Yesterday, someone asked me out for coffee to get some career advice for his new “portfolio career”. As usual, I gave terrible-sounding advice he didn’t ask for: “You need to be less generic when you tell others what you do.”
What sounds generic?
“I help solve problems in your company.”
“I drive transformational change.”
“I help you grow your brand.”
“I build synergy between teams” (I really hate this!)
For many mid-career folks who decide they want to leave the comfort of corporate life and start hustling, they take some time to realise the world doesn’t care for generic lingo.
Instead, you must clearly define your ROLE and your OUTCOME.
While I am known as many things – university lecturer, Gen AI consultant, and LinkedIn Lunatic (sorry, I meant LinkedIn Top Voice) – I am fundamentally a teacher who imparts communication skills.
What subjects do I teach? Well, many things like journalism, marketing, design, and AI. It confuses the layman but I am clear that I’m teaching people how to communicate with each other and now, with machines. I teach different audiences a range of hard skills, soft skills, and thinking skills, and ultimately these skills must lead a person to become a better communicator and producing real impact.
Of course, I didn’t figure this out overnight. I embarked on this teaching path in 2023 and I constantly refine and clarify the work that I do and the value that I bring. I did up this visual to put down my definitions of myself over the years, and it’s a thought process everyone should go through for themselves.
DESCRIBE THYSELF! What is your job and what do you offer the world?