Scary Smart: New Class of Worker in Demand

Scary smart means having those extra IQ points that always made you stand out as freaky bright, whether you wanted the attention or not. Well, now you want the attention since that's the quality in demand.

The term scary smart has been coined by Rich Karlgaard of Forbes magazine. Karlgaard notes that this "new class, the Scary Smart, has inherited the earth." Whereas in more economically stable times employers could do without such brilliance, now they need those extra IQ points to be competitive. To get that very smart worker, employers are more apt to trade off expectations for conformity, well-roundedness, and impeccable social skills. Industries most apt to recruit the scary smart include biotechnology, computer software, and the Internet.