Mom, Dad, and long time readers:
You’ve seen me struggle to satiate my passion for movement for over three years. I’ve blogged about this love of travel and my desire to get paid to live this lifestyle enough to make you and me both sick. It seemed like an impossible task, but I’m here today to tell you…I did it. My blog got me all the trappings of a travel job.
Sincerely,
Lindsay
The Exposure
Those of you who know me in a travel/internet capacity know I’m a cheerleader for creating blogs, venues for expression in this age of geographic irrelevance. Lindsay as a person has no need for a blog to talk about feelings. Person Lindsay has a couple journals for that purpose.
Lindsay as a traveler and entrepreneur has a huge reason for maintaining a blog, frequent facebook and twitter updates, and a large time investment in online property. As someone with an interest in something that others can relate to or learn from, there’s great relevance in me spending time on this site.
I’ve tried lots of things to attract viewers, and with traffic, one can do many, many things with a blog, namely earn money and recognition. In one of my regular Consume & Update postings (which highlight other travel/blogging-related people or topics), I displayed a few videos on good global citizenship, a theme facilitated by an organization called Project Explorer. Because websites are awesome and can do magical things, the director of this organization found my post and started looking around the rest of the site.
Lesson Learned: A blog is a very effective resume and porfolio.
The Interaction
Soon after the publishing of said post, director Jenny Buccos e-mailed me to suggest my own creation of a good global citizen video. As I was about to leave for the Fiji trip, Garrett and I decided to make ours on site, which I then paired with a post that elaborated on my ideals. Check out how good I look there in the humid wilderness.
Meanwhile, I continued to blog, create videos, and post photos galore all about The Nakavika Project, all of which actively pronounced my interest in travel as a means of education and betterment. Jenny then sent the following message:
Hope all is well in sunny Fiji. I am following your adventures online. I am wondering when you will be back in the states and what you may have lined up next? I produce/direct the award-winning Project Explorer series and would very much like to talk to you about possibly applying for a position on our team. We have an upcoming project in Mexico.
Seriously? All because I found a cool article on Matador, wrote about it, and made a three minute video? Well, I guess at this point I shouldn’t be so amazed at the power of three minute videos and online property, but could it be that I could gain a job without a strenuous search – one that combines my most favorite activities and an income?
Lesson Learned: Make yourself accessible to the people wanting to connect with you, and cherish those connections that feel organic and positive.
The Follow-up
After returning home from Fiji, I spent oodles of time developing my online resume, researching deeper into Project Explorer’s make-up, and creating yet another video application, all the while continuing to publish musings and glimpses of our project and the South Pacific.
This time, I wanted to accentuate that which was probably my defining characteristic among the other applicants: I could be in front of or behind the camera. I soon had a slew of phone interviews with various PE members, where I learned more about the position and the upcoming Mexico series. The job actually involved travel that I didn’t have to pay for, creative work they were convinced I could display, and pay, on top of other perks – a concept very foreign to me in this world of travel documenting.
Lesson Learned: Make yourself a hot commodity, differentiating yourself from the millions out there just like you. And always put your best foot forward, showing unflappable work ethic, solid determination, and a personable core that adds the topping cherry.
The Accomplishment
I’m no Tony Bourdain nor anything close to his valued crew. I’ve been a babysitter, an administrative duty doer, and an unpaid work-a-holic for years. I am NOT used to getting paid to do what I love, and I imagine a good portion of the world doesn’t have that luxury, either.
But amazingly enough, because I’ve followed my passion, against many nay-sayers and unpromising events, and applied myself to this online space that is my own, I got a bonafide travel dream job that will soon send me to Mexico for three weeks as a producer, shooter, and photographer of an online educational series for children.
Lesson Learned: Don’t hide your skills and passions under a bushel. Let them shine through your blog.
