01 Apr My Job

When I started in my field 35 yeas ago, the tools of my trade consisted of a jar of rubber cement and an exacto knife. My desk tilted upwards and I used a t-square to line up the board on my desk. I used a proportion wheel, a loupe and a blue pencil to make sure my work was just perfect. Just like you’d expect an old person to say, it was a real craft back then.

Today, my tools consist of a keyboard and screen.

Even the name of my field has changed. What used to be called advertising is now split up into marketing, communications and — social media. I would never have imagined that what I learned in college years ago would take the shape it is in today.

Most of my old colleagues call the transition in my business a disgrace. I find it just the opposite. Imagine back then. We’d do an ad and place it in a magazine. Months later we’d do a focus group to get feedback. Today, I place an ‘ad’ online and get instant two-way conversation. That just makes my heart race!

I’m going back to school this summer at Parsons to refresh my skills. In order to re-train myself I am setting a goal to learn every single thing I can about this exciting new field, social media. I want to learn how to Twitter in my sleep, how to log in my location with FourSquare, and how to make a video go viral.

I have set a goal to walk every single square mile in NY while there . . . and post on Facebook all the experiences along the way. On my return, I just know I will have re-packaged myself as cool, hip, bad . . . and I’ll surely blend in just perfectly into an office filled with newly-minted 25-year-old marketing professionals just like me. Ya think?

Please go to my Facebook page and hit the LIKE button. I promise to take you on the same magical mystery ride I’m about to undertake.