Let me put my bias on the table: I’m an education snob. Not about what school(s) you went to, or even what you studied. I just think learning is important. I’m proud of the fact that I had two full years of science and a year of calculus in college. And I’m still amazed that my course in the physical sciences that I dreaded beforehand has proven really useful. I can still recite the building blocks of life, and I get excited when someone talks about chemical compositions found on distant worlds.
In other words, I believe that the more you know, the more interesting you are and the more interesting the world around you.
I was tweeting with a recent college graduate the other day, and was commenting about the fact that her campus was quite lovely. She concurred, and then added something that struck me: “Learned a ton (though not necessarily career oriented).”
Wow. I completely get this. I eventually went to graduate school to get a credential that would give me more credibility in the professional world. But she got me thinking about how my liberal arts education did, in fact, prepare me to be a solopreneur.
So here’s my short-form answer: My education prepared me to think critically and to problem solve. This is useful, since companies typically hire consultants because they have a challenge they are hoping you can help them resolve.
How did your education prepare you for the business world?
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