Inside Guy Tom Krymkowski is giving you a choice because in truth, you can’t have everything.

One of the best ways to break into any field, to find out about any organization, or learn about anybody really, is to give them some of that most precious resource - your time. Volunteering, work in trade, or even just buying someone coffee can be just the ticket to moving forward in life.

When I’m looking for work I don’t take much stock in the idea of blanketing the world with copies of my resume. Most of the jobs I have ever done never existed before I showed up and carved out a place for myself. Even the more formal positions that a lot of companies have aren’t posted until there’s already a “strong in-house candidate”. A job posting is just the way of formalizing the professional relationship with someone.

And most companies prefer to hire through referrals anyway. They want to know who you are and what kind of person you will be to work with once you’re on the team. Resumes are what you give when they ask for it, or when you’re already having regular conversations with a future employer. It’s the fine print and documentation to back up what you should already be putting forward.

So, the key then is getting known and getting people to see your work. You want to be able to show them what you can handle, how good you are under pressure, and what kind of results you can get. You also want to give them a sense of your personality. If you’re already doing the same thing somewhere else or if you have someone who can refer you, then you have an advantage. If this isn’t the case or if this is new territory for you, then often it’s through volunteering and/or trading your time and skills that you can make a break for yourself.

What you trade for depends on what you have to offer. Usually when you’re starting out you don’t have much more than time to trade. As you gain more experience (and/or gear in my case), you bring that to the table too. I offer my varied production skills, access to equipment that I’m paying for anyway, and a lot of effort to help solve a creative problem that someone is having.

That’s the important thing. It’s my opinion that any current job description is basically a list of regularly occurring problems that a given person or team is responsible for solving. It’s much easier to justify bringing you on as part of the team if you already know what people need and have shown that you can help. What you’ve done is create value.

And that value is worth something.

You should get in the habit early of knowing what you are worth. Both in your market and in what you see as your personal value. In a perfect world both numbers are the same. Remember that when giving your time and skills away, there are still real services being exchanged. It all has to balance out or someone will feel cheated.

As an example, say you do a day’s worth of work and with a few years of experience under your belt that day is worth $200 in your market. You’ve exchanged $200 in services for something. Or to put it another way - somebody has accepted $200 in services and recognizes that they’ve done so. This is important. Usually the balance is rectified with a check. But it doesn’t have to be. As long as everyone agrees on the value exchanged.

It’s possible the company has something that is worth exchanging a day’s worth of your work. Maybe you’re working at the company to learn some new software. Or maybe you have access to equipment you otherwise wouldn’t have access to. Maybe there’s someone there that you are learning from. Maybe you just want to build up credit to be able to cash in at a later date - usually in the form of services you could never afford outright. All of these would represent a value to you.

Just make sure you’re always getting something in exchange for your time and talents. You can be as creative as you want and postpone things as long as you feel comfortable. Just know where your cutoff point is - and respect it. I’m a big believer in the “first one’s free” attitude. After that, things are up for negotiation.

By the way, experience has a value too. Even if you never see a dime or are able to receive anything back, you still benefit from having been through that day. The people you had a chance to work with, the challenges you may have faced, everything counts. And thankfully the universe has a way of balancing things out.

Crash.

Everything was working just fine. It wasn’t perfect. Or even finely tuned. And lately things were even a bit sluggish. But every time you sat down it worked. You had your issues. But nothing is perfect. You held up your end of the bargain and as long as you played the game right, all was well.

Then…WTF?!! Not now.

I’m sure it’s happened to everyone and so much more often in this age of the free agent. That regular gig you’ve grown so accustomed to ends for one reason or another. If you’re lucky, you saw it coming and had plenty of time to prepare for the inevitable. If you’re like me you had mere days to react and make what ends up being a pretty serious decision about what will become the next chapter of your life.

The smart freelancer anticipates lulls in the demand for their services. They’ve either got a few new clients waiting in the wings, enough money squirreled away for a rainy day, or another source of household income they can rely on. That’s basic survival. You make sure you can pay your bills and carry on to freelance again. But I know everyone isn’t like that. And those with full-time jobs are freaking out about now.

I was lucky. I had a choice. Either keep my current situation and work for someone I neither respected nor could reasonably endure. Or end my contract and see what the world would bring me. I had seen my friends leave my once steady gig in the months before. I was already planning my escape. It just happened a little sooner than my bank account would have liked. “The best laid plans of mice and men,” and all that. It wasn’t an easy choice. And, it had its painful moments. But ultimately I decided to move on. I took a chance that all the advice I hand out to people was actually valuable and would work for me too.

Now what?

More decisions. It took me exactly four days to decide what to do next. But before I set off on my new journey, I had to plan out my route and at the very least choose a direction. To get ready, I looked back on the past two years and asked myself some questions: What was great about my experience? All the things I learned. All the people I met. All the things that really worked. What would I change? The kind of organization I worked for and one that shared more of my values.

What was I really looking for?

The last one was easy and one I have had the answer to for a while. I’m never content to just pick up and go do the same thing somewhere else. I always want a job that lets me learn and/or grow as person. It’s mandatory. I also need to have some creative freedom, and respect those I work with and for.

They’re easy things to put into words. It’s taken me years to get to the point where I could easily put them into practice. But once you choose not to settle, you’d be surprised at all the cool things that happen.

Reboot.

So now I’ll tell you what I did when I started my life over, so to speak. What I did when I was re-evaluating my career. What you should do as well when you need to get another job. After all there’s nothing wrong with being practical too.

