It Has Been A While

Well, it has been quite some time since I've been able to stop, reflect, and write about my job...sharing something that I wanted to talk about, at least. I don't know if I've really been so busy (though I certainly have) or if I needed a break to get back to center.

So I started thinking back to some of the first assignments I was given as a junior and what was expected of me. I remember feeling frustrated sometimes because it wasn't always clear what was being asked of me, when I would know that I found what was needed, or even when to stop looking. Come to find out, that's all a part of the process.

Sometimes it's frustrating precisely because you are looking for answers that may not yet exist. But that actually makes you push the envelope, get to the new questions (if you can't find the answer, start asking questions), and perhaps to come up with a new way of doing the whole process.

What I'm thinking of is mainly secondary research, the staple of a Junior Account Planner's diet, but it certainly doesn't have to be boring. This ain't your grandma's research, that's for sure! It's all about getting interested in the topic, finding something new in a sea of all the same information that anyone can find, but beyond that it's interpreting what you find in an interesting way that really brings something more to the table. I don't think this is always what you are prepared to do after wading through a bunch of stuff that other people said. But it is certainly what needs to be done and those idea muscles are just as important to flex as your researchin' ones.

Bringing something new to the table usually has nothing to do with what you can find as a good Googler but how you explain what you found through the lens of your experience. Experience always trumps other things because it is the full sphere and context in which facts live. You will be surprised about what in your life will come up again either as just an interest or for your job so be interested and open to anything and everything that comes your way. Not just the fabulous trips to other countries but some of the seemingly mundane things, like talking to your coworkers about the person behind who you see for 8+ hours a day.

I had two very interesting conversations with coworkers today that were fairly short (2 minutes here, 10 minutes there), had nothing to do with work, and were pretty plain topics except they were extremely fascinating to me. I linked them to my own interests and imparted wisdom based on what I had experienced. It also just helped me connect to some coworkers on a deeper level.

I have said it and I will say it again and again - things you learn will not just affect your career but will serve you well in life also. Be open to things always and you will find new ways of thinking.