Episode 04: Measure of a Man
This is the fourth episode of The Life and Times of Mike – Navigating a Scenario 2 workscape
Mike realises he needs to update how he describes himself – the old descriptions no longer fit
It’s crazy how people put you in box. They know you in one circumstance and think that’s all there is to know about you.
I haven’t been public before about my dreams to have a band. Maybe people will think I’m crazy to try something like this at my age. I do have a bit of a niggle of doubt about what people will think of me. But I am sure I’d like people to think of me as someone who takes a bit of a risk and isn’t stuck in a rut.
As a bit of research, I asked the guys at work how they’d describe me. They said: reliable, hard-working, dry sense of humour, loyal, good problem solver and caring. The last two were a bit of a surprise – I don’t think I say anything about that in my resume, better change that!
I saw a great resource in the Folkscape Library that gets you to reflect on your Vocational Highlights. Cos I’ve got music on my mind, I’m thinking of it like ‘My Greatest Hits at Work’. It was a trip down memory lane for sure. I’d completely forgotten some of the things I did 15 or 20 years ago. For example, I’m really proud that I did a First Aid Course and was able to use that knowledge to help a person who had an allergic response to a chemical at work. That’s also something I don’t think is mentioned in my resume. It’s something worth highlighting too. (I could probably also use that as a story to inspire others on the team, about the importance of health and looking after each other.)
Starting the band has made me realise that I’m pretty good at working with people and organising stuff – not just in the factory. After our first meeting, I was on a bit of a high about the feeling of I got from the others about trust, respect and wanting to follow my lead. It made me realise that I’d like to be known as a leader who can inspire a team, as well as someone who can be practical (factory job) alongside being creative (music).
I’m doing the music thing because I’ve got a creative soul and think I’ll enjoy performing in front of others. There’s more stuff to know about me that others probably don’t realise, and I don’t think I’ve really valued before.
I’ve been focused on this Reputation stuff for my resume – but nobody’s going to see that unless I’m applying for a job. When I joined up a Meetup group recently, it wanted me to put in a few words in a profile about myself. I’ve never done that before. So I going to take what I learnt from the conversation with the guys and the Vocational Highlight activity and see what I can come up with in 50 words or less. I can also mention about the music side-gig – ‘cos that’s part of my story now too. Lyndie, my partner, is great at words and writing, so I’m going to get her help on this too. I find it difficult to promote myself – don’t want to be a tall poppy that gets cut down!
The band is going to need to build a Reputation as well. Time to ask the kids to teach me a bit about Social Media. I’ve no idea which ones to use and what would be involved. The guys at work want to know if they’ll be able to see us perform on a YouTube video. Umm, have to think about that.
For now I only want to think about social media for the band. I hear people talking about this thing called LinkedIn – but I don’t know if that’s for people like me who work in factories. When I catchup with the Marty, (he’s the guy doing comedy who inspired me to do a side gig), I’ll get his thoughts and advice.
<< Previous Episode Next Episode >>
(Amended) Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash
