Here's An Example Of What I Want To Do With My Life
"The Authentic Career: Following the Path of Self-Discovery to Professional Fulfillment" by Maggie Craddock has some good insights for emotional discovery. But it's obviously for a reader who pursued and attained career/wealth, and does whatever his or her parents wanted them to do to get prestige in the eyes of society but not his/herself. Ha! Obviously not me, except in Opposite World.
With or without the help of books, I have thought about this issue non-stop. My skills and experience are on the wrong career track. So, what do I want to do instead? I need to make something that the end-user wants. I don't want my value to be in providing what some business wants in order for them to satisfy some arcane business model.
The most direct way that I see people around me making something somebody wants is by having a website and creating content for it, then getting a direct reward from their audience. Webcomics, podcasts, songs, stories. I'm smack-dab in the middle of Penguicon, so it has not escaped my attention.
On the audio side: I considered my podcasts to be of a very high quality of production values and content, as did my audiences.
On the visual side: I can sculpt plasticine like nobody's business. I was already awesome at this at the age of ten. If I had a webcomic, I'd do it with photos of sculpted characters.
More than a tip jar, I could have an online store and sell my games and other creations.
When I was at Menlo Innovations, the founder said he created the company because he was laid off. He said when you're unemployed, it just means you're self-employed. Well heck, job hunting is a wash, I refuse to move out of state and lose Penguicon, so as long as I'm unemployed anyway, what have I got to lose?
Since I am not a writer, I think what I would like to do is have a community-driven site. Visitors post suggestions for the next panel in the comic. They vote them up and down. From the highest-voted contributions, I select an idea that I think works toward an overall arc that I think is cool rather than lame. I sculpt what was described, photograph it, add word balloons, and post it. Then I get Bahb son of Bob and we record the dialog, music and SFX to MP3, because he is the funniest human being that I have ever met in person.
brain... churning...
overload... of... wonderfulness...
Comments
thatguychuck on Feb. 29, 2008 8:37 PM
This is only tangentially related, but earlier today I submitted a 'What I'm looking for in an opportunity and why I'm looking' in 500 words or less to a recruiting firm. It took me several days to figure it all out and organized. It wasn't about what I'm looking for, employers care about what THEY are looking for and how you can help. Here's what I created.
What I want in an opportunity:
To keep a customer focus
To keep a company efficient
To inspire customersWhy I am looking:
Marriage and permanently changing locationThree things bring me great job satisfaction: putting the customer first, improving efficiency, and inspiring the customer on behalf of the company. I’ve worked in the tech industry my entire professional life. I would fit well in a technologically related company or one that used computers for analyzing data. I also enjoy project management.
I get pleasure by helping and making a difference. I made customer ordering easier at Decoratetoday.com with web improvements and improved customer support at Corsa Instruments by creating a dealer training program. I go the extra mile to insure customer issues are completely fixed. This gives me personal involvement with customers and is always something I strive for.
Efficiency is something I seek in all areas of my life. I do this with divisions of labor, use of funds, or even simply when doing the laundry. At Corsa Instruments, our dealer training program let customers have their problem fixed immediately by their face to face contact. This also shifted end-user support from the factory to our dealers.
Listening and bringing a personal touch are two ways I connect with customers. Being receptive and letting them know their feedback is appreciated tells them they are important both to me and the company. Telling someone they are important is one thing; scheduling a drop-by meeting when you’re in town, hand delivering an order, or simply asking about their newborn… these are things that leave an impression.
I would enjoy and excel at opportunities that have a customer focus, encourage efficiency, and have contact with end or internal users. Specific opportunities are not limited, but include project management, analysis and cost reduction, and executive administrative assistance.
Marriage and geographic change prompted my search for new employment. From May through June this summer I will live in San Francisco with my fiancée, returning in January as a married man. This period lets an employer test my performance before deciding on permanent placement. As a former resident of San Francisco and having a fiancée who loves and lives in the city, I have a strong vested interest in coming back to live and stay in the Bay Area.
rachelann1977 on Feb. 29, 2008 11:13 PM
That is actually a fairly awesome idea! Too bad work is starting for you now to distract you from making this happen.
rbradakis on Mar. 1, 2008 2:06 PM
You have the very best career-related introspective posts.
Leave a Comment