When I first started working as an intern at GE Astrospace, my entire work experience until that point was in situations where the boss always told me what to do.
“Paint that window.”
“Clean those dishes.”
“Make that pizza.”
And when I was done, I’d ask the boss what to do next.
“Dig that hole.”
“Gather the trash.”
“Prepare the ingredients for tomorrow.”
This is how I thought work worked. I have a boss. The boss tells me what to do.
Therefore, for the first couple weeks of my internship, I beat a worn path between my desk and the boss’s desk, constantly asking him what I should do.
“Here, read this to learn about total dose testing.”
I’d do it, and an hour and a half later, “OK, done. What should I do now?” Like a child.
Then he snapped.
“I can’t constantly be telling what to do. You’re gonna have to figure it out. Talk to Jim. Talk to Rob. It’s time to act like a grown up here.”
Yes, he said it was time to act like a grown-up.
Oof.
And then I started to figure it out.
Once you figure out how work works, you’ll never worry about AI taking your job.
