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Economics is about doing things the most efficient way,
and using our limited resources, helping improve people's lives,
planning why things are changing.
You have these models of rationality.
People behave rationally.
Organizations behave rationally.
But you quickly realize that there's a lot of irrationality.
Real-world problems, rather than just a theoretical basis,
rather than what you learn in the textbooks.
The breadth of knowledge, I think,
is more important than the depth on a single topic.
[? Depth ?] [? motivated ?] [? me ?] to learn other fields,
what their problems are, in order to apply economics
to that problem.
Understand your colleagues' work beyond just economics.
Since DOI is such a diverse agency, a lot of our work
happens in fields like hydrology, geology,
conservation, and ecology.
And by talking to and collaborating
with these scientists and practitioners more,
it helped build a shared understanding
of what economics can do and how it
can help aid with the broader department mission.
Be able to communicate, in writing, your ideas.
Being able to explain basic concepts goes a long way.
You can have very good technical skills, well
trained in all that, but if you can't explain concepts
to people, the technical stuff is a waste.
Address an issue and see things through the lens
of the economist that others would not see.
That's when I think you've become
very effective as an economist.
Having some ability to influence may influence a decision.
That's your goal.
You have to be able to find a way to influence or to suggest
ways that things could happen.
To network with economists inside
and beyond your own agency.
Find ways to build those relationships,
so you can be in the right place at the right time.