Like any other kid growing up to be a teen, of course, I have many dreams. And a huge part of them is always tied to jobs. Don't ask me why I dream of labor.. maybe I actually love doing things and knowing that my work helps others somehow. And also to enjoy nice things in life.
Scientist (oh man lil Cindy didn't have a clue), detective, badminton coach, fashion designer, marine biologist, Chinese medicine practitioner, and finally, psychologist. If you've been here before, you might already know that I did study psychology, but never ended up being a proper psychologist.
But apart from those very concrete, very specific jobs that I had come to know and imagined myself doing, there's one moment from my teenage years that I clearly remember.
I can't remember which year it was, but I was just starting to discover and fall in love with this thing called the internet. What it does to me then and now, is open doors. And it's also my window to the world.
Imagine sitting down in your house and yet being able to be in touch with what people in Denmark care about, the emerging fashion trends from Paris, and what the west side of the world thinks about equality. I thought about how great it would be if one day, I can get a job where I can be on the internet, browsing and finding and learning new stuff all day every day. It sounded kinda incredible at that time because obviously, that kind of job didn't exist. Well, some lucky people get to be a blogger, but for 99% others it probably wasn't a feasible money-making thing.
But man.. fast forward 10 years later and here I am. Writing, being on the internet all the time, making life easier for people, and getting paid for it. In many ways, it's really a dream come true. My official title, content designer (or UX writer, depending on where you work), didn't even exist back then. When I was in uni realising that I gave too much practical advice to be a psychologist, I wanted to be a copywriter. Ok, tbh copywriter isn't that far away from a content designer.. but they're different.
I was having dinner with some friends and we were talking about the tech field being in shambles these days when the fact that I'm living my dream crossed my mind again. And that's why I started writing this with my phone just before going to bed that night. Luck plays a part, for sure.
My first company took chance on someone who has a very minimal portfolio but hmmm demonstrated a good thought process.
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I somehow gained enough confidence to apply for a role at Facebook, got through up till the last stage, and took back precious learnings of what I was not doing enough.
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As the more senior people left my company at that time, I got to work on and get involved deeper with big projects.
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And because I was feeling good and productive, I took on the chance to volunteer as a content strategist with a non-profit that tried to build low-cost ventilators.
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Thanks to that slight familiarity with the health industry (and probably other things too), I got a job at a fast-growing health-tech company.
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Learned so so much in a year, but in the end, I felt like I gave too much and didn't have the capacity, emotional bandwidth, and support to "hone my craft".
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I probably would have bear with it longer, if not for my breakup. Was feeling decisive and was like "oh yup maybe something else would suit me better"
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Got a job at a company with probably one of the most established content design teams
So yeah, that's where I am. In the past almost one year, I have been learning a lot. Getting to know some very nice, super-smart people. Working on complicated projects that could sometimes take way longer than I imagined to launch (for a good reason, I always hope). Seeing right in front of me how a good content design team operates, the standard being held, the crits, the forums to show your work. It's amazing.
At this moment, I am what I wanted to be.
I feel like I have been riding a wave, it brought me to this good place that.. is good. But now, I can't help to feel like it's time to swim to catch a new wave.
A big part of this comes from simply being inspired by people that I interact with day to day. I used to think that to be a great content designer, then well you need to be great at designing content. No shit. But just during the first few weeks of being in my current company, I realised that it's only one piece out of the whole puzzle. Of course, you need to meet a certain standard there, but I noticed that people have their own strengths and are good at different things.
It's the things like approaching and documenting projects very systematically so that every discussion point is recorded and can be referred to anytime. Facilitating a good brainstorming session where people feel included. Following up and leaning into action to keep the momentum going. Sharing about your work confidently, and yet being open to constructive feedback, not just affirmation. Being curious and experimental in trying to make the process better. Showing up even when you're not feeling particularly motivated. And a few more.
Out of those points, I am better at some and worse at others. I don't think it's realistic to be great at everything, but what I want to do is double down on my strengths and identify a couple of areas that I care more about and actively improve on those.
A second angle that I'm thinking about is the impact I'm making. Naturally, I have a very soft way of approaching things and also a zen understanding of life. Don't get me wrong, I feel that it's a good thing and will not have it any other way. It also brings me to good places. But the concept that recently came to me is that: I don't have to see "strong" as the opposite of "soft". I can anticipate without worrying. I can request without demanding. I can teach without prescribing. I can invest and not feel like I'm wasting anything. I can demand more of myself without being hard on myself. I can have high hopes and still be content.
At the end of the day, I feel like I can be more. So that's where I'm swimming towards 🏝️
