photo credit: Gage Skidmore
Tina Fey is successful. At 40, Fey has successfully acted, written, and produced for the stage, television, and major films. She has a slew of awards and distinctions to her name and shows no signs of fading away anytime soon.
Recently, Fey released a memoir, Bossypants, recounting the happy, sad, and hilarious moments of her career. After not being able to put this book down for a solid day, I found a trove of life lessons (and just a few comically irrelevant ones) to take away.
Here are a few career lessons I learned from Tina Fey:
Know your mentor.
This connects on many different levels. Obviously, you need to know who your mentor is. Additionally, you need to know why they’re your mentor, what they can help you with, and how to communicate with them. If you can’t do this, what’s the point of having a mentor in the first place? In her book, Fey includes a list of lessons learned from Lorne Michaels, proving that she knows the who, why, what, and how.
Leave your comfort zone.
In her career, Fey has ventured into different cities, onto different stages, and even into Sylvester Stallone’s dressing room. Scary. But if she hadn’t, where would she be? Stick with your comfortable station in life, but don’t expect to see a change for the better any time soon. Successful people don’t always “play it safe.”
Going off-course isn’t the end of the world.
Did you know Fey worked at the front desk of a YMCA? After she earned her degree? Class of 2011, I’m writing to you. You might not find your dream job in the first week, month, or year. It’s waiting for you, but don’t be discouraged if you have to work for it.
Sometimes things just happen.
During the 2008 Presidential election, Fey noticed she had an uncanny resemblance to Sarah Palin. After heavy persuasion, she took on the character at SNL even though impressions weren’t really her strong suit. Most of time, you are in charge of your successes (and failures). However, sometimes, things just happen (for good and bad). All you can do is be prepared and take it in stride.
Know your industry.
If you want to get into comedy, you go to Chicago. You know what Fey did? She went to Chicago. Learn as much as you can about your industry and adjust accordingly.
Laugh.
Okay, this is pretty obvious. Naturally, a comedian would teach you to laugh. It’s true. Your goals, career, life…don’t take them too seriously. Life it a whole lot easier if you go through it with a smile. Shoot, you might even write a memoir about it someday.
Have you read Bossypants? What career lessons would you add or change?
