My Elevator Speech

I have one of those jobs which is kind of hard to sum up quickly in a sentence, like, “I’m a lawyer,” or “I sell counterfeit jewelry.” I’ve never been able to refine my spiel into the ‘elevator speech’ you’re supposed to have ready and waiting as a professional. Instead, I have to take the, “Well, it’s like this. . .” route, and tailor my account of what I do based on how much the person to whom I’m talking knows about digital media.

I am an SEO. I do search engine optimization for websites.

Here is the part where most people get the glazed, blank look where I know they have no idea what the hell I’m talking about. Let me explain: I make your website findable when people look for your stuff on Google or Yahoo! or whatever. It’s kind of the perfect job for me; a balance of creativity and technical proficiency that makes me decidedly dorky but highly evangelical about what I do. I could seriously talk about SEO all day, in a way that, as my audience is committing seppuku and leaping from windows, I’d still be happily rattling on, oblivious to the mayhem and carnage before me.

Today a colleague mentioned that my name had come up in an industry-related podcast. Now, the SEO world is pretty small, but still, I had no idea I was on such a short list. The podcaster was actually quoting this article about some of the 60 top in-house SEO’s in America. I was included on the list, and now I feel like a total bad-ass. A flattered bad-ass, but a bad-ass nonetheless. It’s nice to be recognized for what one does (and loves).

I’m leaving my current job, which I adore, in early April, as our offices are relocating far, far away, and commuting is totally not my thing. Without doing a lick of legwork, I was able to secure a new job at an awesome place, where I feel resources and support will be no problem. I’m a little heartbroken to be leaving my current job, but it was incredibly reassuring to walk into interviews knowing I DO know my stuff, and I AM an expert in my weird niche. I shall now go celebrate myself by buying shoes.