College Graduation... Now What?

I started my college career as a theater major, political science major, psychology major, history major and ended ultimately as an anthropology major.  When I finally got my degree (after gentle but pointed nudge out of the academic nest by the Dean of Admissions)  I was filled with a sense of accomplishment, chased by a moment of panic. Applied Anthropology…. what on earth is one to do with that?

Many of  my fellow Applied Anthropologists were entering the fields of academia, health care, public service, social service, and international development often as professors, educators, and “Agents of Change.” But After years of studying the harmful after effects of big brother policy implementation in the 3rd World, I was not inclined to participate in the game of social politics. Fortunately for me, Kismet intervened and I found myself slurped up by a local software development company.

Given my natural aptitude for business and information systems, I found myself drawn to a successful career in software development. It wasn’t always smooth sailing however, for the next 10 years those words “Applied Anthropology” as my major study was more of a liability on my resume than a door opener.  Most employers in my industry preferred skills in code development over expertise in human interaction design. Their thinking was… we can teach a dog to fish, but a bird will never bury a bone (or something like that).

Studies now show, and my own experience confirms, that once given a chance applied anthropologists make far more effective employees than not. In every job from graduation to present I have had opportunity to use the tools and techniques I learned as an anthropologist for the benefit of my employer. Business System Optimization and User Interface Design became my specialty; my erstwhile marginally useful degree had somehow launched me into the brave new world of Business Analysis and Project Management.

The career outlook for applied anthropologists is much better today than when I graduated. Applied Anthropologists are no longer limited to teaching and service within Academia, Public Policy implementation, and Social service. More and more businesses are recognizing the unique contribution that applied anthropologists can bring to the table in manufacturing and software development, marketing, advertising, and industrial design.

Applied Anthropologists make top notch Business Analysts, Project Managers, and Program Managers, no longer bound by rigid academic conventions, they are often free to scope out careers that result in more meaningful contributions than with other degrees. New opportunities for people with applied anthropology skills are opening up daily in the software, computing, sustainable development, agriculture, alternative energy, advanced aeronautics, and transportation industries. Recently I was treated by a fellow applied anthropologist to a special test drive of the car of the future (designed by GM/Segway). This lucky individual is currently putting his skill set to work solving the increasing problem of providing reliable and affordable transportation to an aging population and a world of increasingly limited resources.

For applied anthropologists in commercial industry, there is little need to return to graduate school in order to validate your credentials. Applied anthropology degrees are quickly enhanced by professional certifications in practical application. Even for those whose degree was not Applied Anthropology, educational  opportunities exist to learn the tools and techniques typically taught in applied anthropology courses. Of course, these do not always carry the same level of theoretical background as an Applied Anthropological degree, they are at least a testament to the value  the tricks and tools that exist in the applied anthropologist’s arsenal.

Following is a list of Organizations I recommend for anyone seeking to learn more about the benefits of Applied Anthropology as a discipline. Most of these organizations provide not only educational opportunities, professional certifications and degree enhancements, but opportunities for participation in practical application under the guidance of a seasoned mentor.

Watermark Learning – Auburn University Continuing Education

International Institute of Business Analysis

Project Management Institute

National Association for the Practice of Anthropology

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Anthropologists in Business and Industry: A Synopsis
by: Chris Bailey, 10.28.2009

Anthropologists at Work: Responses to Student Questions About Anthropology Careers
Developed by: The National Association for the Practice of Anthropology, American Anthropological Association

NOTE: Starting Salaries for Applied Anthropologists who have cross trained as Project Managers, Business Analysts,  or with minors in Information Systems, Urban Architectural Design, or Mechanical Engineering, do not conform to the salary expectations stated in this paper.   I recommend consulting Payscale.com for more accurate industry quote.

There is an adage: “Some men are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.” — William Shakespeare. How one interprets this adage depends in part on whether or not one believes that “greatness” is a self evident trait or one inherent in a calling or post; as well as whether or not the greatness that is mentioned is in fact a reference to leadership or power (they are not always the same thing).

Before I can answer that question I need to establish the definition of leadership as I understand it. Simply stated, a leader is someone who sets direction in an effort and influences others to follow that direction. At some time in everybody’s life they are called upon to exercise leadership. As parents we are tasked with providing leadership role modeling for our children; as teachers… our students; as a team captain…our team; etc. A maverick is by definition not a leader having no follower base to influence. Having not grasped that subtle difference in definition may have resulted cost the Republican Party a victory in the last presidential election.

In all fairness the difference between the two is clear but the dynamic which creates the difference remains elusive. Is it possible for one to start out as a maverick but end up a leader? Absolutely. How many times does this occur naturally (without the element of assigned power)? Not many. In fact is usually the person in tune with the wants and desires of their potential followers, and possessing an awareness of group dynamics that usually ends up with the leadership position, as well as an ability to communicate their solution to the problem facing those followers.

Let’s look at Shakespeare’s quotation part by part:
• “Some men are born great.”
In Shakespeare’s time, that would likely have meant that some men, through no effort of their own, are born to privilege and given power over men. A more modern interpretation of that phrase would be the notion that the cream rises to the top naturally and a person in a position of leadership is one who naturally deserves to be there given their innate qualities of goodness.
• “Some achieve greatness.”
In Shakespeare’s time, that would likely have referred to that emerging class of men who dared to “change their stars” or challenge the status quo and “win” a place among the elite due to the strength of will, courage of disposition, and sense of noblesse oblige. A more modern interpretation would be a person who against social, cultural, and intellectual odds devises a solution to a societal problem, develops the social skills necessary to personally convince a significant party of followers to collaborate in a joint effort or mutual direction.
• “Some have greatness thrust upon them.”
The quote by Shakespeare represented a new notion for the day that sometimes in the life of an individual they may be (again, through no power of their own) faced with or tasked with an opportunity to exercise a position of power to which they had neither been born nor one which they had themselves earned. How one conducts themselves under such circumstances is the true testament of a person’s character.

