Lots of people make career transitions to pursue their passion. I’m one of many who have made the leap. We share a similar story involving the long road to discovery, overcoming obstacles and doubt, and eventually reaching our much coveted destination.
Each story is a little different though. I see mine as best described with a Frequently Asked Questions page that just gives you the facts with the links below.
When you’re done with these, please feel free to see examples of my work, including this very site, which is a WordPress theme I developed from scratch. Also check out my blog where I share tips on how to make better content.
How did you get involved in content production?
I began a freelance writing assignment for a personal finance blog in January 2007 because my job at the time offered no creative outlet that I desperately wanted. The favorable response to my posts surprised and thrilled me. Soon I was driven to increase our readership numbers and to see how far I could go with my writing hobby.
Along the way I took on greater responsibilities, such as analyzing our competitors’ content for general themes and trends in the blogosphere. I wanted my and the other contributing writers’ content to be fresh, relevant and timely, so I would distribute weekly reports containing tips and ideas for gaining a competitive edge.
Even when I lost my job in the summer of 2007 due to the economic downturn, I was still bursting with ideas for personal finance topics and beyond. I began something I loved doing and didn’t want to stop. That’s when I decided to research the multimedia field to determine what job would be best for me. The more I researched, the more content production called my name.
By January 2008, I was enrolled in an intensive multimedia studies program to move forward with the creative career I always wanted.
How does your past work experience relate to online media?
As a litigation paralegal, I utilized several skills required for multimedia on a daily basis, which included:
- Creating media assets
- Managing electronic data
- Optimizing content for searchability
- Researching and fact checking supporting information
- Working with a team to write and edit materials for distribution
- Ensuring work product is compelling, persuasive and flawless
That was work I enjoyed doing: the nature of litigation, not so much.
This skill set gave me a running start in the world of professional blogging. With my newly honed software and web design skills, I now offer a wealth of experience for generating solid content.
What’s in your portfolio?
The majority consists of school projects I completed, while the rest of the material comes from my days as a professional blogger, mixed in with some graphics I made just for fun.
What skills are in your résumé?
You will find HTML, CSS, and JavaScript skills, as well as proficiency with Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Flash, Dreamweaver and MS Office applications.
I am currently in school pursuing a certificate in web programming, by the end of which I will know C++, ActionScript 3.0 and PHP.
