It's all about me! (Part 6)

This is the final segment on my professional evolution.  If you haven’t already, please read the previous versions. Back to Part 5.

After completing the Palm Beach Tan Operations Manual, I chose a more stable position at Aastra Intecom. I was hired because of a great vision from the documentation manager; she wanted to move their documentation library into modular single sourcing environment. I was considered an expert in this area, but I really hesitate to use the term expert. Unfortunately, due to budget constraints and a change in the company’s direction, this never became a reality. Instead I would spend the next two and half years doing basic technical writing. I did take this opportunity to create a web-based user interface for their global library, which helped me hone my website experience and continue my quest to become an Information Architect. I also did a lot of reading, primarily from the unofficial Information Architect handbook.

Finally in 2006, my daughter graduated high school, oh and I received my Bachelor of Science in Business/E-Business degree. With degree in hand, I feverishly started looking for a position as an Information Architect (IA). I think it’s time to use the abbreviation.  While there were several potential candidates, imc² continued to rise to the top of my list. In May of 2006, I sent my second resume and this time I got a bite. Setting the hook was a little more difficult, because they were only looking for a contract position and I was only looking for a permanent position.

Third time is a charm – Around September 2006, I applied for a permanent position at imc². This time I had a real phone interview, but I had a tough time convincing the hiring manager that I could do the job. So we agreed that I would create some typical IA deliverables and that did the trick. I was granted an interview and hired. That only took three years, not bad when you take a step back. Side note - a few days after accepting the position at imc², I was offered another IA position.

In November 2006, I started working for imc² as an Information Architect…IA for those of us in the industry. I have yet to mention that imc² was a marketing agency, not high tech, not DOD, and not a single technical writer. I was in a completely different world and it was good.

So here I am after four and a half years, I figured they haven’t kicked me out the door so this IA gig is working out. I work in an extremely flexible environment, where we can bring our dogs to work, wear shorts, flip flips, telecommute when needed and we even have unlimited time off. My path to becoming an IA was quite unusual; I often felt inferior, because I’m still learning so much about being an IA and the marketing industry. But I’ve decided that I’m not at all inferior, I just work with such talented people that I don’t rise to the top as quickly as I have in my past positions.