Page 25 - The Interconnected Individual: Seizing Opportunity in the Era of AI, Platforms, Apps, and Global Exchanges

68 THE INTERCONNECTED INDIVIDUAL

with dependable support? Writing as an independent blogger is different
than being a journalist at the Financial Times, because there are certain
standards and ways of doing business in a large organization. Consider
working in a large organization early in your career, because then you
learn best practices and industry standards. If you eventually jump off as
an entrepreneur, you are transitioning based on understanding systems,
and then adapting them for you. Your chances of being a successful
independent contractor or entrepreneur are greater if you have some
organizational experience.
Consider working at a large organization or the leading company in an
industry, learn the practices, and make the human networking contacts,
and then find a niche where you are servicing that company or you are
servicing that industry.

Choose from Various Workplace Styles

Today, there is much greater flexibility for workplace styles, and more
opportunity for people who want to fit their work into their life.
Idiosyncratic people who do not like to be around other people can get
work just as easily as people who are gregarious. The interconnected era
enables virtual workers to be independently employed far more easily
than was true historically in centralized, hierarchical workplaces.
An emergent trend in spontaneous order for workplace styles is
workspace shared by independent workers who can be matched to create
a revolving community, configured to create common experiences among
individuals engaged in separate endeavors.

How Do You Add Value?

Your ongoing, lifelong education and training creates value for others as
well as yourself.
What discipline do you master? You should master what the
marketplace recognizes and values.
Develop a T-shaped profile to see how your breadth of experience
and depth of expertise can be charted so you can understand and present
your lived career experience in a way that can enhance your perceived