Suggestions for my new job or career?

September 21, 2008 2:01 PM

I've done some soul-searching, and I've come up with some ideas for new jobs or careers for myself, but I know there are other possibilities out there that I just haven't thought of yet. Based on my skills and interests, can you think of a great job or career for me?

My three favorite skills are:

1. Creating unusual and hilarious new ideas quickly and spontaneously.
2. Deeply evaluating new ideas created by others and making recommendations on the best ones to use.
3. Enthusiastically adapting, experimenting with, applying, improving, and promoting other people's good ideas, particularly if the ideas aren't well-known.

My three favorite interests are:

1. Personal counseling and guidance: finding, integrating, and using new ideas
2. Entertainment: humor, oddity, and other forms of surprise
3. Writing

I have technical experience (computer programming and other work for fifteen years, project management) and creative experience as well (acting, music, and writing). I also love taking care of people--service and support jobs have suited me well in the past.

What career fields do my skills and interests suggest to you?

posted by springo to Work & Money (8 answers total)

Advertising or retail management?
posted by docmccoy at 2:16 PM on September 21, 2008

Software marketing. You could start with freelance marketing communications consulting or even technical writing, since you like writing. And then, as you build up your experience and knowledge, you could move into other areas of marketing or even business planning.
posted by acoutu at 2:22 PM on September 21, 2008

English teacher.
posted by boots77 at 2:37 PM on September 21, 2008

An advertising agency is a service business dedicated to creating, planning and handling advertising (and sometimes other forms of promotion) for its clients. An ad agency is independent from the client and provides an outside point of view to the effort of selling the client's products or services. An agency can also handle overall marketing and branding strategies and sales promotions for its clients.

Typical ad agency clients include businesses and corporations, non-profit organizations and government agencies. Agencies may be hired to produce single ads or, more commonly, ongoing series of related ad campaigns through multiple forms of media. Ad agencies need creative brains to envision, promote, sell, and execute these campaigns.

Advertising is the fine art of making you think you have longed for something all your life that you never heard of before.
posted by netbros at 2:42 PM on September 21, 2008

I also thought "advertising" first.

You might go into ads and pitch TV pilots on the side, or something like that.
posted by Beardman at 5:03 PM on September 21, 2008

Do you have any serious hang ups about performing on stage?

If not you might try joining an Improv Group, which can lead to sketch writing and helpful if you want to pursue stand up comedy and/or writing for a TV show. The Onion and such like also likes writers that have improv experience.
posted by DetonatedManiac at 5:10 PM on September 21, 2008

All three of your skills would be well-used in the public policy realm.
posted by salvia at 7:52 PM on September 21, 2008

Producer / writer on a children's TV show.
posted by pseudostrabismus at 9:38 AM on September 22, 2008 [1 favorite]