Leave Good Behind

What do you do when you hit brick wall or a plateau? Do you give up/give in or do you reinvent yourself?

Coming to America would turn out to be one of the most courageous of decisions I have made in my life yet. It wasn't so much of my decision to make but whatever decision-making quota I had, I gave up as well. My friends who had lived here assured me I would find my footing as I had a marketable skill: writing. "You can write, so don't worry, you will get a job easily." I believed them.

I began job hunting once I settled in. I applied for all the writing jobs I could find. But what I got was constant rejection. Why was I getting constantly rejected? I did a quick skill scan and decided perhaps I should branch out to project/admin assistance; I had the fundamental skill as a proficient MS Office Suite user. I had a typing speed of 45wpm with 98% accuracy and was a digital native: Slack, Dropbox, Google Drive, you name it... Yes, I was ready to make the switch. Then I contacted a resume writer. I sent her my resume and told her my plan. "Don't do it," she responded, "You can write. The right opportunity will come."

She had no idea what I was going through, I said to myself. At this time, I was already settled in my current job, however, being settled was not my plan. Thriving is always my plan. But, how do I get there?

• The Opportunity Audit: In the third quarter of 2016, I was invited for an interview at a prestigious company. Role? Technical/Documentation Writer. I was so excited and I gave it my best shot. The response (during the interview) was great and the rejection email shook me hard. "I can write! I can do the job, why can't they see this?" The weeks following, I read and re-read the job description and as I dug further, I realized the market here was quite specialized: Technical Writing, Transcription, Captioning, Alt Text Writers, Product Description Writers, MarComm Writers. In the end, I decided I was a MarComms writer.
• The Skill Audit: I again pushed in applications and kept getting rejected. Then, using Indeed, LinkedIn and Dice, I scanned for skills required for MarComms writers. Words like: SEO, SEM, PPC, Analytics, A/B Testing, etc. kept popping up. These were not new terms to me, but I was coming from a different market where I had used my writing skill much differently. I realized if I needed to thrive in this market, I needed to go beyond stringing words together beautifully. I needed to drive those words towards a marketing goal in a skillful and data-driven manner. I turned to Google.
• Information Sorting: Information overload is a real thing. Heck! Type in SEO for beginners and see the infinite number of resources that hits you in the face. You really just close the browser after a few scans. How do you determine source credibility nowadays?! At this point, I had scanned so many resources, I got so little value for my time.

Saying A Prayer

When I arrived the US, I was often advised to get into a field with easy entry and great career/financial prospects: Nursing. For a while, the suggestion seemed good. But I felt strongly that my skill set and experiences prepared me for a career in Marketing & Communications. I just needed to find my median. Then I prayed. Should I change course, or should I keep pushing? If I go with option B, what must I do to re-ignite my career; to thrive in the marketplace? I needed direction; I needed a plan. And a plan came.

Here Comes HubSpot

I decided to look for a structured program that I could follow to build specialized knowledge. From my skill audit, I noticed a trend: "knowledge of HubSpot or Marketo or some other program of similar nature required". I was quite familiar with HubSpot. Like any other digital communication company which has evolved over time, HubSpot has not always been this big. I used to sign up for their white papers and industry reports in the past. This time, when I visited the platform, I found HubSpot Academy. I signed up for every course available (even design courses even though I am not a graphic designer. Lol, talk about a desperation to succeed). Then I began taking the classes. Getting HubSpot's certifications became my short-term goal. On November 1, 2017, I got my first HubSpot certification in Inbound Methodology. I was so excited, you would think I just bagged a PhD. Sure, I did not, but I just began another journey... I have begun studying up on HTML and have a line-up of courses at HubSpot Academy.

"I have begun; I will remain relentless and I believe, everything good will come." @iamOmena

No one warns you how challenging adulthood can be. I have seen people stick to choices they remain unhappy with. I have made some myself! But on this, I am very happy I stuck to my guns. Have I hit my goal yet? No. Do I know where this journey leads? Ha! You wish. This is one such journey that unveils itself the further you go. But here is one thing: I have begun; I will remain relentless and I believe, everything good will come.

We all hit brick walls in our lives. Some of us hit a plateau. But one thing I find about consistently thriving individuals and corporations is their ability to reinvent themselves. If you are struggling with what direction to turn or whether to give up/give in, perhaps what life really is telling you is to Leave Good Behind.

If you are a MarComms professional like me, seeking to expand your skills in respond to the market need, then join the HubSpot Academy and show the whole world that you mean business.