For you who swim with sharks.
The working world's full of sharks. But there are also dolphins.
Sharks, as your imagination will tell you, are aggressive, fierce and to be avoided if possible. In some situations you can't avoid them. Dangerous and treacherous as they are, you have to deal with them. You end up with lots of scars even if with a cage to escape those jaws. If the job or money's not worth your limbs, get back in the boat and go fish somewhere else.
Dolphins, you already get the idea. They're supposedly docile, friendly and ready to entertain you and show you where to get what, and even let you know where the sharks are. But then there are times you get so blur (the waters so murky) you can't tell the difference between the two.
Some sharks can turn out to be your allies if you feed them the right stuff. These you recruit to go after other sharks when the going gets rough. But you need some cunning and sharp wits to handle them. Some are actually dolphins dressed up like sharks for the sake of survival. And then there are the real dolphins. They'll come to your aid if you also look like one. So, if you aren't rough and tough don't dress up like a shark. But the major skill for survival is being able to spot a shark dressed up like a dolphin.
But wait, don't jump in yet. Some dolphins are so naïve and innocent they turn out as tools for some sharks. They'll drag you in for a kill and turn out to be just as bad as those sharks in dolphin skins.
Don't be discouraged though. The odds of your survival doesn't seem too bad. You just need to swim (I mean work) with caution. But your best bet for survival is still knowledge. Armed with knowledge and skill in your area of expertise you'll survive the worst shark infested waters of the corporate world. Just dress those wounds and stop any bleeding before you go back in. Otherwise there'll be a feeding frenzy. In other words, stay clean.
About choices
Don't go into something because of the glamour or the money. Go for it if you think it's something which brings out the best in you. Something you enjoy doing and that stretches your mind and imagination. You might want to try a challenge you often wondered if you could handle or not. If that's what you don't want to miss, do so while you're still full of energy with quick wits and sharp fangs & claws. Then if you find it too exhaustive, you can switch to some safer occupation. Don't try it after you're 40. That's when you should be valued for your expertise, not your ability to work around the clock (or fight with sharks). Michael Korda wrote a piece on that 20 years ago. I kept it in my scrap book. Unfortunately I scrapped the scrap book. I decided it was too exhaustive swimming with sharks. I improved my technical skills and stayed in the boat. I wanted to be able to whistle while I work. You can't do that in the water.
