The Unknown Road Ahead
I took this photo on the road in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. I literally stuck the camera out the window, pointed it down the road and shot off a few frames. It really captures where a lot of people are right now in their careers and mindsets.
I seem to talk to more and more people across multiple channels about the same topic. They want to know how to break into social media. How to find the perfect job for themselves. What is a hot industry that they should go into.
The answer is always the same and it is really a question.
What do YOU want to do? What are you passionate about? What would you love to get up and do every day?
If you can’t answer that, then what is the point of asking the other questions? At the end of the day even if the industry is the hottest thing since Violet Blue, your still going to hate it once the newness wears off unless you are passionate about it in the first place.
Social Media is and always was a buzz phrase. I don’t know who coined it first and I honestly don’t care, but those of us who are living in this fishbowl know that what once was taken for granted is now becoming the norm. That isn’t to say that everyone understands it and is using it. What I mean is the fact that communities, conversations and connectivity are here and are not going away. Yes, they are going to evolve and change, but they are everywhere now. The barriers for entry are lower then ever and anyone can begin playing and working in this space if they desire.
So, back to that road leading into the unknown.
If you are unhappy in your current job and want to do something in this space then you’ve got to work damn hard to make it happen. Having a Facebook page and a podcast on your resume is not going to get you a job. You’ve got to understand the business, you have to know the marketplace. You’ve got to know your stuff, plain and simple. If you can’t sell yourself to a potential employer or client, then no one can.
Everyone seems to think that there is a magic path ahead where if you understand this space the work will come to you. I can tell you that it doesn’t happen. You’ve got to work hard to find the clients. You’ve got to work even harder to make them happy and hire you back for more work. If you keep doing good work people will get to know you and want to hire you. It can all happen, but it is far from magic.
This post got sparked by several conversations I’ve had with people recently who are making a move, looking to make one or are out of work and looking. The reality of it all is starting to sink in for them and before more people think they can just make a leap I wanted to politely remind everyone of that age old saying of “there is no such thing as a free lunch.” While I’ve had a few in my time, I’m a firm believer that hard work will get you more rewards then anything else.
Don’t be afraid of the road. I’m a huge fan of hitting the gas pedal and seeing where it takes me. Adventure is a powerful motivator and one that I love. But, the best adventures are never the easiest ones either. Always remember that. It also reminds me of one of my favorite quotes.
“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” - Lao-tzu
[…] Wrote this blog post about everyone expecting quick new jobs in this space […]
Good post, C.C. People really have to go back to the beginning and find out what makes them happy before they will ever find it. It’s the old “finding all the red in the stadium” exercise that I’m pretty sure I heard you talk about on a past podcast.
The other thing is that while a few early adopters have secured high profile jobs in “Social Media,” in the future, this discipline is far more likely to be viewed as a toolset rather than an occupation. Today, we have replaced pencils, pens and typewriters with computers, but no one gets a job as a computer operator. But they used to. Same thing.
Keep up the great work!!
Rick.
You so nailed it with this post. I find myself at a cross roads in this social media space and my day job. Im reading books, blogs, and posts daily. I love this social media stuff. I find myself putting more time and effort into it instead of my day job. I’m looking for clients daily who want help with this space, where I use to look for clients for my day job. The main reason, I love it, but like anything else.. its a lot of work.
Hey C.C.
Great post. I for one understand the sentiment that people have (having had it myself in the past) of wanting to know what the magic path is? I’ve been there and discovered that there is not such a thing, not in social media and not in any other aspect of life.
I remember as a kid thinking it would be cool to play guitar. I tried for about two weeks (my mom had a guitar) and then gave up because it didn’t just happen. When I was 22 I tried again, this time knowing that there was going to be a lot of work ahead. I played for hours every week, hating every minute of it, I mean really, who enjoys doing scales or chord changes over and over again. Within 6 months, I knew enough to play with the band at Church. Now, I’m actually pretty good and I love to play.
I’m just getting my own feet wet in the blogosphere and social media in general. I have the great privilege of having a job where I am actually getting some time to do some projects that are related. More than anything though, I’ve recognized that the resources are out there, I have a lot to learn and so far I’m loving what I’m doing.
Thanks for all the work you do.
Thorren
you walked right down my street on this one, CC. such journeys are always a bit scarier when it’s not just you, but you have a wife and kid at home. what i’m in i despise, but it provides a certain security and health benefits (increasingly important when you have a kid). what i love i’m quite passionate about, but the path to get there is far from defined and the lines in the road are rather blurry. i had been considering to settle for what is rather than risk failure at what could be because gas has gone up, food has gone up, everything’s increasing and the ability to save has become that much harder.
it’s moments like these that make me realize that i am not the big fan of change that i pretend to be, but everything must change at some point or another. i hope and pray that i’m able to find a balance between being adventurous and responsible. at any rate, the pep talk was sorely needed and is already starred in my google reader for future use…cause i’m gonna need it.
thanks again.
Having a wife and kids sure does make change and risk all that more scarier. This is something I can relate to on a very personal level.
