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Career

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Advice

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Education

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Chief Executives

Determine and formulate policies and provide overall direction of companies or private and public sector organizations within guidelines set up by a board of directors or similar governing body. Plan, direct, or coordinate operational activities at the highest level of management with the help of subordinate executives and staff managers.

Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.

Enterprising

Second Interest High-Point

Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

Conventional

First Interest High-Point

Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.

Social

Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.

Artistic

Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

Investigative

Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

Realistic

Third Interest High-Point

Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed

Management Occupations

Top Executives

Direct or coordinate an organization's financial or budget activities to fund operations, maximize investments, or increase efficiency.

Confer with board members, organization officials, or staff members to discuss issues, coordinate activities, or resolve problems.

Analyze operations to evaluate performance of a company or its staff in meeting objectives or to determine areas of potential cost reduction, program improvement, or policy change.

Direct, plan, or implement policies, objectives, or activities of organizations or businesses to ensure continuing operations, to maximize returns on investments, or to increase productivity.

Prepare budgets for approval, including those for funding or implementation of programs.

Direct or coordinate activities of businesses or departments concerned with production, pricing, sales, or distribution of products.

Negotiate or approve contracts or agreements with suppliers, distributors, federal or state agencies, or other organizational entities.

Review reports submitted by staff members to recommend approval or to suggest changes.

Appoint department heads or managers and assign or delegate responsibilities to them.

Direct human resources activities, including the approval of human resource plans or activities, the selection of directors or other high-level staff, or establishment or organization of major departments.

Preside over or serve on boards of directors, management committees, or other governing boards.

Prepare or present reports concerning activities, expenses, budgets, government statutes or rulings, or other items affecting businesses or program services.

Establish departmental responsibilities and coordinate functions among departments and sites.

Implement corrective action plans to solve organizational or departmental problems.

Coordinate the development or implementation of budgetary control systems, recordkeeping systems, or other administrative control processes.

Direct non-merchandising departments, such as advertising, purchasing, credit, or accounting.

Deliver speeches, write articles, or present information at meetings or conventions to promote services, exchange ideas, or accomplish objectives.

Serve as liaisons between organizations, shareholders, and outside organizations.

Nominate citizens to boards or commissions.

Interpret and explain policies, rules, regulations, or laws to organizations, government or corporate officials, or individuals.

Make presentations to legislative or other government committees regarding policies, programs, or budgets.

Refer major policy matters to elected representatives for final decisions.

Administer programs for selection of sites, construction of buildings, or provision of equipment or supplies.

Direct or coordinate activities of businesses involved with buying or selling investment products or financial services.

Direct or conduct studies or research on issues affecting areas of responsibility.

Attend and participate in meetings of municipal councils or council committees.

Organize or approve promotional campaigns.

Conduct or direct investigations or hearings to resolve complaints or violations of laws or testify at such hearings.

Represent organizations or promote their objectives at official functions or delegate representatives to do so.

Prepare bylaws approved by elected officials and ensure that bylaws are enforced.

Review and analyze legislation, laws, or public policy and recommend changes to promote or support interests of the general population or special groups.

