A unique set of circumstances has left me starting a brand new chapter in my life.
Here I sit, fifty-one years old, twenty-five years of experience in advertising/pr new business pitch process and production, a series of eclectic abilities that I've attained over 25 years, and an opportunity to recreate myself.
Have I piqued your interest?
::queue suspense-building music accompanied with booming movie trailer voiceover::
What will she do? What will she become? Who is going to snap this renaissance woman up first? Will she amass a fortune? Will she save the children? What will become.....
::abrupt scratch and stop::
First I have to a take a look at what I have done, what I enjoyed most and what I can do without. When you're talking twenty-five years of experiences, it's a lot to assess.
I've worried that I've amassed all these skills that can't be pigeon holed into one job description (see my linkedin profile), or as my friend, Marc Landsberg so many skills that you're, "1" deep and a mile wide." That phrase has resonated with me since I heard him use it to describe someone who does a lot of things "ok". What I realized was that though I have many skills, I do have stronger, precise skills that are served by the many.
I'm a problem solver.
You might be saying, "well, duh, isn't any successful worker?" I'd answer with, "you'd hope so, but it's not always the case." Individuals like myself look for solutions until one is found. Anyone can identify a problem, but those of us out there that keep working it until we have a successful resolution, we're not everywhere.
I am a calming force.
When others start to break, I don't. It gets done. It always gets done. So, I don't see a reason to panic or get upset. And I make sure it gets done.
I can work with employees at any level.
People are people. Some have titles that, on paper, appear to set them higher or lower than other people, at work. What I see is talent that has been assigned to work on the project. How I leverage that talent and in what role of the project I assign them, is purely based on what the outcome of the project has been determined. I can navigate strong personalities and empower participants to bring their "A" game.
Supplemental Skills:
I have enough practical experience to be able to turn on a dime, if necessary.
What that means is, I can see when we're headed to a burning wreck and can adjust and suggest changes to get us back on the path. I've experienced enough crash/burn and success situations to be able to identify problems or to keep tracking on positive paths to keep things moving forward to a unifying outcome.
When left to my own devices, I can review, evaluate and hire the correct talent for a project. As long as I know the deliverable, the personality of the department, and where the department is going.
I understand tech.
In this world of social media trends, online presence, shared vs. paid amplifications, brand personality, social channels... I could continue, but you have to understand the landscape. I've had several friends my age, who have found themselves back in the job hunt, and are consistently criticized for not having digital acumen. I understand it and participate in it through several of the popular channels: Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Twitter, eblogger, and Instagram. I've been online since '92, in it's infancy.
As one of those people who is entering a new chapter, I want my pages filled with exciting, prolific, and positive prose. I want to prove that you're never too old to embrace your life and give it a twirl. I want to shed the fear of failure that's kept me places way too long. I want to work in a world where honesty and good works are the norm, and treating your coworkers with respect isn't a line in a company manifesto, but actually embraced. I want to work with people who constantly challenge themselves and invite you along for the ride. I want the next 20 years of my work-life to be meaningful in some way.
This is my chapter to write. I will write it without fear. I will write it without prejudice. I will write it for myself, and not to prove others wrong about their notions of who I am. I will fill it with love, acceptance, family and friends. I will learn from the lessons that often come from making bold changes.
Has this gotten me closer to identifying the job I want? Sure it has, but not in a traditional sense. It's given me a series of criteria that have to be met, and what skills I have to sell. The rest, is up to me.
So, if you get my resume with a pithy cover letter, understand that I want to work with you and I believe we're a perfect match. Then it's up to you to give me fifteen minutes to convince you of the same. I'm confident I will.
Otherwise, the next chapter's being written as I type, so I hope to see you back here when I have more to say and share.
