I am 17 years old and preparing for university. I am thinking of taking Portuguese, but in your opinion, what language should I learn to succeed in the world of business? And what fields of study hold the most potential?
You’re on to something with Portuguese, since it will give you a leg up in several markets with good potential, such as Brazil and some emerging African nations. But for our money, Chinese is the language to learn. In the span of your career, China could become the second largest economy in the world. Any European who can do business there with the speed and intimacy that fluency affords will be way ahead of the game.
As for what to study – if you want to be where the action is now and for the next several decades, learn everything you can about the confluence of three fields, biotechnology, information technology and nano-technology. For the foreseeable future, the therapies, machines, devices, and other products and services that these fields bring to market will revolutionize society — and business.
That said, when it comes to picking an educational field and ultimately a career, absolutely nothing beats pursuing the path that truly fascinates your brain, engages your energy, and touches your soul. Whatever you do, do what turns your crank. Otherwise your job will always just be work and how dreary is that?
This question and answer originally appeared in Business Week magazine on January 02, 2006.
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