I love mashups. You know, those songs that blend the instrumental music from one song and the a capella vocals from another.
I just watched a video of a DJ filling a dance floor with a mashup of “Stayin’ Alive” by the Bee Gees and 50 Cent’s “In Da Club,” and it got me thinking: “That’s kind of how I approach my job.”
Back in the Day
Generations ago, people worked at companies for 30+ years until retirement. They worked on the farm, at Mom and Dad’s furniture store, or they’d start their own business. People generally specialized in a craft and followed the same trajectory throughout their careers. Job-hopping was not the norm, but pensions were.
Nowadays, pensions are almost non-existent outside of the government, so people rely on 401(k)s, Roth IRAs, traditional IRAs, and self-directed investments for retirement. Job-hopping has become so routine that when you hear of someone working for the same company for seven or more years, you wonder what’s wrong with them. The ability to try new paths, gain new skills, and choose your own adventure has been the path du jour since the 90s.
However, books like Mastery by Robert Greene, author of The 48 Laws of Power, writes about known and lesser-known individuals who followed their own path into impactful careers. They ignored the outside societal messages, combined experiences and skills from different areas, and followed their internal inclinations. While the book also highlights the benefits of moving through periods of drudgery, boredom, interpersonal conflicts, and setbacks to reach “mastery,” Greene does write about people’s ability to mash things up and think outside the box.
The Hacker DJ
In 2004, Dangermouse released The Grey Album, a giant mashup of The Beatles’ The White Album with Jay-Z’s The Black Album. Critics loved it, and the project rocketed Dangermouse into the spotlight, landing him producer roles with some of the music industry’s biggest acts.
Aside from producing a compelling work with The Grey Album, what set Dangermouse apart was that he didn’t care what copyright laws he violated. He thought like a hacker, and it paid off big time. While I don’t advocate hacking your way into jail time, taking some risks and standing out from the crowd could be the spark that ignites your career. Often, these moves come out of necessity, such as losing a job or being forced to relocate. If life moves you in a particular direction, don’t let the fear of the unknown or societal trappings keep you from a hacker mentality.
Being resourceful is a huge asset, especially in cybersecurity, where things can go south at any moment. Proving to employers that you’re resourceful through your lived experiences will speak louder than that class you took or that paper you wrote. While most days might feel like the movie Groundhog Day, there will be days where you’ll have to mash together skills and hack a solution together. Knowing when and how to hack together a fix and then iterate on it later is a tremendous asset to a team.
Your True Calling
Most people only think they know what they want. They don’t spend the time to drill down and figure out what motivates them or brings them joy. They follow someone else’s script or waste their life trying to walk someone else’s path. This strategy leads to wanting a better car, a bigger house, or a different partner. It’s a cycle of dissatisfaction that leads one to think that happiness will be found in the bigger, better deal.
Maybe we only know what we don’t want rather than what we do. That’s when adopting the mindset of a Hacker DJ can be useful. Instead of trying to find that one thing, we can think about everything that has brought us to life and made time stand still. Those are the things that are intrinsically motivating.
One of my mentors told me to “Stay in your sweet spot as long as possible,” meaning, do what feels natural, brings you joy, and challenges you throughout the day. The sweet spot could be one thing or many, but take some time to write them down. Then, figure out career paths that will engage as many of them as possible. Not only will you excel in your job, but you’ll be much happier for it.
Conclusion
I don’t want to sound like someone who doesn’t believe in specialization or that you should be a Jack of All Trades (though that is becoming more in demand than ever). Instead, it’s about discovering and applying everything that excites you to your career. It’s about getting out of the mindset that you must find one singular purpose and becoming so focused on it that you forget about your other passions.
Thinking like a Hacker DJ is about blending different facets of your personality, so you are happier at work and more valuable to your company. We often promote work-life balance while promoting mantras like, “If you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.” I want to be obsessed with my job. I want a job that feels so significant that I think about it 18 out of 24 hours a day. Sure, I don’t want to burn out, but after I learned to use my various skills and apply them to my job, it has become much less likely that I will.
Consider all the paths one could take in cybersecurity—red team, blue team, forensics, leadership/management, or HR. At Antisyphon, we offer a multitude of courses to help you discover your calling at prices that’ll leave enough money to buy a turntable.