The first piece of advice Shakespeare gives to one in such a position is to “never fear.” But what does that mean…never fear? But what does that mean? To answer that I am going to quote a few more of my favorite quotes by great men who in their lives had greatness thrust upon them.

“There are no great men, only great challenges that ordinary men are forced by circumstances to meet.” — William F. Halsey

“The price of greatness is responsibility.” — Winston Churchill

“Let us consider the nature of true greatness in men. The people who can catch hold of men’s minds and feelings and inspire them to do things bigger than themselves are the people who are remembered in history. . . . those who stir feelings and imagination and make men struggle toward perfection.” — Henry Eyring

“Recipe for greatness — To bear up under loss, to fight the bitterness of defeat and the weakness of grief, to be victor over anger, to smile when tears are close, to resist evil men and base instincts, to hate hate and to love love, to go on when it would seem good to die, to seek ever after the glory and the dream, to look up with unquenchable faith in something evermore about to be, that is what any man can do, and so be great.”– Zane Grey

It seem then that in the opinions of these men the position of leadership is not to be feared but rather to be viewed as an opportunity for personal (and professional) growth and development. Fear of the position could lead one to make decisions that are rash or counterproductive, or worse to paralyze one into making no decisions at all. The cultivation of a clear and rational mind that is open to possibility, and a soul that is imbued with genuine concern for solutions to the problems that face our world, humankind, and our workplaces, the people in their charge; and an eye single to the goal, those are the essential qualities of a true leader.

As Shakespeare and James Herbert would both agree:

“[a leader] must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.” – Herbert, Dune

In the days following the collapse of the World Trade Centers, President George W. Bush found himself thrust into a position of global leadership. One to which he was neither elected, nor had yet earned. The jury is still out on whether or not his leadership was affective in a global context or whether his maverick “leadership” style had alienated more people than it attracted. I have my personal opinion on the subject but it is a topic for different venue.

For most people dreams and aspirations are not automatically accompanied by propensity, and so we must make up for the lack by sheer determination. For these people, dreams and aspirations are always tempered by propensity but then they are carefully molded by and brought to fruition by sheer determination. That is why the Para-Olympics exist and why there are people who are able to overcome what otherwise seems like an insurmountable obstacle.

However determination alone will not suffice. Determination must be converted to propensity in order to become useful. The world is full of individuals with dreams and aspirations, blind to their lack of propensity but possessing abundant determination, who do not understand this basic concept (Determination:Propensity Exchange, [DPEx]). Having failed to transform their determination into skill, they keep us entertained with hours of blazing failure on reality shows like American Idol, and So You Think You Can Dance.

Proof positive that I am correct is the example of the barefooted Tibetan Sherpa who barefoot and carrying an entire campsite and provisions for 2 on his lowly shoulders manages to scale the same heights as his hobnail booted Mountaineering counterpart who is carrying nothing more than a ice pike and an oxygen mask. What the Mountaineer has is a goal and determination: What the Sherpa has is a goal and his propensity (a genetic predisposition for schlepping huge loads, barefoot, in snow at high altitude without freezing). There is no way that the Mountaineer lacking the Sherpa’s propensity for Alpine survival would make it alone to the top of Everest.

Now before I offend a lot of folks, I just want to make my meaning clear. I am not in any way implying that Sir Edmond Hillary, Reinhold Messner, and others like them were pansy-asses, far from it! Those were men of exploration with dreams both bold and beautiful who possessed a determination unmatched by the Average Joe. But what they lacked in propensity, they had to make up for in sheer determination. Hilary would never have made it without Tensing, and while Messner may have reached the pinnacle on his own without an oxygen tank, most of that climb was facilitated by the Sherpa who stayed behind on the last leg of the trip. I tip my hat to those bold explorers and their Sherpa’s who faced hardship to achieve a common goal.

But the question to ask: Is it really a common goal? Let’s examine the individual goals of the Mountaineer and the Sherpa. We can be pretty confident in assuming that the Mountaineer’s goal is to reach the summit, but what is the Sherpa’s goal? What were his dreams and aspirations? I am not quite convinced that the average Sherpa views the mountain the same way that the average non-Sherpa does. If that were true then the Sherpa living in the shadow of Everest could “conquer” it with a frequency that would quickly render the feat meaningless. But if Maslow is correct (and I think he is), it is more probable that the average Sherpa, concerned with feeding his family, is more impressed by the size of the explorer’s pocketbook than he is about the prospect of reaching the Everest’s summit.

In a nutshell: The Mountaineer with an abundance of determination and a need to conquer the mountain will exchange his determination, in the form of cash, for the propensity of the Sherpa to render service. The Explorer reaches the summit and the Sherpa feeds his family: One Act, Two Goals.

Understanding of both conceptual constructs, Maslow’s Heirarchy and Determination to Propensity Exchange (DPEx), will allow individuals and business units achieve a level of success that will surpass both those who attempt to achieve their dreams and meet their goals through either propensity or determination alone.

Dropbox is the easiest to use online document collaboration system I have ever used. Public files, personal files, shared file folders, Dropbox offers it all in a very easy to use interface that can be accessed from any machine, anywhere there is access to internet via computer or handheld WIFI enabled device.

New users start out with a generous share space that be expanded for a premium to fit whatever their need for an online documentation sharing may be. Dropbox provides a program that will install a virtual share folder in your documents folder or computer desktop so that you can share files with a click of the mouse. But the best thing about the Dropbox service is that it is completely free.

Free for Windows, Mac, Linux, and iPhone