10-key calculators

Desktop computers

Laptop computers

Personal computers

Personal digital assistants PDA

Smartphones

Universal serial bus USB flash drives

Adobe Systems Adobe Acrobat

AdSense Tracker

Atlassian JIRA

Blackbaud The Raiser's Edge

ComputerEase Construction Accounting

Database reporting software

Databox

Email software

Enterprise resource planning ERP software

Exact Software Macola ES Labor Performance

Extensible markup language XML

Fund accounting software

Graphic presentation software

Halogen e360

Halogen ePraisal

HCSS HeavyBid

HCSS HeavyJob

Human resource information system HRIS

Infor SSA Human Capital Management

Intuit QuickBooks

Listserv software

Lyris HQ Web-Analytics Solution

Microsoft Access

Microsoft Dynamics AX

Microsoft Dynamics GP

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft FRx

Microsoft Office

Microsoft Outlook

Microsoft PowerPoint

Microsoft Project

Microsoft Publisher

Microsoft SharePoint

Microsoft Word

Nedstat Sitestat

Norchard Solutions Succession Wizard

Online advertising reporting software

Oracle E-Business Suite

Oracle PeopleSoft

Oracle Siebel Server Sync

PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor

Relational database management software

Sage 50 Accounting

Structured query language SQL

Web browser software

<p>As their five weeks on the road wind down, the Roadtrip Nation team heads toward San Francisco and interviews Author and Political Analyst Michael Parenti, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings, and Zen Master Bon Soeng of the Empty Gate Zen Center. As they prepare to part ways, Sean, Tim and Christina talk about what they've learned, and Tim realizes there's lots to think about, but nothing to worry about.</p>

San Francisco

I'm just so interested in like, you just taking this idea. >> Sure. >> And it's like there's something you really wanna do and some people come up with these ideas and they don't fall through with it. But you kinda really followed through with it. >> You know it's, I think probably like deciding to get married or deciding to have kids, you know. It's not an analytic process, and I think when you have an idea for a product or a company that you just can't let go, that you're drawn in that way, that it's not a rational thing. It's an emotional love, want to try it. You know, then that makes sense to do. 

Makes Sense To Do

You hear the phrase a lot that life's random in the way it worked out. And I don't think I was any different than any of you guys at 20 so. I was a math major and that was fun, but I didn't think that I wanted to go teach math. [MUSIC] >> Did you feel any obligation to like, tie in what you were gonna do with your major, or did you just kinda throw that whole mathematics thing to the wind? >> Math, like English or Drama, it's a general skill set thing for most people. That is they're not going out and practicing mathematics. And so no, I think it's, you want to be a student of human behavior and of culture and success. But I mean I could have as easily not gone into computers and gone into something else and then I would have had a whole different life. You put yourself in good situations, you do things that are fun. So in my case I went in the Peace Corps and I was a high school Peace Corps teacher right out of college. And it was three years in rural Africa and as a school teacher, you get a lot of chance to travel. So we got to hitchhike all across Africa and have a lot of adventures, and it was just very exciting. But I think the biggest thing is it was just time, cuz then you're continuing to grow up and everything. And so I came back and I was 24, 25, and I thought, okay, well, maybe I'll try computers. And this is 25 years ago, so it was just beginning as a field and an area. >> You sort of gravitated towards computers without any, you just sort of randomly like I said? >> Well, yeah, I wouldn't quite call it random, but I didn't have that much knowledge of it. And it turned out that I loved it and it was a good fit for me, but I didn't know that up front. I got a job serving coffee in a computer company that had a lab for teaching people. That was me for four or five years and I got lucky and came up with an idea for a product. And was able to start a company around that, it was a very specific technical product. And then I started Netflix, which has been the last ten years, which has been just a complete joy. Movies is such an important part of culture and so if we wear a piece of Netflix clothing somewhere, people just come up to you in like an airport. Oh I love Netflix, thank you. So it feels great. So it feels very satisfying that way. >> I'm just so interested in you just taking this idea, there's something you really wanna do and then. I mean some people come up with these ideas and they don't follow through with it, but you kind of like really followed through with it. >> I think probably like deciding to get married or deciding to have kids. It's not an analytic process, and I think when you have an idea for a product or a company that you just can't let go. That you're drawn in that way, that it's not a rational, it's an emotional love, want to try it. It doesn't make sense to do. 

Culture

Dedication

Determination

Self-Reflection

Interview

Well it's not, yeah, I wouldn't quite call it random. But I didn't have that much knowledge of it. And it turned out that I loved it. And it was a good fit for me. But I didn't know that up front. I got a job serving coffee in a computer company that had a lab for teaching people, that was big for four or five years. And I got lucky and came up with an idea for a product and was able to start a company around that. It was a very specific technical product. And then I started NETFLIX which is in the last ten years, which has been just a complete joy. Movies are such an important part of culture and so if we wear a piece of Netflix clothing somewhere, people just come up to you, like in the airport, I love Netflix, thank you. And so it feels great. So it feels very satisfying that way. 

