Making Moves
As has been the trend with my last several posts this one has come with a similar lack of expediency. Consequently, there is a fair amount that has occurred in the interim. I dare not review it all, at least not in depth. Here are the highlights to close the loop or continue the saga with from my previous posts: I quit my 9 - 5, knowingly like a fool. Which is to say with no back up. From a mental health standpoint I could not manage it any more. No podcast, yet. A family member is now aware of my trying to make a name in this field, owning a business, running a website, and having produced an audiobook. Now, what are the moves I’ve alluded to.
Leaving my day job without a back up definitely not wise, and I do not advise unless you are quite certain your current job is a serious threat to well-being and have savings to sustain you for a few months. Especially since the current job market is a treacherous ocean of uncertainty. Between the advent of ghost jobs, discriminatory AI filters on resumes and cover letters, and business giants leading the charge on mandating return to office policies, knowing which way to turn to find something low stress, work from home or close to home, and can pay my bills…well friends, there’s a reason I keep at this pursuit. It is also why I am trying my best to make moves, pivot, give myself a new more readily hirable and overall helpful skill. Two weeks ago, after a bit research, I signed up for Google’s online education platform, Coursera, and enrolled in their Digital Marketing and E-commerce professional certificate program. Once completed will provide me with a certificate recognized as credible indicator of skill by most hiring managers and recruiters and a working knowledge of AI tools as they relate to the digital marketing realm. I’m two courses in, out of seven, and hope to mark the certificate as completed on my resume by December. If the certificate does not readily land me in new job, at the very least it will have taught me how to better market myself here and in other potential future endeavors. But wait, there’s more…
Earlier this year I followed through on doing something I have been meaning to get done for at least three years now. I affirmed that I have Adult Attention Deficit Disorder (AADD). You may be thinking “don’t you mean ADHD" Nope, and that’s likely why it took so long for an objective observer to suggest its possibility and for me to follow up on getting it confirmed, This dx, honestly, came as such an overwhelming relief. Shortly thereafter I joined a social media support group for neurodivergent individuals looking for work or struggling in their current careers. I swear with age comes a degree of boldness. Normally, I am a passive observer on social media, but one sunny Thursday an admin made a post encouraging group members to promote themselves if they were business owners/freelancers/entrepreneurs of any variety. For whatever reason I decided f-it, why not. Soon after a fellow member had enthusiastically messaged me about an audiobook project they felt I was a good fit for. Talk about serendipity! The topic is ADHD in women. And let me tell you, of what I’ve read and narrated so far it is S-P-O-T O-N! If you are reading this and totally relate, and are curious to give it a read by all means check it out! The audiobook is still in progress so at this time I can’t tell you to go give it a listen. When it’s all wrapped up I promise to post again, with a link to the audiobook as well as add a sample to my demos page. In the meanwhile just know I am quite excited about this particular collaboration!
Final move I’ve made is biting the bullet and paying for a membership with voices.com. That may not sound like a big deal, but their fee is ridiculous, but so is the traffic they get. As I mentioned before some of what I have learned so far in my Coursera course I am already finding applicable here, and in my general self-promotion. Slowly, but sure I am working on implementing that knowledge and genuinely hope to provide more regular updates here. As well as an overall better experience on this site. I have already been adding SEO descriptors, and amended my booking page to a Connect page to highlight where you can send me a project/script, like on voices.com.
I am not yet ready to say that all these moves have equated to a real turning point in my VO career, day job pursuit, or overall life trajectory, but nevertheless I wanted to share them. I wanted to share these strides I am making, though some may prove to be stumbling clocks, others may prove to be springboards. That said as another takeaway from what I’m learning on Coursera is I think I am starting to get a better sense to of how I want to use this particular space. I to share the revelations, the teaching moments, the learning curves that is the fledgling VO artist’s journey. It might get soap-boxy about the role of AI or struggle of audiobook production, but the ultimate intent will be to share minimally filtered honest perspective and insights on what the grind in this field looks like, both good and bad. Which will hopefully inspire you, my dear reader, to make moves of your own.
Cait O.