Career Capital

An author and podcaster I really like, Cal Newport, talked recently about his concept of “career capital" and I think the teachings have relevance to local government management. First, what is it? As Newport says “The key to a great career is to develop rare and valuable skills — career capital — and then use that capital to gain control and do work that matters. To me, I think of project management, budgeting/financial acumen, public communications savviness, intergovernmental relations skills, technological know-how and the like. One sub-concept of this overall career capital theme is the master craftsman philosophy. Instead of focusing only on "finding the perfect role," local government professionals can benefit by asking: “How can I master the craft of _________ e.g. service delivery, policy execution, or civic leadership?” This mindset builds influence and impact. As someone who is involved in many executive recruitments, I want to see this full breadth and portfolio of career capital skillsets on display in the resume itself and also coming out in the interview process.