You Are Only As Old As Someone Else Thinks You Are

It's not often that we get to see ourselves from someone else's perspective.  When those rare instances occur, they happen in a flash, they either bolster our self-confidence or fill us with self-doubt. 

With my career, I find myself at the tipping point of the communications industry. I'm a child of print journalism, but I'm very aware that I need to grow up if I want to play with others in the Digital Age. Trying to cross that bridge is proving tougher than I realized.

My six-month temporary position as the managing editor at a publishing company ends next week. Having worked with the company off and on for many years, I have a solid reputation for being a leader, a problem solver and an effective project manager with mad editorial skills. Over the past few weeks, I've been talking with people in the company about possible ways to extend my employment. I really want to dig into the digital side of the business, and I interviewed for a position as a web editor. I didn't get it.

And while I'm sure there were other reasons why I wasn't selected ( their full-time vs. my part-time), I think the feedback that stuck with me the most was, "We're looking for someone who has lived in the Internet world." OUCH. That's employer code for, "She's a dinosaur in the Digital Age."

I do have some digital experience in my portfolio, but not enough yet to sell myself as a guru. I know that if given the opportunity, I can get to 4G speed in no time. But getting an employer to look past the extensive print experience I have, not to mention the dark circles and wrinkles, is going to take some work. And it's work I'm willing to do.

Did I let the comment fill me with self-doubt? Most certainly! And obviously, I haven't let it go completely because I'm writing about it here. But I also see this as an opportunity to turn my Ideal Reality into my Real Reality.

I'm got a few ideas up my sleeve, and I'm excited about creating some learning opportunities. They are going to hear this dinosaur ROAR!

Wherever you are, whatever you're doing ... Keep It Real.

 

Photo Credit: The Whole Cake and Caboodle ( lisa ) via photopin cc