hello everybody!
I have just got addicted to making youtube videos. humiliating and awesome both at once, they are for me and probably you as well.
As you may know, i have no idea what i want to do with my life. My Dad was saying that he is stuck in his role as a project manager at Barclay's Capital here in Singapore, and he cannot get out of it because jobs that pay well make use of very specialized skills. eg, if you have learnt lots of computer languages, have experience managing projects and have worked in banks before, you are probably my dad (or someone with his job), you have to remember the 'Zulu principle', by which you become an expert in a certain field and as you become more specialized, you are paid more.
Posted in April 22nd, 2008
This describes your ability to become an expert in any tiny niche in
a very short time. A few years a woman dazzled guests at a dinner
party with her knowledge about Zulus it turned out that she had simply
read an article in the Readers Digest the night before.
Rather than mock this somebody who was listening realised that
in today’s fast moving world it was an asset and a virtue to be able
to become an instant expert. He was Jim Slater and he went on to
apply this to choosing investments by specialising in particular types
of shares and situations. In essence it is about finding a niche and
then attempting to dominate it.
Many people have become wealthy on the Internet by searching
out a lucrative niche and then specializing in it, often in areas they
knew nothing about previously a health cure, pet care, a sport, a
hobby, a skill, entertainment, a political blog. Today people are
looking for micro niches, niches within niches. Although you might
start off knowing little the Internet is such a marvellous learning
tool you can quickly change that. More over with effort and
passion you actually become a genuine expert in your chosen
field.
http://www.zuluprinciple.com/
If you, like me, have an identity crisis every other day and feel like you should really settle down and follow something through rather than becoming the Jack-of all-Trades, this is the approach for you!
the attractive thing about it is not just the great effect it has on your career and perhaps your bank balance, but also gives you peace of mind, defining yourself by being someone, eg, if you had to describe yourself in one sentence, what would you say? if you were an expert in Zulus obviously this would be a defining characteristic.
The problem most people have is finding their niche... what can they be bothered learning about in such depth and then getting a reputation for for the rest of their life?
now, surprisingly for me, it is quite easy as i have taken the first step to becoming an expert on sailing, the ten month clipper race will give me a lot of experience that many don't have. i am going to supplement this with reading lots of books on the subject, and talking to as many people as i can about it.
How far should i go with it though? after all when i am on the boat with 15 other people who know just as much as me, i am going to have to find a niche within a niche. i am thinking i should specialize in meteorology , based entirely on what i enjoy reading. I recommend 'the cloud spotters guide' by Gavin Pretor-Pinney for light reading for ANYONE, it is a fantastic book, and right now i am reading 'wind strategy' by David Houghton which is great for any physics buff as it has loads to do with WHY the weather acts the way it does, and uncovers mysteries of wind as well as untruthful urban myths.
a few facts from this book:
when sailing on open water, avoid sailing directly under cumulus clouds as they are caused by air moving upwards and not across the water, so there will be a lull there.
by night it is recommended to sail under low clouds ad the top of these clouds quickly cool trapping the warmer air underneath, meaning a lot of surface wind is created. this is the opposite in the day, where the clouds are heated to a temp similar to the surface.
I hope you can find your niche, and wish me luck with the weather thing. if you want to know anymore interesting facts, just leave a comment!
Laura Sarson
