Last week I was looking back at what’s been my career and thinking about where I was. I’m probably mid way through my career. It’s been a good career so far, I like to think. I think I’ve only begun to fathom how different a place I’m at now, nearly 10 years after my first real job. I’m not only older. I also have very different expectations on pay and responsbilities than I did ten years ago. I think in most careers there are basically three stages:

  • What You Can Do
  • What You Know
  • Who You Know

There’s usually a progression from the first stage, “What You Can Do” to “What You know” and finally for some to “Who You know.” Depending on the career these transitions don’t have to take place, but these stages are found in many career trajectories.

What You Can Do
This stage is probably the most obvious. We all have to pass through this stage. When I was hired for my first job, it wasn’t because of industry knowledge. I didn’t know a thing. I had good non specific skills and willingness to work hard. The success of any company and especially consulting companies is built on the foundation of relatively “cheap” labor. When you’re young and just out school, it’s about doing the tasks assigned. Do those tasks well and then some and you will be noticed.

What You Know
Eventually after a couple years, most people transition to a point in their career where they are still “doing,” but their real asset is their experience and knowledge. I’m at this stage in my career. While I still “do” alot, I know in the end the company could easily hire someone younger, cheaper, and with sharper technical skills. Someone with the right educational background could easily handle many aspects of my job, and even do it better. However, the distinction between that young turk and myself is experience. (I really sound like an old fogey these days) Someone out of school who doesn’t have the experience doesn’t know where to begin. My prospective employers don’t look to what skills I have. They may care that I’m good with a spreadsheet, but I’m not hired based on speed with Excel shortcuts at this stage in my career. It’s what I know rather than what I can do that make me attractive to potential employers.

Who You Know
I can argue until I’m blue in my face how it’s always important to know people and have a healthy career network. However, my point here is that for many careers, especially careers dependent on signing deals, the whole reason someone has job is often for the contacts he or she has. These are the rainmakers of the industry. Rainmakers are the people who get the contracts, and often the ones who get paid the biggest bucks. They exist in every industry. They are lawyers, and bankers, but they can be anyone in any industry. They bring in the dollars, and get signatures. I like most people will probably never hit this stage of a career, nor do I necessarily want to.