Things I don’t want

I saw a job listing for an “Influencer Specialist” yesterday. The job description requires the successful applicant to manage “influencer marketing campaigns – briefing, negotiating and facilitating delivery of content”.

Just in case you missed the rise of the influencer, they’re people with huge numbers of social media followers who are paid to promote brands to them. It’s become a very popular form of targeted advertising in recent years.

I know becoming an influencer is regarded as a legitimate career option these days and highly sought after among teenage girls, but the thought of managing influencers for a living … yeah, nah.

I have been doing a lot of soul searching recently about who I want to be and what I find meaningful and fulfilling.

I love growing website traffic and engagement. The dream would be to get my hands on something that needs re-energising. I know I could make a difference.

I love cracking “people codes” – learning what makes different demographics click and then maximizing it. It’s such a buzz.

But I’m also open to trying something completely new.

I was a bit shocked by a survey of more than 600 business leaders by the Human Rights Commission and Australian HR Institute found that 17% of respondents classified 51- to 55-year-old workers as “older”, compared with just 11% in 2018.

That’s so short sighted. We fiftysomethings should be sought after employees. We have so much knowledge, our kids are independent or on the verge of it, and we don’t mess around. We’re powerhouses who know how to work hard and efficiently. We also don’t think of ourselves as old – our inner image of ourselves is still 35.

Age Discrimination Commissioner Kay Patterson told the Australian Financial Review that COVID-19 has made it harder for people over 50 to find work due to unconscious bias.

“Businesses ought to be looking at the value of multi-generational workplaces, and the more important thing isn’t your chronological age but your capability to do your job.

“The older we all get, the more diverse we are in terms of our abilities … so you’re not just having [older] people leaving and losing their knowledge but you’re missing out on people coming in with a range of knowledge.”

I’m looking forward to putting my knowledge to new uses. I want to work with bosses who are bold, innovative and empathetic, who also have good hearts. There have been far too many people in my history who have been lacking in those things. I will never stop believing that you can be successful in business without having a black heart.

Outside of work, I started compiling a list of things I would like over the weekend – none of them are wild or crazy or expensive. It’s pretty middle of the road stuff.

I want to drive a car that gets me between A and B without warning lights flashing.

I want to live somewhere that is warm and dry and not covered in Indian Minor poo.

I want to wake up feeling bright and energised.

I want to be able to buy the handbag I saw in a boutique window near my local coffee shop.

I want to believe in myself more – to feel that I am a good person and friend and mother.

I want to be healthier.

I want to stress less and relax more.

I want to have a break from worry.

Hopefully I will have some good news on that front later this week.

Song of the day: Queen “I want to break free”