I've been in this career for more than 15 years - and I'm good at it - really, really good at it.
I'm a web publisher; I design, deploy, edit, educate - from social media to nuts - I've done it all. I've been a blogger for a decade - that's longer than The Huffington Post, Perez Hilton and Dooce. I've blogged, Tweeted, Yelped, Googled, Flickrized and YouTubed for companies, organizations and myself for years. I've managed websites that have millions of visits or are part of Fortune 500 companies. I've taught college students to CEOs and I've helped manage on-line communities with thousands of members or thousands of threads and built strategies for everything in-between. I've managed, mediated, marketed, designed, Flashed, waded through metrics and mollified trolls. My teams have been happy, my students employed and my clients thrilled.
Until recently.
Suddenly, I've lost all my web skills. Completely. Poof.
At least - that's what the boss told me. I don't have any web skills. I am now incapable of providing any web solutions. Actually, the whole team's skills are just - gone. Completely. Group "poof".
Of course... there was no objective measurement of our skills, no input was actually requested from us - and our innovative and amazingly productive history with the company was not wanted - that would just confuse the issue.
After the meeting where I was informed of my sudden loss of skills, I posted this Facebook status update:
FOR SALE: Web Publisher. Includes; upgraded software, three key peripherals and classic hardware with ongoing updates. Also included; user friendly interface, multiple input channels and an extensive database with reasonable service contract. Fairly low maintenance although does require occasional applications of Venti coffee and IABC seminars. Relatively cheap - but not easy. Apply within.
So, now I'm at a cross-roads.
Maybe I'll ramp up this blog - advertising, reviews, community participation... I'll have to switch lanes and start thinking about what kind of changes I'm going to tackle. I need to channel my Seth, jump on a Ashton train or ask myself what would Avinash do.
Mostly, I'm just tired. Disheartened and tired. And angry.
My question is, what would YOU do?
What opportunities do YOU see?
Where would YOU go?
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