Business Careers for Creative Thinkers
"Build a better mousetrap, and the world will beat a path to your door." Ralph Waldo Emerson probably had no idea his musing would become a metaphor for the power of innovation. The world of business and industry is not just the realm of logical, analytical, linear-thinking minds. Successful businesses need more than laser-focused "execution guys" who get the job done at all costs. Business thrives on innovation and new ideas, the products of creative minds. Opportunities abound for people capable of imagining and building a better mousetrap.
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Advertising
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Those commercials everyone discusses the day after the Super Bowl do not appear out of thin air. They are the result of months of work by teams of creative thinkers.
No business discipline offers the creative thinker more freedom and visibility than advertising. Nowhere is there more pressure on the creative thinker to perform. The abilities of account managers, creative directors, writers, designers and other advertising creative personnel are not only valued, but relied upon every day.
Product Manager
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A product manager is responsible for creating and maintaining brand identity, for new products or repositioning older products into new market positions. The product manager may work alone, or lead a team responsible for package design, advertising and marketing, and working with retailers. Successful product managers have good design and color sense, creative marketing abilities and an understanding of consumer behavior
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Entrepreneur
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Entrepreneurship is the career of choice for many creative thinkers. Being a successful entrepreneur requires determination, a great idea and the ability to persuade others it is a great idea. The risks of entrepreneurship are many, but the potential rewards are unrivaled.
For example, Michael Dell founded Dell Computer, then called PCs Limited, in 1984, with $1,000 and a great idea. Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak built the first Apple computer in Jobs' bedroom in 1976.
Business Consulting
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Many companies hire outside, or independent business consultants to review their organizational policies and practices. The consultant offers an objective perspective to identify problems and suggest improvements. Analytical skills, outside-the-box thinking and exceptional problem solving and presentation skills are often required to maximize profits by changing the thinking of "we have always done it this way" management
Methods Improvement
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Many organizations, from banks to large industrial concerns, employ methods analysts, who are constantly searching for ways to improve efficiency. This may not sound like a terribly creative venture, but Henry Ford's creative vision of using mass production methods and highly paid workers to manufacture affordable automobiles transformed American industry. History confirms it was indeed a better mousetrap.
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