That is why recently when someone who was young, single and not that burdened by a mortgage or any other major bills said they were scared to make a change I told them to do it now because the longer you wait the harder it is. When it is only yourself that suffers by not succeeding it is one thing, but once you are a parent it is a whole other thing.
Great post CC.
I’m a photographer and I love new media.
I know I’m in the right career because, although I make an excellent living, I would do it for free. I know new media is right for me because, well, I do it for free.
I’ve been a photographer for twenty years for magazines, newspapers and corporations. I’ve been involved in new media for over ten years. I first started podcasting in 1999 (audio over internet quicktime and Realplayer) with business tips. Similar to my prosperous artists podcast.
Being a veteran in both old and new media I’m actually excited about the transitions taking place on a daily basis (I sold my newspapers stocks years ago). It’s exciting and the opportunity to combine both old and new is part of a logical progression.
How do you know if your are in the right position? ask yourself, would do your job for free? If you can’t believe you are actually getting paid each day, you are in the right career.
Being an independent photographer, I find nothing scarier then a “secure job”. Too many of my friends are getting laid off and can’t find another “secure job”. I can lose a client or two, but I’m never unemployed. I see the same opportunities in digital media.
Will new media be a career or a job duty? It depends on what you bring to the table. Photography can be either. In a world where anyone can point a camera outside the car window a create a nice image (Nice image CC) you need to offer something not everyone with a digital camera can create.
The same will come from new media. The people that bring unique content or applications to the table will rise to the top and make a great living.
Rosh
http://www.newmediaphotographer.com
A job in ’social media’ is a job just the same. Forget the buzzwords. Business plans, a good savings account, sales savvy, a stable home life (80+ hours a week can really put the screws to a relationship/marriage/family). Pretend you are opening a shoe store, dog sitting service, or whatever. A lot of the business know-how is the same - how to get customers, how to best serve them, how to manage your time, how to write an invoice, legal aspects, etc. Everyone looks at social media and thinks SHINY. It doesn’t matter what the industry. I see SOOOO many people try to jump into this or other online ventures, and think that it takes a mouse click. No.
Social media is funny in that you need to be active in it to be a **consumer**. But that does not make most people experts, or give you the talent to be able to direct a corporation in it’s decisions.
I can relate to this on a different level. There have been a few times lately where someone IMs or emails me and conveys the message, oh I would *love* to be a virtual assistant. That must be so fun and you get so much time to play in social media…..except, I don’t.
I run a business with several clients who need my help on a daily basis to help them be able to do the important things in their business. There’s not a lot of time for play. I’m nodding my head in agreement with Lynette that it’s not playtime, it’s still a job with concerns. Frankly I work harder now than I did when I worked for another company because I’m the everything in this business. Something anyone should keep in mind if going into business for themselves or with partners.
It’s a lot harder than it sounds, in “social media” or not.
I think a lot of people are looking at social media, and seeing the shiny outside, but they literally have no idea what the nuts and bolts stuff of what you DO actually is (besides the basic running of the business type of stuff). It’d be interesting to see a daily log of what tasks you do and how long you spend on them, to actually get a feel for the day to day schedule. I think that is where a lot of the curiousity lies.
–*Rob
what a solid post. i came over here from your post where you mention our chat, so it’s the only blog post (& comments) i’ve read while on vacation, and it’s such a solid point. you and i understand this because we started earlier than anyone, i think, trying to do the whole new media consulting thing, and it definitely wasn’t easy then, and it still isn’t now.
pointing out this kind of thing for people that are thinking of making a big life change may end up being really valuable to them. these are weird economic times so who knows where the cards will fall, really.
Great advice- have forwarded to a Masters in Instructional Design graduate in Chicago that I’m mentoring (out of Australia)- a beautiful long story of a social media relationship, who is trying to land his first job out of uni on a career path of social networking and emergence. Its tough for someone to land a job even when you have thousands of hours of experience in the doing, and even the theoretical insights.
There are opportunities but yes it’s harder than you think (as are most self run businesses). Every client I have gotten thus far has been from good old fashioned local networking. Old school, face to face, press the flesh networking. Not particularly cool or sexy but effective. Just because you’re trying to work in new media doesn’t mean it’s always all about new media. The clients you are trying to get live way outside the fishbowl. They don’t even know there is a fishbowl. Your online presence is like your living resume, but never forget where your prospective clients live.
CC…If you find the yellow brick road, let me know and I’ll skip down it. Unfortunately, there is no easy path to success, whether that it social media, the music business, or starting your own company. It takes a lot of courage, blood, sweat and tears to do it.
Right now, I am half way between monolithic corporation and free agency. Working for a small consulting firm, you always live in terror of not keeping the pipeline full and staying fully billable. It takes A LOT of work to find clients forward thinking enough to stick their little toe in the social media waters, let alone jump in with gusto.
We are still in the “wild west” phase of social media and everyone is trying to figure it out. Yes, there are some successful social media gunslingers (you, Mitch Joel, and Joe Jaffe among others) who made the big time, but there are a number of “lonesome cowboys” too (i.e. single digit readership like my blog.)
People need to understand: expertise + clients = potential success. Both take time and sweat to build. Neither one can guarentee success.
Eric Seiberling
http://www.itlunatics.com