Learn Lots of Tools

Use Tools to Get the Job Done

It is valuable to develop a large toolset. Using tools is in our very nature. Tools help us accomplish tasks and solve problems. In the job market, nobody cares about your theoretical knowledge. No interviewer will ask you to write a paper on theoretical computer systems. Every interviewer wants to know one thing and one thing only - can you get the job done?

Stay Flexible in the Job Market

Without tools, we would not be able to accomplish most of our everyday tasks. The more tools you can use, the more problems you can solve. And the more problems you can solve, the more jobs you can do. A large toolset means you are flexible enough to apply yourself to many different jobs. If you're flexible, you can apply to other jobs should something disastrous happen such as a layoff or health issue. This gives you a lot of stability and peace of mind.

Get Good at Lots of Tools

Tools solve problems. So, what problems do you have in your job or in your personal life? Start from what you need. Do you struggle to track your money? Learn excel to record your spending and calculate your budgets. Is there something broken in your house? Learn how to use a hammer and nail to fix it. Do people often get frustrated with you at work? Learn to communicate yourself better to them. There is always a tool to solve your problem. Therefore, start with your problems and see what tools can solve them. There is a dual reward to using a tool to solve your problem. The first is that you figured out and solved your own problem - that's a great feeling. The second is that you now have a new tool in your kit for the rest of your life. When a similar problem appears in the future, you will be able to use the same tool to solve it. A life of tool learning builds on itself to become something extremely valuable. As you encounter similar problems again and again, you can use tools you know to solve them quickly.