What's a dream job to me? (in this post - people [with job descriptions] I look up to)

Patrick Combs - a motivational speaker for college students across America who's got a really amazing job - he shares great advice, gives his listeners something to laugh about in the process, but most importantly, he inspires people to take their risks and live life bold. Had I not encountered him I wonder if I would have ever taken any internships during my Undergrad studies. I wonder if I would have cared to talk to my professors outside of classes or made my academic life even half as exciting as it has been. I also doubt that I would have passed up the chance to get my Master's for free at my previous college and taken the financial risk of going to DePaul so I probably wouldn't be in this amazing New Media Studies program.

I love being on stage [loved doing IMPROV back in high school too] and I've toyed around with different ideas on how to share technology-knowledge with an audience, while taking advantage of every modern kind of media out there. One day I'd love to be presenting something exciting on stage and integrating the feedback my audience is providing on the "back channel" via twitter and other similar tools.

Back to Patrick and his job, here is his website: http://www.goodthink.com/ - He's written some books [there's a fine example of "old media"], he has services listed and all sorts of useful things as well as his own online store.

In a way, this makes me realize that ideally in the future I'll have my own company. I could work for certain companies at times but I love the idea of having the independence and ability to make a living any way I chose. I love the idea of being able to shift priorities [such as work and family] as the situation arises. That actually makes me think of my second person whom I look up to very much. He is also a part of a company that I would love to work for (or have one of my own much like it) at some point in my future.

Brian Solis - Well, let's start by getting his self-description from his blog page - "Solis blogs at PR2.0, bub.blicio.us, and regularly contributes PR & tech insight to industry publications. Solis is among the original thought leaders who paved the way for Social Media. He’s a co-founder of the Social Media Club, is an original member of the Media 2.0 Workgroup, and also contributes to the Social Media Collective." And then there's his company at http://www.future-works.com/ with some services listed that happen to match things I've been following (and creating) on the web purely because of personal interest. I've always thought it'd be amazing to work at a job where what I do is something I love doing even without being paid and I will just copy and paste some of the things his company offers to show you things I've loved exploring for many years now:

		New Media Relations - Internet, print, blogs, and broadcast
		Social Media - Podcasts, blogs, conversations, vlogs
		Missionary Marketing - Cultivate new markets
		Market Relations - Uncover market needs
		Press Releases - Provide relevant and impactful news
		Press Tours - Ignite relationships and intro solutions
		Product/Company Launches - Make a strategic splash and continue momentum
		Collateral Development - Incorporate messages
		Brand Creation and Resonance - Build lasting equity
		Content - Develop compelling and meaningful copy
		Whitepapers/MODs - Highlight solution and its value
		Marketing Aesthetics - Leverage design into text docs
		Positioning and Messaging - Build the platform

I hope this makes it at least somewhat apparent why I look up to Brian so much. His biography on the company website, describing the way he started to become who he is today really got me more so than anything else - I can draw so many parallels between things he's done and things I've done or am currently doing. I know it may seem cheesy, almost like I'm doing a commercial for these two guys above but that's not true, I've simply been greatly inspired by them both (and felt it more realistic to focus on them as opposed to another 2 guys I've been tracking, namely, Bill Gates & Steve Jobs). As pointed out in class, I need to converge on something sometime but for my first "job post" I simply felt like re-examining why it is that I am still so "all over the place" career-wise. I suppose I'll include at least one eye-catching job-listing from some job-seeking website.

New Media Communications Strategist - it sounds relevant enough to New Media Studies, right? The longer job description goes as follows:

The nation’s largest child advocacy association currently has an opening for a New Media Communications Strategist. This individual will assist with planning new media promotions of PTA campaigns, programs, events, and initiatives, ad placement, research, and stewardship. This position will assist with developing new market activities and participating in organic/viral organizational growth, as well as integrating and growing new media with existing capabilities in search, mobile, and social networking arenas.

This is a nice contrast from the 2 guys I wrote about above, it's something I'd love to get involved with that features some of my favorite new technologies. The next part is what kicks me to a rather rude awakening from my dream, I need to do a decent bit more before being seriously considered as a candidate:

Position requires a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field or equivalent experience. Minimum 2-3 years experience in online media placement and advertising is needed. Digital and new media experience is required. Experience in project management is needed and experience in new business development is desirable. Experience with third party ad servers is essential. Position requires exceptional communication skills, both verbal and written, along with excellent project management skills. Ability to be flexible and effectively manage multiple projects, tasks and deadlines is required. Solid understanding of social media, search and emerging media with proven ability to apply to organizational communications is required.

2-3 years in online media placement? I've done a great number of things online but even adding all the time from ALL my internships to date probably doesn't amount to that. I wonder if some of my personal projects could be counted, I mean I HAVE placed a ton of media online. Then there's this last bit to make things even more difficult:

ONLY resumes including salary requirements will be considered.

Like I know exactly what salary requirements a recently graduated student with a Bachelor's is supposed to have. I've looked around and I've asked around... One problem with asking people who are much more mature in their career today is that their starting salary would appear awfully low by today's standards (inflation, higher gas prices, etc etc...) So after the dreamy part I of my post here's the "reality hits" part II. I'll work something out for myself to jump-start that true post-college career path, I'm sure of it, I just wonder how long it'd take me to do it...and I hope it doesn't take too long!