Welcome back to another episode of the corporate Cowboys podcast as always my name is Alex and I’ll be your host for the next 30 minutes treat this as a free consultation like my door was open you see me I’m a little busy but I’m rather generous with my time when
I’m not charging for it so this podcast if you don’t know the format of it well it’s geared towards uh professional development for young or aspiring you could be any age really when you’re in corporate as long as you’re capable you’re competent and above all consummate professional right
Uh there’s a saying out there that says beware a saying that goes beware of old what is it of of an old older person I guess beware of a person with age in a field or a practice where they tend to Die Young now I don’t mean to get dark fast but
Corporate is what a corporate does it’s a corporate war and we’re born into it literally born into it you could be on an undeveloped continent if you are born you born into the corporate world now just depends on the degree of Incorporation right because you could be unincorporated again I might be speaking
Legal terms and if a lot of this is going over your head then you need to learn how to overstand okay not just understand what I’m saying but overstand read between the lines comprehend so we’re all born into this into this corporate world in an ongoing corporate War and the sooner you learn
To develop the skills and operate yourself conduct yourself like a corporate Cowboy the sooner you can Elevate yourself from just an individual just the little guy just a nobody to the level of corporate entities and learn to work with them not just work for them on the payroll earning wages you start
Earning contracts earning rates setting those prices because we all sell some parts of ourselves but you can learn to negotiate for yourself and not depend on anyone else don’t get me wrong I’m all for gangs and Crews and organizations I.E unions but even a union is a corporation
And the same Politics the same corruption greed and avarice that you see existent in corporate existing unions exist in street level gangs I wouldn’t know I studied this [ __ ] I mean at times at the street level but that’s not what this podcast that’s not what this podcast is about this podcast strictly
About corporate and while I might make some you know tangential analogies I might make some connections to what uh you know thugs or gangsters or Mobsters might do in the street just know that corporate professionals and Executives move exactly the same way they just got different mannerisms
Demeanors they wear suits and ties and polos and pullovers until they transition to hoodies and jeans and Air Forces [Laughter] all right today’s question is not even a question so much I think this goes to the root to the root of what it means to be a a consummate professional and me
Personally a social researcher right because that’s what I’m trained in doing I enjoy interacting with people and that’s why I enjoy interacting with my clients and helping them plan for Success plan and plot scheme for Success giving them actionable Intel intelligence that they can uh parse out
That they can string out and flesh out in order for them to make informed decisions I I give them added perspective second opinion if you will and at times we need that as professionals that’s why I got my circle I got my circle in my circle of professionals knows exactly what my
Goals are and if not well because I know what it requires to be able to give an informed opinion I tell them what my goals are why because I trust them I trust them with my initiative as much as I trust them with my plans right granted I want to have
Contingencies for everything you know what if I get clipped by one of my own but uh even if that is a very remote fear it’s not non-existent right the fear is always there the fear of death I mean that’s pretty much what we’re running from that’s what we’re shielding ourselves from that’s
What we are armoring up for that’s what we’re arming ourselves to utilize Alex stop [ __ ] a little proof of life before we uh before we carry on it’s um before we actually get started on the question it’s Sunday the Lord’s Day June 4 2023 today’s question is coming from r slash
Career guidance this is a Reddit uh subreddit and this one is flared for advice so they want advice they’re soliciting advice but the question they prompt is a little special I think it’s a little meta it’s a little uh self-aware it’s asking is Reddit a bad place to get career advice
See and I I mentioned before that this question really goes to the heart of what it means to be a consummate professional and for myself really a social researcher because like I said I I enjoy I enjoy networking I enjoy talking to people interviewing them getting to know them
Making those connections between the personal and the professional I’m I’m a deal maker I’m I’m like I’m a deal maker aspiring to be a king maker right but that comes obviously with time and uh while the connections that I have now might not be at the uh
At the level politically where I’m able to just amount a mass clout in an instant right I mean personally professionally the type of connections I got I got a guy who’s got a guy he’s got another guy who knows me who can do everything you like that you like that I’m six
Degrees away I’m six degrees away from the [ __ ] with the keys so this question our hypothetical clients if you will and we treat them as a hypothetical client because these questions that people pose on Reddit right they’re they’re very limited in the amount of information they give us
So if we had the client in front of us we would be asking them uh preliminary questions uh biographical information now we would need in order to establish some type of Baseline before we started drilling down into their actual problems their actual professional aspirations they’re professional motives their goals their objectives
So they start with any time I tried looking up information about certain majors and careers on Reddit I’m not exactly sure which subreddits okay so they’re not they’re not clear but they say they’re not exactly sure which subreddits I come across a lot of pessimism and negativity surrounding every major and it
Discourages me from pursuing it I recognize the world we live in is much harder in regards to making money and finding a good job but man what the heck am I supposed to pursue well just a quick interjection I think well I I’m not thinking I’m making an inference here that this
Person because if they’re just evaluating their options for uh higher education that they’re young they’re younger they may or may not have significant experience in the Working World in the real world if you will and so when they come to Reddit they’re hoping they’re hoping that they receive uh positive or creative answers