Chance

Feels Great

Math, like English or drama, is a general skill set, I think, for most people. That is, they're not going on and practicing mathematics. And so no, I mean, I think you wanna be a student of human behaviour, and of culture and of success. But I mean, I could have as easily not gone into computers and gone into something else and, you know, I might have, I would have had a whole different life. You know, you put yourself in good situations, you do things that are fun. So in my case, I went in the peace corps, >> Oh, that's really interesting. >> And I was a high school peace corps teacher right out of college. And, you know those three years in rural Africa, as a school teacher, you get a lot of chance to travel. So you get to hitchhike all across Africa and have a lot of adventures. It was just very exciting. But, I think the biggest thing is it was time. Because then you're continuing to grow up and everything and so I came back and I was 24, 25 and I thought okay, maybe I'll try computers. And you know this is 25 years ago, so it was just beginning as a field in an area. 

Experience

It Was Just Time

I was a math major and that was fun, but I didn't think that I wanted to go teach math. And I was 24, 25, and I thought, "Okay, well maybe I'll try "computers." And you know, this was 25 years ago, so it was just beginning as a field in an area. Umm...you know, I got a job serving coffee in a computer company that had a lab for teaching people. That was maybe for four or five years and I got lucky and came up with an idea for a product and was able to start a company around that. It was a very specific, technical product. And then I started Netflix, which has been the last ten years, which has been just a complete joy. You hear the phrase a lot that life's random in the way it worked out. And I don't think I was any different than any of you guys at, you know, 20. 

Reed Hastings Highlight

Would you have some piece of advice for us, and maybe the rest of our generation, I guess, as we're kind of exploring this area of our life? &gt;&gt; Being very intellectually curious about what drives human behavior. Being an astute observer, and trying to understand why people do the things they do. And of all the mysteries, the mysteries of space. The mysteries of the ocean, the mysteries of creation. To me, the mysteries of the human are the most interesting ones. And if you're a student of that, then every movie is fascinating, every book is fascinating, every history is fascinating. Every newspaper is fascinating, cuz all the stories are the stories of humanity and our struggle. 

Exploration

Humanity

And I don't think there are any great lessons other than curiosity is key. Continuing just to try to figure out, okay, yeah, why? I think of it as why are some things successful and others not? Why are some universities successful and others not? Why are some sports teams? Why are some people happy and others not? And you're sophisticated enough to know it's not just money. Because there's lots of people who have money and are really unhappy. There's other people and, yet, that it kind of also makes it different not being hungry. It's hard to be real happy when you're hungry. So I started to get clued in on the economic one. And then there's a lot of other dimensions about relationships and about other things. But the curiosity is the key thing. 

Curiosity Is Key

They often say the people who go in it into being an entrepreneur to try to make a fortune, most of them don't. They kind of going into it for the money in a cold sense, and it is just long odds. And the ones who succeed are the one's who are driven by the passion for the area the product. And that it happens to work out economically. So that's why I would say it's more akin to how you pick a spouse, or decide to have a family, or it's a deep, you can't imagine doing other than that kind of decision. &gt;&gt; So you're really passionate about this product that you developed and seeing it through, it really excited you in the inside and everything. &gt;&gt; Mm-hm, that's right, if I had done it and there was no money in it and not succeeded, I would still feel good about that. Now, I wouldn't spend 20 years doing it. You can over-invest in one idea, so if it doesn't work out after a couple years, I might try something else. And that particular one did work out. So you can take it too much to an extreme I suppose, but on the other hand, the you hear about these people who tinker on some idea for ten years and can let it go, and then it explodes. So sometimes you've just gotta follow your passion that way. 

Reed Hastings

CEO

Videos

Reed Hastings

Milestones

Education

Career

Career Roadmap

My work combines:

My work combines:

Film

Technology

Accomplishing Goals

Interviewed By

No Better Time