Sunday, May 8, 2011

My What's Next (...75)

A good read for anybody who's been laid off is Rob Pergoraro's blog, specifically his first post "Departure" about being let go from The Washington Post. He was the consumer technology columnist at the newspaper and left after 17 years.  He shares his thoughts on what he's grateful to have more time for now that he's unemployed.  I identify most with this line from his blog post:  "The kitchen has a stack of recipes overdue for me to try, while the rest of the house hides a long list of deferred-maintenance chores."  Another post, "What's Next?" discusses what other former columnists have moved on to in their careers and what he's contemplating now.  In this post I appreciate his list of what he would like his next job to include and why.  That's a good place for anybody to start.  I've come up with a few things so far that I want in my next job:
  • A collaborative and enthusiastic work environment where personal and professional growth is supported.  This reads like a line from an employee handbook but it's what I'm looking for in a work atmosphere.  I've heard start-up company environments can be like this because the staff is specifically interested in the company's goals and has closer involvement in the company's success.
  • A business focused on something with which I can personally connect.  I can easily find something in almost any job that I could get interested in but I prefer to work for a company whose product or services holds significance for me, that I can't help but be enthusiastic about. 
  • It should involve web technology and social media.  I took a class last year on web development, html, and css.  Taking that class exposed me to enough web technology to help me know that I want to learn more.  I'm also eager to work someplace where I can become more familiar with social media and how it is used in business marketing and sales.
  • I wouldn't mind starting my own business.  This helps me fulfill bullet point #1 and #2.  A good start.  And I could try to incorporate any of my other interests:  the web, triathlon/fitness, meal sharing (see my other blog), to name a few.
As Rob says in his blog post, "I suppose that doesn’t narrow things down all that much."  This is hard work determining what's best for what's next.  What's the best way to go about this?  I'm dying for suggestions...

1 comment:

  1. I had read Rob Pegoraro's columns for years and I know how his fans feel - it's hard for his readership to understand the Post laying off a contributor like Rob Pegoraro.

    Good summary of his posts and attitude!

    ReplyDelete