Employer: So… (checks resume) Superman. What made you apply for the role of the “Face of Justice League”?
Superman: I believe I bring a lot to the table. I’m honest, hardworking, a good team player, and always treat people with respect.
E: The face of J.L. is a significant time commitment. Press conferences, photoshoots, interviews. The cameras are never far away. How would you handle that kind of constant pressure?
S: I’m pretty patient. I mean, I grew up on a farm, and basically spent 13 years of school pretending to run a lot slower than I really can, so…
E: I have to admit, there’s not a great deal jumping out at me here. You seem like a great guy, don’t get me wrong. But the face of J.L. really needs something… extra. All of our team are pretty honest, patient and hardworking. Wonder Woman has been one of our most respected leaders for years, and Batman, I mean, that guy never sleeps.
S: I can run like crazy fast.
E: Flash can too…
S: I’m practically indestructible.
E: Same with Wonder Woman! Plus there’s this guy making waves over at Marvel called Thor, hoof – big lad.
S: X-ray vision?
E: (Pauses) Ok, say more…
===
If Comic corps advertised for positions and ran interviews, even the superheroes would start to blend into each other.
If they were on LinkedIn, they’d need to give us a really good reason to stop scrolling, just like everyone else (can you imagine!).
Superheroes come pre-baked with superpowers – things us mortals can’t do, or that they can do A LOT better than we can. But they’re exaggerated and obvious (like X-ray vision).
We mortals have powers too. They may be less obvious (or not), but they’ll often come as a unique combination of things rather than one big obvious thing.
Lots of people are patient. Lots of people are good at spotting opportunities. Lots of people are analytical; or good imitating famous voices; or reading super fast; or firing people without feeling bad; or organising their pantry.
Superpowers are hidden in everything from:
We’ve all got ’em.
When you uncover yours, you unlock that mystical thing that makes you “unique”.
For self-employed creatives, normal business traps are easy to fall into and overcomplicate things - but they’re totally avoidable when flying solo.
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