Overheard: how rejection can lead to your ideal job

Skyline view of Paris with Eiffel Tower in background.

There is a great presentation on Stanford University’s site about the growing trend for data visualisation for anyone looking to get into this relatively new and niche area of content creation. It’s an hour long mix of interviews and resources, and well worth a view.

Don’t be put off by the title, though: Journalism in the Age of Data. This is not just for journalists but for anyone wanting to simplify the flood of information using straightforward visuals (or sophisticated multimedia, narrative ones) to explain data or other complex information.

What I particularly liked about it was a quote from a young lady called Amanda Cox, at around three minutes into Chapter 2:

“I wasn’t going to be a good academic so I started thinking what do I want to do? I started applying to random things… my thought was, what am I disappointed at being rejected by? And one of them was a graphics intern at the New York Times.”

Not only is Amanda Cox now the graphics editor at the New York Times but she is also known as the ‘Queen of InfoViz’ in this growing industry.

So if you were ever wondering about your ideal job, perhaps ask yourself what jobs have you been disappointed NOT to get? Your niche interest area may lead to career fast-tracking or even becoming a leader in your chosen profession. Now that’s what I call a positive negative.

Other posts you might like:

1 comment

  • Carrie-Jean,

    I love this post. Emerging careers are terrific for people with transferable skills because employers often can’t find experienced people to hire.

    Thank you for sharing!

    Donna

Leave your comment

CJ Walker

Related Posts

Call to action

Unlocking New Career Paths: How RAG Skills Can Empower Technical Communicators

Number 20 in our series on skills for modern technical communicators Remember when technical documentation was just about writing clear instructions? Those days are disappearing as artificial intelligence transforms our profession. This week, we're exploring a technology that's becoming a…...

14 July 2025
CJ Walker

Upskilling in Technical Communication

Happy New Year 2025 to all you! We here at Firehead hope your year is filled with success and satisfaction in your career journey. If you are a digital communicator, you are privileged to be in one of the most…...

6 January 2025
CJ Walker

Looking at the ‘Future Present’ – How Will AI Manifest in 2025?

Advances in AI haven’t plateaued or stalled, so we aren’t confronted with a ‘what next’ scenario. The only question is: ‘How soon?’ And in the words of one speculative fiction author (William Gibson), ‘the future is here now – it’s…...

30 December 2024
CJ Walker