Jubilation... and Disappointment

America has spoken -- and spoken loudly. I think the main message the election results have given our country, and the world, is that we need a change. We're fed up with corruption in Washington and with the bullying and violence that our government has brought to already-unstable regions of the world. I have high hopes that Americans can finally come together and that integrity and openness can finally take the place of greed and corruption, and that moves toward peace can finally take the place of moves into a deeper, more futile war.

I remain hopeful.

Employers have also spoken... and at this point, I have no prospects on the horizon. I feel physically ill over it right now, because one position that I was fairly certain would be offered to me, a producer position at a local casual game company, was not. I need to sit myself down and clarify who I am, what I do well, and what I don't do well. In a sentence, I think it comes down to this: I am a very good producer of non- or low-tech educational media, but I lack the deep technical skills that a software producer needs in today's gaming market. I think I need to direct my search more to educational publishing and less to gaming. I could have written that health text if the mandated content didn't go against everything that I believe in regarding teens, respect and health. And I create and produce great table-top games and print curricula. Maybe that's what I need to focus on now, and let the Seattle hi-tech gaming market pass me by. There are some great table-top game companies here, too -- smaller companies that produce lower-tech learning games for kids. THAT'S where I belong, and I think I just need to court those companies and leave the other stuff to the whipper-snapper young gamers -- the ones who beat me out of those jobs every time, anyway. Once I take a deep breath and stop feeling sorry for myself, I'll take a fresh look at my resume, my web portfolio and my LinkedIn profile (feedback welcome!). I'll make sure they represent who I am and what I do well, and I will move forward in my quest to find The Perfect Job.

I remain hopeful.