Changes Are Afoot

Rather than try to force my way back into the 9-5 world, which didn't really suit me all that well to begin with, we have decided to try to take my photography to the next level.

My new camera will be arriving next week and with it, hopefully, a new beginning to a more satisfying and fun career working as a wedding and event photographer. The camera wasn't cheap and it was hard to justify its cost but my wife and I have talked it over enough that we were both ready to plunge in and give it a go.

Keep your fingers crossed that we bob back up to the surface rather than get caught in the anchor that is another chunk of debt.

And with that mangled metaphor, I'm going to bed. Sully is going to get tested up at the university tomorrow, something for the sociology department. Ought to be interesting.

Advantage: Gringo

I reported to the WorkForce office in Watsonville yesterday morning for my don't-show-up-late 9 am job training appointment. I made it in with several minutes to spare and then found out that the don't-show-up-late part was more a guideline than a hard and fast rule.

But that was fine by me. I got to sit and play my Clie for a few minutes but I do wish I'd brought my coffee. Especially when the receptionist told me the training usually went to 11:30.

When they brought us into the training room, a woman in the corner broke us out into Spanish speaking and English speaking groups. The Spanish speakers stayed in the room we were in and the gringoes followed her into the room next door. Oh sorry, did I say gringoes plural? I meant me. I was the only English speaker there.

Which meant that I was going to get some free, state-required job training and information. And some of it is useful info for someone like me, I'm not a noob to the job market, I have a college degree, I have business experience. I'm not the typical unemployed person in this town and the lady I was working with understood very quickly that I am on top of the process, know all about the web aspect of job searching and, instead of two and a half hours, I was done in under 45 minutes.

Which is how I got to go riding yesterday.

Self Discovery

In the process of my meeting with a career counselor, I'm learning some important and useful things about myself and how to present what I offer to a prospective employer or contractor.

Among them is that research and investigatory work is a key element of my skills and motivations. I like looking for answers, I like digging through data to discover new truths and I like presenting information previously unknown.

I'm not so good on the clerical side. I.e., put me in charge of a research division but make sure I have an assistant to help me stay on top of paperwork. A close second to research and investigations is techie or someone who likes to work with their hands. Which makes sense to me.

Enterprising also scored rather high above the other categories so that indicates I've got some of the stuff it takes to initiate and run my own business. One key element that I've been getting from the counseling that I didn't have before is the realization and reinforcement of the fact that I don't have to do everything. There are plenty of aspects of a self-run business that do not have to be taken care of by me. That's what sub-contractors are for, that's what accounting firms are for, that's what temp agencies and sales organizations are for.

There's no reason to get bogged down in the details and the things you hate to do. Focus on what you love to do and delegate what you don't like to others who will do it for you.

I also have a base hourly rate to charge and a better understanding of the value proposition that I offer to companies and agencies. Don't focus on what you can do, focus on what you love to do. It seems so simple and yet is so hard to put into practice.

First Step on the Road to Somewhere New and (Hopefully) Better

I just got back from my first meeting with a career counselor. It was interesting, informative and formative. It also feels good to be making positive steps to realign my career goals with things that I am passionate about.

Not that I didn't enjoy high-tech PR, I do and did. But it's not quite the perfect fit. There are several things about the job that I disagree with as being counter productive. But it wasn't up to me to decide the how things got done.

I really liked the counselor's approach and demeanor and expect that this work we are doing together will result in my being better armed to create a better working situation for me and my family.

The next step will be some testing to determine where my passions and strengths are to better map out the route to attain a good job that I really love and can be totally excited about.

If any of you readers have had any experience with career counseling, I'd love to hear some stories and advice.