Alright, here's that long post I've been promising. I'd highly recommend you get yourself a coffee or tea because this is long. The hope is that, by writing this down, it'll help me focus on a direction. Jennifer and I have often resorted to making a list of pros and cons to make important decisions (like moving to Toronto) and it hasn't let us down yet. At least, I don't think it has. So, here's all the crap that's been in my head for the past 4-and-a-half months.
WHERE HAVE I BEEN LOOKING?
I should probably start off with outlining the currently economic landscape. It's not good. The world never got out of the 2008 recession and as country after country teeters on the brink of collapse, the news-makers are constantly reminding us that it's getting worse instead of better. Unemployment continues to grow and even a Service Canada agent told me, this was the worst summer she'd ever seen. Sounds pretty bleak, doesn't it?
On a positive note, looking for work in this day and age has never been easier. The last time I was doing this, some 15 or more years ago, you had to scan newspaper classifieds. Now, you just use the internet. And if you're smart about it, you have the job listings come to you.
There's a great service called Simply Hired where you fill out certain criteria as to what it is you're looking for and they scour jobs sites then send you back potential listings. You can do something similar with LinkedIn, the business social media site. LinkedIn also features thousands of groups which you can join (I'm a member of 15 marketing-related groups) and each week they send out a digest which features job listings in your area. As a subscriber to Marketing Magazine, I also check the listings of their twice-daily emails.
Aside from these inbound sources, I've been to a few other sites where you need to sift through their lists. So there's lots out there. I guess there are just more people looking than there is work available.
WHAT AM I LOOKING FOR?
That's a tougher question. When someone asks me what I do, I usually just answer that I'm in marketing because it's enough of a blanket answer. But that's really unfair. Marketing features such a vast array of disciplines and while I've had my fingers in many pots, I certainly don't do it (or want to do it) all.
For the past few months I've focused my search on newer marketing specialties: digital, social and mobile. I have been open to more traditional disciplines but haven't seen as many because of my search criteria. Perhaps it's time to broaden my search requirements.
But the best way to get through this post, I think, is to focus on the work I am interested in and explain the challenges I keep running up against. It's funny I used the word focus, because this list seems everything but, and therein lies part of the problem. I'm not looking to be a banker or administrative assistant; it's just not that defined. And if you look at my résumé, the experience is all over the place with no real focus. I think that's a problem with potential employers but as a small business partner, I've had to wear many hats.
DOING IT YOURSELF
Before we get into that list of jobs, I must address the possibility of striking out on my own. Again. I've just come off 13 years of working for myself and we can all see where that ended up. To be fair, that wasn't of my own doing, although I could see it coming. Before my stint at One On One I was a self-employed freelancer so I've not been on an official payroll for over 15 years.
Over the summer I've met at least three or four other fellows my age who are doing their own thing. If I'm to be perfectly honest with myself (and that's part of the reason why I wanted to write this) I think starting another business is my first choice going forward.
Every day I read blog posts and articles from people I admire that encourage you to just do it; face your fears and get the job done. They've done it and I suppose, I have too. And yet here I am, back at square one. But perhaps that's just how it is. I know other people who have had "secure" jobs and yet they too have been where I'm at right now.
Once again, if I'm being honest, the biggest stumbling block is fear. And it's not so much a fear of failing; it's a fear of starting. My biggest excuse: I never was the one to go out and find the business; I was always the guy who did the work.
I'm waiting to meet with a friend/colleague who's been a consultant for years to pick his brain on this whole consulting thing. I'm hoping he can shed some light on how to find clients, how a consultant bills for work and anything else that can help out. But for now, let's get to that list of pros and cons for this particular venture.
Consultant
Pros
- Self-employed
- Business write-offs
- More flexibility with the kids (illnesses, no need for pre- and post-school daycare)
Cons
- Less salary
- No benefits
- More uncertainty
THE EMPLOYER LIST
Alright, back to the jobs I'm interested in. We now shift from a pros and cons list to the challenges I've been facing, some of which may surprise you.
1. Agency Art Director/Associate Creative Director: this was my main job description for the past 13 years and there are a few reasons why I've had trouble finding work in this field. The biggest hurdle? My age. Now I know some of you will chuckle at this but in the world of marketing, I'm old. Advertising, in particular, is a young person's business. That's just the way it is and I will not be able to change it. Folks my age are typically Associate CDs or Creative Directors which, as luck would have it, is what I've been. However, I've worked for a small agency and none of the work we did ever won any awards (I think we only submitted work twice) and when you're applying for a position as CD or ACD, you need an armful of awards to impress them. I have one. It doesn't mean the work I've done didn't do the job or wasn't any good, but it was never judged by anyone other than the client. In the agency world, it's all about awards.
This one will be a tough nut to crack although I'll have more luck with smaller shops. I just haven't seen much listed for these positions.
2. Digital Strategist, Digital Creative Director: this has been my main focus in the last few years of working at One on One. Challenges here are kind of funny because, as this is such a new (and rapidly growing) field, you'd think I could easily land a job. And I should mention, these are the types of jobs I've applied for almost exclusively. Alas, it seems that I either don't have enough digital experience or, my years in traditional marketing are a detriment. This last statement is complete hooey because you should have a solid foundation in marketing but so far, that hasn't helped me. The other issue I've encountered is that while I have a fair bit of experience here, it's been with smaller clients and not larger enterprise companies. As such, I've not been exposed to some of the more expensive tools or bureaucracy that they're looking for.
3. Working For A Charity or Non-Profit: I have been looking for work with organizations that suit my beliefs; companies like the World Wildlife Fund or the David Suzuki Foundation. (I'll actually be applying for the position of Manager, Digital Marketing for the former after I write this although I don't have as many years experience as they're looking for). I also have five years of not-for-profit experience which, I hope, will come in handy.
4. The Others: I've also considered working on the client side, in some sort of marketing capacity, at companies like Starbucks and Indigo Books; businesses whose work models appeal to me.
THE DREAMS
No list would be complete without listing your dream job. If money were no problem—and let's be frank, that's the only way I could do any of these—I would love to live as a writer and/or photographer. The latter excludes wedding photographer, portrait photographer or even studio photographer. I love going outside to shoot stuff and as I hone my skill, I will be working on making this dream more of a reality.
As for writing, well, I try to write every day. I'm not exactly writing the great Canadian novel but I can't help but see how this blog makes for good practice toward building a solid foundation. Perhaps, when I do get a job and things settle down, I'll find some time to start writing that novel that, as of yet, has no plot, no characters and no idea.
Well, there you have it. All this has been swirling around my head for four or five months now. The trick will be to find focus, I think. Or, luck. Luck will undoubtedly play a role. And while I try to figure out how I can strike out on my own, I keep trying to find that "secure" job which I hope will become the next (and last) career to last me until I retire.
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