It’s no secret that I lost my job during the start of the corona virus pandemic. And I was one of the fortunate ones that found something shortly after. I am happy now. But at the start, I was confused.
Identity Crisis
I started my career as a marketer, and my whole professional life, I viewed myself as one on a clear career track. There were pivots and detours, but that was what I was and how I identified. I was Aaron the marketer. The guy speaking at marketing conferences, writing for leading industry publications, and loving every second of it. It was just a part of me.
And then, before I knew it, I wasn’t. Not just that Covid rocked everything, but things seemed to go off track far before that.
I was a marketer.
I mean, I am a marketer.
I still want to be a marketer.
But then, I found myself in a role that wasn’t marketing.
But I still felt like a marketer.
And that was confusing. Getting canned during a pandemic sucks and makes you think and do lots of things out of desperation like take a job that might not be the right fit. Fear of what you will do next? How will you support your family? Wondering if you will ever find a job? Will it the right job? Does it even matter?
It’s a trauma. And you are grasping during it desperately trying to figure out what comes next.
Have Mentors
Which is why I am so thankful for certain people in my life to help put things in perspective.
One of those individuals is Scott Hess, and he knows it. We were introduced by Chris Booth years ago, and it still stands as one of the most meaningful introductions anyone has ever made for me (and Scott reminded me about the CB connection just recently).
Scott and I caught up and had a really meaningful conversation and he helped put a lot into perspective.
A few of the insights he had.
- Think about what you like to do not what you want to be: For example, you want to be a rock star, but like to play music. What you want to be is valuable in the things you do. Reshape the role the way you want it.
- Jigsaw puzzle your role: If you have have a strong orientation in one direction, cool, but that doesn’t mean that’s all you have to do. I have a strong marketing orientation, that doesn’t mean I have to only do marketing. It means I like parts of that and can bring those concepts into what I do. Titles are directional. But that doesn’t mean you won’t find enjoyment in a role that doesn’t have the title. Find the things that speak to you in your role
- Identity: There are many facets to your identify, and profession is in service of others. For example, I love my family, and the outdoors, and training and volunteering with my dog. At the end of my life, what will people write on my list of identity? I hope work is low down on that list. I am not my work, and if that’s all people think about me, well, then I think something has gone terribly wrong.
- Ego can be good: One of those things that gets a bad rep. But ego can be a good thing. If ego gets you up in the morning, keeps you healthy because you like how you look, or even helps you do your job better because you like when people give you a pat on the back, well, so what. That’s a great way to use it and keep you motivated.
- Be weird: And don’t sacrifice that for anyone. I am a compulsive sharer, and if you follow me, you know what I post. It’s kids, dogs, and random stupid things. And I make videos of my life sometimes, not for money, just because I like to. And I won’t compromise that. In fact, that is a quality that makes me who I am.
Do what you love & don’t compromise
What I take from all this is to be yourself. Strive to do things you enjoy. And if you don’t enjoy them, then move on. Life is painfully too short to spend all your time in a job that doesn’t motivate you or with friends that drive you crazy.
If you do find yourself in a role that doesn’t exactly fit, just try. Give it your all and try to craft it using the skills you have to bring aspects of what you do love into the role.
And if that still doesn’t work, move on, and find something that let’s you use your strengths and aligns with your passions.
For me, I have had many of those conversations with myself of late. What it all means? Well, that’s a post for another time.