Every once in a while, we like to lob a softball out for everyone to answer. Of course, if you hate what you do, then I guess this wouldn’t really be a softball question for you (good luck on the job search when the economy rebounds, though!) For the rest of us, there are just certain things we do that make us feel good about choosing our profession. I love using the analogy of the game of Careers where different professions bring in different categories of success. Few of us get a good balance between fame (), happiness (), and salary($), but sometimes we get close. [FYI – I’m still trying to think of a good Elephant Post Question that brings in the rules of Careers… let me know if you have a good one!)] We have a number of perspectives this week where people have found a good balance, and enjoy what they do. Whether it is Marketing, KM, Libraries, or CI, it seems that the common theme is that they like what they do, and they feel like they are accomplishing something everyday. Don’t worry if you didn’t get a chance to contribute to this week’s post. After you read the perspectives on this week’s question, we give everyone a chance to answer next week’s question… all without even having to leave this page!! Marketing Perspective Socialicious Danny Johnson I work in Marketing at NetDocuments and manage the social media strategy. Taking what I like to do, interact with people, to work, makes it amazing. Also, cloud computing is the emerging tech of the decade and being a part of it is fascinating. Its a fast paced market so it forces me to stay current or else get left behind. Knowledge Management Perspective You mean there’s something NOT to like? Ayelette Robinson Other than not being able to spend more time out in the sun and fresh air (though my pale skin probably wouldn’t handle that very well in any case), everything about my profession is right up my alley. In no particular order, here’s what I love about my profession: I get to leverage all my prior professional knowledge as though all my prior positions led me in a straight line to where I am today (though they didn’t, at least not intentionally), I get to think of creative conceptual and visual solutions to problems which exercises the artistic side of my brain, I get to have fun picking technology apart and putting it back together again, I get to hang out with both lawyers (business problem solvers) and geeks (techies), I get to work on collaborative teams, I get to make others’ lives easier, I get to bask in the knowledge that there will always be new and increasingly interesting problems to solve, and last but certainly not least, I get to cross paths with the smartest, most interesting, and most fun professionals I know, which inspires me and humbles me every single day. Law Librarian Perspective Magical Research Moments Ellen Quinn Research and problem solving. I love deconstructing a question, considering or discovering resources and then applying them to solve the problem before me. That time of intense concentration and problem-solving zen is what got me into the profession of law librarianship and what keeps it new and interesting. I enjoy the social aspects of research –collaboration with attorneys, staff, courts, government agencies, help desk staff, and other librarians – to provide solutions for our clients. I also love the little things, those “pulling a rabbit out of a hat” moments. These usually involve a request for a specific item – the requester doesn’t know where to find it so they come to you. And because you have many years of experience, you have a thorough working knowledge of legal and non-legal resources, and because you regularly get that same sort of question in various guises – you email the item to them before they (a) get back to their office, or (b) within a five minutes after you get the email request, or (c) you pull an actual book off the shelf right before their eyes, – or (d) because you know that other librarians want to help, you take advantage of interlibrary loan networks and that world-class research library down the street. Competitive Intelligence Manager Perspective “It’s not a job, it’s a profession” Emily C. Rushing Some folks have “jobs” and that’s fine. I’ve had many jobs, jobs are good things. But to have a profession is so much more rewarding. Definitions of “profession” cite to a “calling” and require “specialized knowledge” and “long and intensive academic preparation”. They also reference the “whole body of people engaged in a profession”. This calling and the community is one of the things I most love about my profession. We debate and disagree (hopefully respectfully), but library/research/knowledge/intelligence professionals can and do collaborate, share ideas and work together to improve ourselves and the practices of our institutions. The folks in my profession are some of the smartest, most interesting and dedicated people I’ve ever known. So, belonging to library and intelligence communities as a fellow professional, to me, is better than any ole’ job. Like my colleagues, it’s my profession and my calling. Lawyer Perspective Chief Builder Donna Chmura I am a business lawyer. What I like most about it is that I am helping to build something for my clients, rather than tear something down or pick up the pieces in litigation. The second-best thing is being able to learn about so many businesses and industries, and what makes them tick. Information Technology Perspective Solidarity Scott Preston There are several aspects of my profession that I love. As a technologist, I love the fact that the profession is in a constant state of change. Perhaps the approach toward finding and implementing technology does not change as frequently as it should, but certainly technology is constantly changing and that keeps things interesting. Another aspect of my profession that I love is the legal environment. I work with some of the best and brightest legal minds in the industry and these people expect the best in everyone around them. As I like to say, you better be willing and able to bring your “A” game or you will not last long in the legal environment. You must have a good understanding of how you will approach challenges and be comfortable having your ideas challenged. Finally, I love the camaraderie I have with my many peers at other law firms. I have always been amazed by the amount of information and idea sharing that goes on between law firm technologists, as well as other administrative areas. Law Librarian Perspective Sherlock Holmes…Eat your heart out! Mark Gediman I love searching for the needle in a haystack, following the breadcrumb trail and generally pulling a research rabbit out of my hat. Tracking down the obscure is fun and challenging, the more painstaking the better. That’s what makes me look forward to work in the morning. At least, I think that’s why. Marketing Perspective Voila! Lisa Salazar Creativity.I love taking literally “nothing”–air, web space, another dimension–and creating a new thing. It is a complete a total rush.And it gets really fun when you do it with other people. Some of the best days at work are days when me, the IT guys and the graphics guys sit around a table and come up with a new way to do things.Now that’s a rush! Next Week’s Elephant Post Question:

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