And I remember I remember being young at one point in time and the creativity was just spilling out of me I didn’t know what to do with all the [ __ ] energy other than get into trouble and catch cases but if I had known that this [ __ ] called Reddit existed
Even then my young social researcher mind might have came up with the right questions to ask as far as what my interests are and what my skills and abilities are in order to incite some ideas in order to invite some good ideas about how best to invest my time and my energy and
That’s what a lot of clients are looking for they may have excess time excess energy excess money and they don’t know how to reinvest it either in themselves their Community or just business in general improving the practices improving the competition available improving Innovation overall So when you come to Reddit you have to realize you have to take into account the leanings the leanings of a lot of people right and it’s not gonna it’s not always going to be objective because a lot of Reddit users I’m going to say the majority if not 99 of them
Are on Reddit for their own purposes I mean I got on Reddit just to explore it when I first started let me tell you when I found all the subreddits related to uh let’s say just all the professional development related subreddits I really took to following them and reading up on them
But at the same time remaining aware I was aware that every other user on there might be on there for personal reasons and that their opinions are exactly that their personal opinions whereas I was approaching Reddit with a professional objective of professional lens so remember when when you’re on Reddit
And you’re asking questions if you’re not going to a professional who’s practice is providing objective opinions these Reddit users are going to be answering from their personal experience only what they’ve done in the past what they’ve witnessed what they’ve experienced a professional goes beyond that I’ve researched I’ve researched and not just
Recorded my own experiences but the experiences of my colleagues and their colleagues and from there you have quantifiable data I’ve got it in quantity and I’ve got it in quality and Reddit unlike let’s say another social media like the one with the blue bird on it
Leans a particular way right it could be left the right or all the way the [ __ ] backwards but that’ll also let you know of the type of opinions you’re going to elicit it might be pessimist it might be whiny they might be [ __ ] they might be your overly optimist
But you’ve got to take every single one of those with a grain of salt and find the thread of Truth the middle of all the answers provided because there’s going to be some truth in everybody’s answer and then the rest is going to be bias and opinion
You’ve got to learn how to how to code their answers so that that way you can filter what they’re saying for just their opinion or their own complaint versus something you can actually use and act on and my goal as a consultant as a professional is to do only that
Is to give you what’s filtered already to give you a very distilled view of corporate I mean [ __ ] what would corporate Cowboys do then we’re going to sit around [ __ ] and complain nah not even you have to be you have to be handy with the steel
And earn your keep you know what I mean that’s a young gun [ __ ] man so you have to know how to how to keep it moving and be disciplined so that when issues do arise you don’t fold Under Pressure because you’re relying on only your personal
Experience I think a lot of what Reddit does is that it exposes personal experience it puts it on exhibition with every uh post and every comment right these are individuals that are coming to Reddit with personal opinions and personal views and as a professional capable of remaining objective when I read through them
I’m giving you a real corporate approach to whether or not it would fly in terms of developing yourself professionally and ultimately personally otherwise I’d be in these other entertainment based subreddits you want to develop yourself personally I don’t know you want to learn the do Impressions I’m sure there’s an
Impressions subreddit or a comedy subreddit go go look at that but if you’re in this space of developing yourself you want to get your money up or maybe not even your money you want to get your ability to get your money up up then you’re in the right space
You’re in the right space because a lot of this uh advice that I give over the podcast or that comes down through the podcast through me I’m just a spokesperson right I’m not even the face because you haven’t seen me yet it’s all general advice on how to conduct yourself in corporate
So I guess this is a good time to give you all a legal disclaimer is that none of what you hear should be construed as legal advice if you haven’t retained us for a specific purpose right none of this advice is meant for you specifically pretend as if
You’re eavesdropping on a consult you’re overhearing this conversation after all we’re dealing with a hypothetical client and I’m allowing you into my space where I utilize templates and questionnaires and blueprints that will allow me to assess my clients case situation and help them come up with strategy of sorts and this strategy is
As much personal as it is professional because they take life seriously they recognize that having been born into this corporate world you’re either fighting the corporate War you’re getting run the [ __ ] over again don’t mean they get so dark don’t mean to get so dark but you know corporate is Serious Business granted
You see it you see enough [ __ ] I think it desensitizes you and you’re able to laugh at them some of some very heinous activities so let me let me continue here this is a short body so they write I recognize the world we live in is much harder in
Regards to making money and finding a good job but man what the heck am I supposed to pursue I’ve recently thought about majoring in Neuroscience neuros damn neuroscience what’s keep what’s holding you back hold on what’s holding me back because I’ve always loved it but I’m actually afraid
To look up what people on Reddit have to say about it because I don’t want to feel discouraged pursuing this major sorry for the rant just looking for advice and your thoughts [Laughter] I’m already thinking of what the title of this um this episode should I
Is Reddit a bad place to get career advice well that’s been the theme right is I just take the titles off of these Reddit uh threads and I just use that as a title with very minor adjustments in order to make it fit within the character limit but to preserve
