It's been business as usual over the past few weeks, with my time being split between working as an online copywriter at mydeco, hunting down new copywriter job openings and "celebrating the amazingness of life" in London over pints with friends (thanks to my mydeco colleague, Ms. Clare Saxon, for the great quote).
My role with mydeco has evolved over the past week to include writing their brand guide. I have some experience implementing brand guidelines but this is the first time I've worked on the high-level strategic planning for a brand guide. We've only begun what could be a lengthy project, but I feel we're already making good progress. The most enjoyable part of the process is being able to put forward my idea of what the mydeco brand is all about. As a relative outsider, I'm hoping I can bring some clarity to the process of simplifying what is a complex product offering. For better or worse, I'm still playing the waiting game with a few job applications, which means I'll likely have another 5 weeks to put my stamp on the mydeco brand, and I'm proud to be a part of this exciting and fast-growing company.
The best way I could describe my current situation with regards to job prospects would be as being in limbo. While I have had a few opportunities arise in the past few weeks, and have had my CV put forward as a serious candidate for three unique copywriter positions, it is hard to gain any sense of the true potential for employment. With so many talented creative people also looking for work, companies and recruiters spend much of their time wading through countless applications. Of course, the regular work never ceases, so the process of narrowing down the candidates takes a long time. And it can take a toll.
For candidates like myself, every day that passes becomes more discouraging. No matter how many times you call the company or the recruiter, you can't make the process go any quicker. All you can do is file your anxiety in the back of your mind and get on with things - otherwise, you'll be overwhelmed by it all. I've found throwing myself into my work with mydeco has helped keep my own concerns about getting a full-time job at bay. And with a viral marketing competition starting next week between the mydeco staff, I'll have an opportunity to get back to my true passion: advertising.
Ten years ago, I never thought I would actually work in advertising, let alone miss working in advertising. Funny how things change. Right now, with so many questions about my future unanswered, the only sure thing I know is that things will change more. Like a book, each day that comes and goes is another page. Never a boring one in the bunch. If only I could skip ahead to the beginning of the next chapter. I'd really like to know how this will all turn out. Because, for once in my life, I really don't know what's next. We'll just have to wait and see, won't we?
