I’ve had the opportunity to work along side a wide range of personalities. Some of these personalities have left a lasting impression on me and I’ve always wondered why. More importantly I wonder why some of the people I’ve met in my professional career have succeeded whiles others failed or stayed stagnant. I’ve finally reached my own conclusion. Successful IT professionals find ways to turn their talents into valuable skills.
Talent vs Skill …
Talent is your innate ability to do something. It is your natural ability which is inborn. We all were born with our own set of talents. However, talents do not necessarily equate to skills. Skill on the other hand is a learnt ability. The difference between talent and skill is hardwork. Simply stated, skills are developed when you convince somebody to value your talent.
A great example would be somebody like Warren Buffett (I know this is cliche but just stick with me on this). Mr. Buffett is on record stating that he is good with numbers and has been fortunate to benefit from all the right opportunities. There are several people that were afforded the same benefits, opportunities, life circumstance, and talents as Mr. Buffett, however not all of them are successful. The secret is that Mr. Buffett has figured out how to turn his talent of being “good with numbers” into a valuable skill that people are willing to pay for.
To summarize my rant, I encourage you to contemplate on how you can turn your talent into a skill that is valued in the workforce. Successful people care more about skills than talent
