
Sourdough Modernity
SE02 EP18 — You’re Probably More Qualified Than You Think
What if we have career development backwards? I spent years assuming the people above me knew something I didn’t. They had the titles, the degrees, and the confidence—so I figured they must belong in the room more than I did. I’m not so sure anymore. After a great conversation about the future workforce at the Printing Industries of New England Leadership Conference in Maine, I started thinking about how we prepare people for careers. We ask 18-year-olds to choose an education before they’ve had enough experience to know what they’re good at—or even what jobs are out there. I went to school for design. I thought about becoming an animator. My actual career took me through production, technology, operations, management and sales. I couldn’t have picked a degree for that career because I didn’t know that career existed yet. So maybe experience should come first sometimes. Maybe employers should invest in education after people discover where they’re headed. And maybe more of us need to stop disqualifying ourselves from opportunities just because we don’t check every box. You might be more qualified than you think.

