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Unpopular opinion, more people are capable of doing well at higher level jobs than they are at low level grunt working jobs.

doytch 3y ago
Time-management is probably the single most important skill in these higher-paying jobs and...well...given the amount of self-help books there are on this topic, I'm not so sure I'd agree. People who do well in higher-level jobs know /exactly/ what they're best at or uniquely positioned to do, and do that. Meanwhile, you need to delegate the rest to whoever's in the best position to do so (growing people if there aren't enough) which is itself a tricky calculus.
- switch007 3y ago
  I'd say it's people skills and marketing/PR. Everyone I've seen rise through the ranks has absolutely nailed communication, self-promotion, parroting the party-line, moderating their words, adapting to their audience, improving their speech techniques, giving excellent presentations etc.
- CPLX 3y ago
  Disagree. The most important skill as you go up higher in the ranks is emotional regulation. Many, many people simply aren’t able to do that. You can’t manage complex organizations that include people without that ability.
  - doytch 3y ago
    That's a really good point. After reading your profile, I'm tempted to ask if you've bookmarked any articles/books about that topic?
  - JumpCrisscross 3y ago
    > Many, many people simply aren’t able to do that. You can’t manage complex organizations that include people without that ability Never thought about it that way, but I think you're correct. The number of adults who cannot hold their cool in the face of a perceived slight or setback is shocking.
bigyikes 3y ago
Wouldn’t you expect higher level jobs to pay less then “grunt” jobs then?
- Rury 3y ago
  Only if you assume that pay is a matter solely determined by how difficult a job is (which it isn't).
paulddraper 3y ago
Depends on the standards for "well" The stakes are different
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
zeroonetwothree 3y ago
Even in software engineering it’s “easier” to be higher level (staff, principal) because your output is more fluid, you delegate more, and command more respect. Yet the vast majority of engineers are incapable of reaching those levels because they don’t seem to have the mindset for it. So I’m not sure I agree with this, it seems to just be selection bias.
- ldjkfkdsjnv 3y ago
  They are incapable of reaching those levels because they are never given the chance to develop those skills, or to even exhibit them. There just arent that many opportunities
  - mickael-kerjean 3y ago
    not sure why you are getting downvoted, this is exactly my experience as well. In 5 years working on my own gig, I have developed more skills not only in sales, marketing and engineering than 12 years as a pure software engineer in the industry
zhivota 3y ago
Spoken like someone who has never had to do it. I've been up and down the ladder and I can tell you that it's much harder up than down, even though from afar it doesn't look like it. If it's easy for someone it's because they are special, and usually in my experience they're special in a sociopathic tendency kind of way, where the things that make being in leadership hard (having responsibility over so many careers, feeling social and professional pressure from all directions, fending off middle management politics) come much more naturally to them.

doytch 3y ago

Time-management is probably the single most important skill in these higher-paying jobs and...well...given the amount of self-help books there are on this topic, I'm not so sure I'd agree. People who do well in higher-level jobs know /exactly/ what they're best at or uniquely positioned to do, and do that. Meanwhile, you need to delegate the rest to whoever's in the best position to do so (growing people if there aren't enough) which is itself a tricky calculus.

switch007 3y ago
I'd say it's people skills and marketing/PR. Everyone I've seen rise through the ranks has absolutely nailed communication, self-promotion, parroting the party-line, moderating their words, adapting to their audience, improving their speech techniques, giving excellent presentations etc.
CPLX 3y ago
Disagree. The most important skill as you go up higher in the ranks is emotional regulation. Many, many people simply aren’t able to do that. You can’t manage complex organizations that include people without that ability.
- doytch 3y ago
  That's a really good point. After reading your profile, I'm tempted to ask if you've bookmarked any articles/books about that topic?
- JumpCrisscross 3y ago
  > Many, many people simply aren’t able to do that. You can’t manage complex organizations that include people without that ability Never thought about it that way, but I think you're correct. The number of adults who cannot hold their cool in the face of a perceived slight or setback is shocking.

bigyikes 3y ago

Wouldn’t you expect higher level jobs to pay less then “grunt” jobs then?

Rury 3y ago
Only if you assume that pay is a matter solely determined by how difficult a job is (which it isn't).

paulddraper 3y ago

Depends on the standards for "well" The stakes are different

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]

zeroonetwothree 3y ago

Even in software engineering it’s “easier” to be higher level (staff, principal) because your output is more fluid, you delegate more, and command more respect. Yet the vast majority of engineers are incapable of reaching those levels because they don’t seem to have the mindset for it. So I’m not sure I agree with this, it seems to just be selection bias.

ldjkfkdsjnv 3y ago
They are incapable of reaching those levels because they are never given the chance to develop those skills, or to even exhibit them. There just arent that many opportunities
- mickael-kerjean 3y ago
  not sure why you are getting downvoted, this is exactly my experience as well. In 5 years working on my own gig, I have developed more skills not only in sales, marketing and engineering than 12 years as a pure software engineer in the industry

zhivota 3y ago

Spoken like someone who has never had to do it. I've been up and down the ladder and I can tell you that it's much harder up than down, even though from afar it doesn't look like it. If it's easy for someone it's because they are special, and usually in my experience they're special in a sociopathic tendency kind of way, where the things that make being in leadership hard (having responsibility over so many careers, feeling social and professional pressure from all directions, fending off middle management politics) come much more naturally to them.