This job posting for an IT support technician made me wonder if it would matter at all that the person would a tech support for a Champagne company - presumably not. Imagine a person always dreamed of working at Lego but their qualifications land them several degrees removed from the action - where the dream came from. Then it matters little Lego or small, boring, and old-fashioned insurance company. To that person both jobs are just about the same. It made me think about the most interesting clients I have worked for. When those very interesting consulting opportunities came about, I was eager to learn all I could about their business, the market, and the competitors. There would be a few charismatic people who had history with the company and represented the culture.
Beyond that once the discussions turned to problems that needed a technology solution, it was more of the same. The wonderful novelty of the experience faded out pretty quickly - it was just business as usual. When I look back, those experiences were no more or less valuable than any I have gained from traditional businesses that failed to fire the imagination. There could be a data scientist there that I had to work with who was a medieval war re-enactment aficionado and could talk endlessly about why he loved it so much and where he has traveled to participate. This person would be the reason to remember the otherwise mundane engagement. Sometimes the things they are passionate about in personal life brings about interesting problem solving approaches that I could learn from.
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