These days, it can seem like you have to subscribe to 84 different streaming services just to watch all the shows you love. Your favorite drama might be on HBO Max, but you need to get Disney+ for the kids; Netflix has your favorite 90s comedy, and then there’s Peacock for watching The Office.
When it comes to TV, the 60s was a simpler time: there were only three channels! But each show could make a huge impact. And there are plenty of career lessons to learn from these classic shows.
- Bewitched – A little magic goes a long way
Bewitched centered on Samantha Stephens, a seemingly ordinary housewife with an extraordinary secret: she’s actually a witch! Each episode usually deals with Samantha getting into some crazy hijinks due to the use of her powers, which she then tries to hide from nosy neighbors and acquaintances due to her vow to live life as a typical suburban housewife.
Although Samantha tries to avoid using magic to deal with everyday problems, a little spell can have huge consequences. Sometimes good, and sometimes less-than-good. But when it comes to your job search, going above and beyond is never a bad thing! Instead of doing these by the book, make strong choices to stand out from the crowd: employ a unique resume format, ask specific, targeted questions after your interview, and never be afraid to be yourself.
- Gilligan’s Island – Embrace teamwork
Gilligan’s Island features an ensemble cast of six characters from incredibly different walks of life who find themselves stranded on an island together after a typhoon. There’s the kind but bumbling crewman Willy Gilligan, gruff and burly captain Skipper, millionaire Thurston Howell III, his spoiled wife Eunice, Hollywood starlet Ginger Grant, the intelligent Professor, and the girl next door, Mary Ann Summers.
Although the show’s comedy revolves around the characters attempting (and frequently failing) to escape, it’s the characters’ unique strengths and differences that allow them to survive. The workplace is no different; embracing each other’s differences and strengths is the best way to get things done. If you ever run into a problem with a co-worker, the best solution is communication. There might be a reason they missed that deadline, and you’ll never know unless you ask.
- Star Trek – Boldly go where no man has gone before
Star Trek takes place in the Milky Way galaxy in the late 2200s, and features a crew led by Captain James T. Kirk, First Officer and Science Officer Spock, and Chief Medical Officer Leonard H. “Bones” McCoy. As Kirk narrates at the top of each episode, the crew’s mission is “to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before.”
The crew of the Enterprise make it their mission to seek out adventure. The same should be true of your career. Ask questions, believe in your co-workers, and never let yourself become stagnant. If something isn’t working, don’t just give up; find a solution! Your career is what you make of it, and you can either stay at home, or head off for worlds unknown.
Have you learned any lessons from other classic tv shows? Let us know in the comments section below!
