So, what do you do?

Panic. What the fuck is it I do? I should really have that two minute elevator spiel ready -- I love feeling prepared after all. It's just really hard to describe what I do in layman's terms. Actually, it's hard describing what I do without people thinking -- ohhhh, that's so sad ... didn't you used to be an IT Consultant? How much do file clerks make these days anyway? So I stammer through some kind of half-assed job description until eyes glaze over and then I start talking about what I WANT to do which makes things worse because I'm basically lying at this point. And then I just desperately try to change the topic or make an excuse to leave the room.

No more. I've been thinking a lot about the gist of my job and I think I can safely say that I am a Professional Organizer ... of information. You know those Designers on TV that expose people's embarrassing junk, force them to purge all their precious memories (the more tears the better) and then miraculously create a system that really organizes nothing because any mementos of everyday living (toys, mail, books and other shit) have been hidden off camera? My job is similar in that I preach to people about how sacred information is and how its access and storage need to be 'managed' (whatever that means). And just when I have people convinced that they are flushing their valuable knowledge down the toilet and they are ready to step it up ... I tell them that I have NO answers. Yeah, well we 'could' be using technology to describe and store all of your information so that it can be effortlessly found, seamlessly retrieved and re-used again and again .... but you know, there's never enough MONEY, and well it would require that everyone pitch in and work TOGETHER on this and besides, our group have their heads so far up their asses that it will NEVER happen. So just go back to doing what you've always done, it's just now you can feel badly about it.

K - the cynicism is not going to serve me well in my career. Problem is, I've lost my faith! I've got to find some glimmer of hope to hold on to. Work has to be more than a pay cheque for me. If I don't start adding value, then I'm wasting more than only my time at the office. Thankfully, I think there's enough flexibility to make my job what I want it to be. Now, just to figure out what that is .... stay tuned.