Standard Oil of California had hired me for its oil-tanker fleet. I was a third mate, and the pay was low compared with my class- mates, but it was OK for a first real job after college. My starting pay was about $42,000 a year, including overtime, and I only had to work for seven months. I had five months of vacation. If I had wanted to, I could have taken the run to Vietnam with a subsidiary shipping company, and easily doubled my pay instead of taking the five months' vacation. I had a great career ahead of me, yet I resigned after six months with the company and joined the Marine Corps to learn how to fly. My educated dad was devastated. Rich dad congratulated me. In school and in the workplace, the popular opinion is the idea of "specialization." That is, in order to make more money or get promoted, you need to "specialize." That is why medical doctors immediately begin to seek a specialty such as orthopedics or pediatrics. The same is true for ac- countants, architects, lawyers, pilots and others. My educated dad believed in the same dogma. That is why he was thrilled when he eventually achieved his doc- torate. He often admitted that schools reward people who study more and more about less and less. Rich dad encouraged me to do exactly the opposite. "You want to knowa little abouta lot" was his suggestion. ThatiswmyTor yearsT"worked in different areas of his companies. For a while, I worked in his accounting de- partment. Although I would probably never have been an to learn and master one more skill and their income would jump exponentially. I have mentioned before that financial intelligence is a synergy of accounting, investing, market- ing and law. Combine those four technical skills and mak- ing~moneywith[money is easier. When it comes to money, tne~onlyinan people know is to work hard. The classic example of a synergy of skills was that young writer for the newspaper. If she diligently learned the skills of sales and marketing, her income would jump dramatically. If I were her, I would take some courses in advertising copywriting as well as sales. Then, instead of working at the newspaper, I would seek a job at an ad- vertising agency. Even if it were a cut in pay, she would learn how to communicate in "short cuts" that are used in successful advertising. She also would spend time learning public relations, an important skill. She would learn how to get millions in free publicity. Then, at night and on weekends, she could be writing her great novel. When it was finished, she would be better able to sell her book. Then, in a short while, she could be a "best-selling author." When I first came out with my first book If You Want to Be Rich and Happy, Don't Go to School? a publisher suggested I change the title to The Economics of Educa- tion. I told the publisher that with a title like that, I would sell two books: one to my family and one to my best friend.