Why I’m 100% Comfortable Being 95% Unemployable

Ben Boudreau  //  October 21, 2011

It’s hard to believe that four years ago today, I was just a few short hours away from delivering the valedictorian speech to the Mount’s fall graduating class. It was this fleeting moment that marked the end of my journey from unprepared high-schooler to promising young public relations professional.

It’s also hard to believe that four years ago today, I was only hours away from kicking off an ongoing descent into the depths of unemployability  (I made it up. So sue me.) that would later define who I am as both a person and a professional.

That’s right. My debut on Symmetry, this shiny new platform designed to showcase the best and brightest communicators, is actually a twisted tale of how wrong things can go before becoming a whole lot of right.

Despite A grades, an obnoxious GPA, and producing class assignments that many PR students are still being forced to review as examples to this very day (I’m so sorry…), I entered the workforce with a crippling self-imposed handicap called a blog. Created innocently enough for a class assignment during my final semester, my little corner of the Internet became a showcase for what I believe to be one of my greatest strengths: storytelling.

When left simply at that, the blog doesn’t actually sound all that career-limiting. But factor in the kind of stories told and you’ll quickly realize how I could easily be bested in job competitions by people who don’t publicly acknowledge taking worm medication to appease hypochondria, chronicle the trials and tribulations of day-drinking, or admit to expletive-laden stand-offs against a five-pound miniature Dachshund puppy.

You see I wasn’t exactly the squeaky clean blank slate that most organizations look for.

At the time, the whole experience was extremely confusing. Potential employers liked me very much in person, many even complimenting the exposure and audience I had earned through my writing. In fact, I had already landed on Jian Ghomeshi’s CBC Radio show. But even a nod from the rockstar of radio couldn’t overcome the fact that I was considered ‘risky.’

Even with hundreds of posts showcasing my ability to write, to connect with an audience, to entertain, to inform, and to build relationships – you know, all the things that make a communicator a communicator – I wasn’t just having a hard time finding a job, employers were purposely keeping a safe distance from me.

But wait. This isn’t some strange, vindictive post about how great I am and how lesser beings shouldn’t dare to question my ultimate power, although that would have been fun too. Quite frankly, if the roles were reversed, I doubt I would have hired the blogging kid either. An inexperienced new grad is one thing, but one that comes with a library of potential headlines that you don’t want your organization attached to is entirely different.

Still, I saw traction in what I was doing. Sure, I didn’t have job offers being handed to me on the daily but I had amassed an audience propelling me and my unconventional pet project forward. That sort of momentum was bound to pay off eventually, right?

Wrong. It most certainly won’t. Or at least not without action.

Tough love time. You don’t want to take the path I took any more than I want to take the calls from your parents when they blame me for ruining your life. But for those of you who are too far-gone, I may have some words of comfort that may just help you learn from my mistakes.

Whether you’re the picture-perfect public relations grad, or a drunk-blogging caricature of the millennial generation, you don’t need to be perfect for every organization. You just have to be perfect for one.

While I was busy flip-flopping between trying to be what the average organization wanted and building profile for profile’s sake, I missed the point of what I was doing all together. Being remarkable alone does not make you employable; it’s all about being remarkable to a specific audience who is willing and able to buy into what you do. If you can connect with the 5% who get you, you don’t need to worry about the 95% who don’t.

I almost missed out on the chance to find one that wanted, well, me because I was so busy trying to make it work with the organizations that didn’t. But without knowing where I did fit, I was constantly throwing myself against a brick wall rather than looking for the door. As a result, it took a tumultuous year after my final MSVU class before eventually I got the call I had been waiting for:

“Hey Ben – we’ve been loving your blog around the office here. Think you could help our clients do that?”

My call was from Nelson Angel, Vice President of Revolve, who hired me within the week. He was my first introduction to the agency world; a great option for anyone who struggles to stay inside the box. Suddenly, under the endorsement of the creative agency banner, my handicaps became selling points, my online presence became credibility, and being told to tone it down turned to constant reinforcement to go even bigger.

Over the course of my two years with Revolve, Nelson even invited me to participate in strategic development for big deal clients like Atlantic Lottery, the Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation, and Bust a Move for Breast Health. Revolve’s belief in my abilities is eventually what led me to land on the radar of Yelp, an international company that trusts me to be the face of their community here in Halifax, day-drinking, dachshunds and all.

See, funny things happen when you go with what comes naturally to you. Big things happen when you realize what comes naturally to you and chase it relentlessly. And all those things fit together into a nice little package when you find the people who need exactly what you do so well. My call came by chance, but with a little direction, purpose and a whole lot of conviction, you won’t have to leave yours up to fate.

Take 15 minutes today with a glass of wine and start to define what your 5% looks like. Then, pour another glass and start writing down ways that you can actively take steps toward landing in the inner circle of organizations that need your 5%. Then, probably stop drinking before things get messy and people start accusing you of day-drinking instead of applying for jobs again, and start fresh with your new perspective and only a slight headache in the morning.

Not that I’d know anything about that.