Robert Fulghum wrote, “Be a good listener. Opportunity sometimes knocks softly.” I think the issue is not that I don’t listen, but that I usually can’t imagine someone would actually be at my door. I’ve been feeling pretty ambivalent about my new role at work. It’s not that I miss my old job; it’s that the new expectations are so nebulous. They waver and change week by week, and there’s no direct supervisor “touching base” with me.
God, I hate that expression. Keep your hands off my base, thank you.
When I was told that my nimble typing fingers and wandering mind should be put to use in content production, I thought the bigwigs might have some edict that focused my work. Wrong.
I was told, “Amanda, find some people at companies that are interesting and interview them.” As much as we are supposed to run toward wild freedom, it’s nice to have some direction. “Through that untamed forest there? Gotcha. I’ll rip off my clothes and scream like a banshee now.”
What was I supposed to do?
I work for a dot-com, so I knew I needed to stay within a scope. Otherwise, I’d have stalked everyone at Trader Joe’s and tried to become a taste tester. I contacted companies like Pownce and Etsy to start my exciting adventure. It’s cool how gracious people can be, and I really enjoy picking the brains - though some press-wary CEOs and marketing people make it difficult - of business leaders. I especially love the start-up folks. My job is pretty cool, especially once I manage to get some phone time with someone busier than thou. So far, the bigwigs seem to like the results.
This new position requires me to learn new things and meet new people. Tomorrow night, I’m going to my first event as a member of the press. I’ll be rocking a lanyard, tape recorder, and business casual clothes. Yesterday, I got invited to a party in San Francisco hosted by one of the original Apple guys who is now a big venture capitalist in Silicon Valley. The thrill! I called my computer nerd dad and said the exact same thing I said that time I thought I assembled my new floor lamp correctly, thus demonstrating some fleeting mechanical ability - “Turns out, I am your daughter.”
Turns out, someone might be at the door, too.
