What do you do?

What do you do? This is probably one of the most commonly asked questions in society today when meeting someone new. It’s almost as expected a question to answer in a networking environment or at a party as “What’s your name?”. For me though, it’s one of the hardest possible questions to answer. I’ve done a lot of things. I do a lot of things. Narrowing what I do down to just one thing is practically impossible for me. I’ve worked in so many different industries and done so many different type jobs that I think for me it’s been more of a process of elimination to rule out things I know I don’t do.

Job hunting is a drab process. Finding a job is a job in itself – and it’s something I’ve done countless times and in quite a few different countries. It always starts out as a hopeful and sort of exciting task, but after a few hours, well, it’s just not. You find cool-sounding jobs and get excited about the job descriptions, but then you start to read the “qualifications” or “required skills” and it starts to get depressing. 6/10 requirements fit perfectly, but then you’re lacking 7 years of work experience within some specific area or you don’t know how to use some computer program that’s “absolutely essential”. And then the application wants you to completely reiterate your CV on their site – and it doesn’t allow you to copy and paste. Just one application can end up taking hours, some can take days. I think part of the vetting process for employers these days is to see how much time you’re willing to spend on their long and drawn-out application process, to see how badly you really want the job.

Yesterday, as I worked through one of these long applications, I was pleasantly surprised to find myself writing a cover letter that seemed to really express who I am and what I actually believe in. When I first saw the request for a cover letter, the combination of my hangover and a general lack of sleep made the notion of writing a cover letter seem incredibly unpleasant. Yet as I started writing, I was very happy to have been so inspired by the actual job description that the cover letter stirred something inside of me and I found myself feeling very impassioned as I was writing it.

The job I was applying for was with an organisation that helps bring funding to promising new startups. I’m a big believer in startups and I feel very strongly that they should have as much help as can be made available to them. As a general advocate for change, I was very excited to even have the opportunity to apply for this job. Below is the body of my cover letter (which was capped at 200 words):

After having lived and worked around the world, it has become a matter of utmost importance to me to do work that is meaningful to me and that I consider to be both challenging and fun. I am incredibly driven and determined to master every job I do – a trait that has now seen me work across a wide variety of industries. I have worked in fashion, retail, hospitality, the travel industry, advertising, education and entertainment, and for companies as large as Netflix and as small as startups with less than 3 people on board. From this experience, I have learned what kind of work I enjoy and consider to be important, and startups are at the core of this belief.

Working with startups has become a passion for me. As Millennial, it is characteristic of my generation to pioneer new and better ways of working and it is a cause I am committed to. I believe in change and growth and I think the startup movement is a wave of positive change that is helping to change our world for the better.

The process of writing this cover letter helped me to more clearly express what it is that I “do” and what kind of “work” I’m looking for. I am an advocate for change for the better. I like to inspire people and I myself need to constantly feel inspired. I think life is short and you only have one chance at it so don’t waste a single second. Don’t wallow away in indecision and uncertainty with a job, relationship or even location you aren’t certain about; get passionate about it, or get rid of it. What do I do? I question everything. I do jobs I love. I live in places I want to live. I don’t waste my time on dead-end relationships. I surround myself with positive and inspirational people. I laugh a lot. I write – I LOVE to write. I drink really good wine. I love to cook and try new restaurants. I do yoga – a lot. I run – a lot. I read – a lot. These are all things I do and I’ll continue to do. I want everyone to find their passions and live them and love them as I have and do and will continue to do. And hopefully, as I continue my “job hunt”, I will stumble into something that supports one or more of my passions and I can add that to the long list of things I “do”.