experiences—from the corporate world to the creative world—is advising young people to be sure to gain proficiency in these skills that are all partially or completely related to the study of English. So why are students avoiding English classes? And why are colleges ignoring English programs?
While this disappoints me to no end, I guess the silver lining in all this is that when I go take my English-related frustrations out on the golf course, as I often do, I’m actually making myself more skillful. Hand me my seven iron!