The essence of the question being asked but I’m wondering whether I shoot is right do neuroscientists use Reddit question mark what the what the [ __ ] will you find on Reddit I mean if you haven’t researched neuroscientists on Reddit it’s a good start because you’ll capture a younger generation right the the incoming
Generations that are using technology that are actually embracing it and online but again you want to keep in mind what Reddit is Reddit is is is like gen pop but with clicks I mean I don’t know why I went to jail in prison terms but it’s
Like the Reddit is reddit is a good population sample size right it’s a good sample population size let’s put it that way because it’s got a ton of users from all over the world that being said the subreddits you can treat like uh like clicks of people that get together
And whether or not there is a r slash neuroscience subreddit it’s worth exploring if you haven’t done so yet especially if you anticipate trying to break into the field because you’ll find others before you might have done the same thing and are able of giving you good advice or or
You just learning from their experience you learn vicariously by them documenting it for you again that’s that’s a skill that not a lot of people possess learning from other people’s experiences it’s difficult for some to understand and it is higher level understanding at higher level strategy that’s what we get paid for nonetheless
You should move out of Reddit when it’s something as hyper technical as Neuroscience which can be really hyper technical I’m sure there are other uh science Publications and trade Publications and professional medical Publications other platforms other forums that you could explore I mean the the Reddit is not the end all
Be all only because there are less rules I mean you would think that because they’re so stranded on community guidelines only because you can’t question a lot of the mainstream narratives you think it’s like highly regulated and it’s not it’s not it’s not even self-regulated but go and visit a neuroscience
Publication or a forum that specializes in Neuroscience which you can go find just use Google or Bing or whatever it is but you go there and you start exploring you start reading success stories stories of failure Triumph trial of error and I’m sure you’ll learn way more than just pitching this question on
Reddit and hoping for the best right even coming to me even coming to me is where I would tell you to start which is going to be those Publications and those forums that interest you or that fuel and accelerate your momentum on getting into that field otherwise you visit Reddit
And because the majority of them are not neuroscientists you’re going to catch a lot of negative and pessimistic views that might serve to discourage you if you’re not strong enough in your convictions if you’re if you’re not absolutely obsessed and committed following through and becoming a neuroscientist a couple hundred comments saying oh
Neuroscientists don’t get paid in the U.S or neuroscientists don’t get paid in the west well what about I don’t know for the sake of argument you visit a uh a neuroscientist Forum or a publication and there’s a neuroscientist who’s practicing out of Vienna because they’ve got slightly more liberal views on on Research
Then you then don’t don’t kick it out here in the west go to Vienna but it’s up to you to make those moves it’s up to you to collect and aggregate that Intel for you to act on me at this point I mean I could help
That takes money you want to retain us by all means by all means but that’s going to require money and I think if you want to become a neuroscientist the amount of leg work and connections you’ll have to develop I mean you’ve got to be upper class easy easy
Upper middle class at least at least if you want to start from zilch having not done any research but if you do the legwork if you take on the due diligence that’s required I mean you’ve seen success stories of people coming out of poverty of [ __ ] who get it out the mud
To go to University and graduate and go to med school it’s possible it’s doable but again you got to be obsessed you got to be obsessed and tell those those other redditors who are not neuroscientists don’t even tell them don’t even engage them but in your mind dismiss them
Because they obviously don’t know what they’re talking about if they haven’t done it wanna associate with people who have done it that’d be the smartest wave pursuing a neuroscience degree what Reddit will just give you a taste of what everybody else thinks but what do you actually think about neuroscience
What do you actually think you can do with Neuroscience you’re going to ask Reddit that or should you be asking other neuroscientists there you go hey that’s a question for you to write down and get started working man get started working because if you’re at the beginning of this
Career and I don’t know how old you are but it’s never too late to be honest sure there’s you know there’s those biological studies of deterioration on the brain and the body but have you gone through long having gone through law school I could tell you that there’s old
Cats in law school who still graduate there’s young cats who graduate and [ __ ] I don’t think their brain is all there but it’s different strokes for different folks and it’s possible if you are committed and you and you hold those convictions close don’t let anybody don’t let anybody that close to the vest
Where they’re going to discourage you by saying well I’m not a neuroscientist but they don’t get paid or whatever whatever yeah maybe the average neuroscientist maybe the average lawyer doesn’t get paid well maybe the legal Market is saturated with all these lawyers and advocates but I’m making moves regardless I’m above average
I’m performing I’m putting in the work I’m doing the due diligence I’m that factor that’s bringing talent and luck together see that’s the ability to get things that that’s being capable of getting it done I mean ask yourself what would a corporate Cowboy do if you’re not already following us
Do that we’re on Instagram that’s at corporates Cowboys with a z on patreon it’s the corporate Cowboys podcast and there are a number of tiers you can subscribe to [ __ ] subscribe to all of them [ __ ] it I’m kidding I’m kidding maybe I’m not if you want whatever if you want to donate
To there’s a couple of donation links you’re a smart cookie you can find them and you can write to us too send us items of questionable utility you know that’s P.O box 3372 Rancho Cordova California 95741 imma catch you next time
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