Marvel’s latest blockbuster Thor: Ragnarok is a feast of action and comedy, with many critics claiming it to be the best of Marvel’s Thor trilogy.
While the film is a great excuse to binge on popcorn with your friends, it’s also highly worth watching to get some of the underlying career lessons that can be learnt from the film.
Here are five career lessons we spotted in the movie Thor: Ragnarok.
Hela banished by her father Odin
In the film, Thor and Loki found out that they have a sister called Hela and that their father Odin has banished her from the realm for being too power hungry. We find out that Odin and Hela had set out to conquer the universe, but Odin decided to settle down in Asgard. As she decided to continue, Odin banished her.
While you may be wondering how intergalactic conquest applies to your career, it’s actually much more relevant than you think. Everyone has dreams and aspirations, but if you don’t carefully manage the best way to achieve them, it will be much harder to achieve them. Consider laying out a few career pathways. Do also discuss them with your mentor or manager to get feedback.
Career lesson: Careful management of your career path
Thor’s hammer Mjölnir destroyed
Thor’s epic hammer Mjölnir has been his trusty sidekick since the start of the series, seemingly a source of his power. However, when Thor attempts to strike down Hela during their first encounter, Hela grabs the hammer and crushes it with her bare hands! Does that leave Thor without his power? No! He learns to channel his inner powers instead!
The crushing of Mjölnir is an important lesson for anyone interested in advancing their career. Professionals shouldn’t bank their value on one set of hard skills or tools. Make sure your soft skill are well polished too. This will help in areas such as adaptability to new skills, collaboration, negotiation and… calling lightning down to your aid?
Career lesson: The importance of soft skills
Valkyrie makes her comeback
Scrapper 142 has lost her purpose in life, now merely salvaging on the planet Sakaar for money to fuel her drinking habit. Thor and Loki discover that she is actually a former Valkyrie, an elite force of female warriors who protected Asgard from Hela before her banishment. Making a return, she fights Hela once again to save the people of Asgard.
Just like Valkyrie, you must find your purpose in your role, while you might not necessarily save people from certain death, it is about finding how you can provide value to your company and to the world around you. Carefully examine your role and its responsibilities to find out how your skills can be of value and you will find the passion that you may have lost along the way.
Career lesson: Having purpose in your role
The destruction of Asgard
It’s not so much the destruction of Asgard by the hand of fire demon Surtur, but what Korg says when they are escaping on the spaceship watching Surtur raze Asgard to the ground. Korg talks about the ability to rebuild Asgard as long as there is a solid foundation.
So what does this mean for your career? The rapidly evolving business landscape means that requirements can change at any moment. As a professional in your industry, it means that you need to maintain a solid foundation by continually upskilling, or risk blowing up, just like Asgard.
Career lesson: Maintaining a strong foundation of skills
Asgard is not a place, Asgard is the people
Before Asgards total destruction, Thor has a vision of his father Odin who explains that Asgard is not a place, it is the people. No longer tied down to the physical place of Asgard, Thor escapes with his people on a spaceship.
While your career may depend on your own skills and your own work, you’ll likely be part of a larger team. Being part of an efficient and successful team will likely help advance your career much faster than being a lone wolf. Look at uncovering the strengths of each team member and you’ll find you will be able to achieve much bigger things than you thought you could ever do.
Career lesson: Teamwork is critical
