Here I am on the TTC again. I really wish I had headphones but they’re still in my travel bag at home. I’m heading over to Centennial College to chat with a class of Advanced Social Media year 3 students about my life and work. I try to say yes as often as I can when a friend or close contact asks me to chat with their class. It’s always an opportunity for me to learn.
I love their questions. I love reminding them that the job they’ll have one day might not, and probably doesn’t even exist. It’s ok if they don’t know what they want to do yet. I remind them to find something they love doing and become really, really good at it. I tell them to explore creativity and try new things. To not be afraid of other people who can’t see their vision or grasp their unique idea. There have been so many times in my career where the person/people I was working with or for, didn’t get my idea. Most the time it was because only I could see so far ahead, not as far as me. They weren’t there yet. Having the skills and knowledge to see an idea before anyone else will often keep you ahead of the pack.
When I worked at CTV for Much/MTV Canada I remember telling my boss it would be a good idea to put the show hashtag on the tv screen. He totally thought I was crazy and made me feel bad about my ‘dumb’ idea. We all know how that turned out, eh? Another time at an agency job I suggested we get this cool InstaPrint thing from NYC. It involved hiring a guy to man 4 machines onsite for the event that would print little photos of any Instagram w/ the hashtag. I had to fight for it to stay in the budget and I’m glad I did. The launch event trended across Canada and thousands of photos were printed that night.
The talk was good. I sat at a desk like everyone else in the class and told them my story. Shared some challenges, exciting things, and took questions. No presentation, I was there for a talk. I wanted to be on their level. I asked them things too! Instagram was the most popular app in the room. One guy sends a lot of memes via DM. They’re still on FB. Some like Snapchat. Left an open call for interns.
The students varied in age but they all laughed at my jokes.
Thanks Jessica for inviting me to speak with your students!
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