Know what you want. Specifically. The things you want to learn. The people you want to work with. The people you want to serve. I talk to WAY too many people who have this vague notion about what they want to do. You have to focus. You can always change your focus if you learn more or grow, but you have to pick one. If you’re a multi-task person like me, you either find one organization that will allow you to be and do all of the things you want, or you work for multiple clients and be happy with that arrangement

Look for problems you can solve, NOT a job someone can give you. Sometimes they’re one and the same but usually they aren’t. Most people go begging when they need work. They ask for someone to have pity on them and let them come and work at whatever company. Harsh? Maybe. But look who wins. Certainly not the person going begging right? Now, look at the opposite. You have skills. Skills that people need. Only you can provide the unique combination of skills, knowledge, and personality that is you. Go looking for problems that you can solve. And, if only YOU can solve them, so much the better.

Network, Network, NETWORK. Did I mention network? I didn’t appreciate this one until about ten years into my career. Even then, I didn’t create my own network until I saw others with strong connections to other professionals. Most people see “networking” as schmoozing or somehow disingenuous. Networking, in my opinion, is simply telling people who you are, and what problems you can solve. I think the real strength in networking is finding a solution to someone’s problem by putting him or her in touch with someone else who can solve it. Everybody wins.

Choose your boss wisely. This is one of the hardest things to put into practice. When you’re just getting started, you suck it up. Believe me I understand. But, I’ve always believed you have a choice. And the sooner you make that choice, the sooner you’ll move on to better opportunities. I hope everyone has the opportunity to work for a good boss/client. Once you have, you’ll never want to go back to accepting something less just for a paycheck.

Finally,

Put a little money away. This is your burn rate. How much time you can last until the health plan at the corner coffee place starts looking attractive? How long you can go until you have to move in with relatives. The longer your burn rate, the less likely you’ll settle even if you are employed. And when looking for work, it’s much easier to negotiate when you have something to fall back on. You’re also more likely to risk trying for exactly what you want. Imagine the kind of work you’d do if you could last a year. Imagine the kind of opportunities you would try for. Imagine what you would and would not settle for in your life. Now, start saving accordingly.

I did.

Now, It looks like things are running smoothly again. In fact, I would say they’re even better.

It’s pretty scary how many commercials I have buried in the recesses of my mind. There was one that tried to show that it was worth the wait for the product to finally come pouring out of the bottle. I don’t know any kid that would have waited as long as the one on television. And time marches on. Do you notice how we’ve switched to more proactive squeeze bottles?

So I ask you, where’s all the life-changing, world-shaking, amazingly cool media that this new dawn of communication is supposed to bring? Is it all just a flash in the pan? Have my hopes been dashed on the rocks of harsh reality?

Hardly.

The problem with being an early adopter is that, in your excitement to see what’s next, you forget that it is indeed early. I first heard about podcasting just over a year ago. I remember going to a local meeting and there were less than ten people there. Now we’re filling the room to capacity and beyond.

It’s still in its infancy, and I’d argue “the terrible twos.”

The wonder of everything new is waning. We’re all getting into way more than we probably should. The “parent” forms of media don’t know what to do with us. We look like them, but somehow we’re quite different. There’s the occasional tantrum, as we push boundaries and test both our limits and those of our environment. But we keep developing. And just like a child, you can’t always see the incremental steps.

There are a whole lot of small problems that need to be solved. Each small solution goes toward solving some of the bigger issues. There are few “eureka” moments, when an idea surfaces and changes everything. Normal innovations, even breakthroughs, are the result of one baby step after another. It can definitely get a little boring. But boring is good. Boring often stays under the radar where you can make mistakes and try new things without hurting your chances at success in the long run.

So, where are we headed with this? What’s the end goal?

I think what we’re shooting for is to make this whole process as easy as older media technology. A lot of changes already happened on the production side. Recording technology is inexpensive and has options to keep the process simple. Then all you need to put together a radio program is a computer and some editing software. Podcasting made getting it out to your worldwide listeners an inexpensive process.

But you still need some technical skills on this side of the equation. The proper microphone techniques and interviewing skills are necessary. Getting the sound into your computer, while getting easier, can still be a challenge for some people. Editing software can be confusing for many. Sending out your completed masterpiece is still a little difficult. These are all great opportunities for someone to come in and make the process easier. And that’s exactly what’s in the works.

On the listening side, what do you really have to know to use a radio? They’ve made it pretty simple. No engineering degree is needed to turn it on, tune it in, and adjust the volume of the signal. When podcasting gets as easy to use as a radio, or sending an e-mail, we can pause for celebration. Of course then get ready to need “spamcast” applications.

It’s Complex on the inside, simple on the outside.

There’s also the “Holy Grail” that everyone is looking for. In broadcast media, there was never the kind of one-on-one connection between a program and those who watch or listen to it. Now everyone is trying to make that ideal an actual reality. There’s a classic question often asked in front of a microphone, “Is this thing on?” It won’t just be answered. The goal is to know a lot more.

And frankly, that “more” has real value.

Whatever reason you might have to podcast, and unless you just do it for fun and don’t care who hears it, you’ll want to know the who, what, when, where, why and how of it all. How many people actually listen? That’s a harder question to answer than many people think, but easier to answer than with traditional media. Who is listening? Not who in a Big Brother sort of way, but who in a demographic sort of way. These two questions alone will allow advertisers or sponsors to accurately value a podcast, and podcasters to better serve their listeners.

Right now this child can’t feed itself. Most shows are self-financed. Most organizations are pulling funds from other departments. There are lots and lots of “repurposing” right now. Once the monetization of podcasting becomes a reality things will really get interesting. It’s already happening in small doses. When it’s systemized, watch out. Then a show will be able to not only feed itself but to walk on its own two feet. In hindsight it all happens so fast. Anticipation turns to adulation.

The words of a Tom Petty song come to mind - “The waiting is the hardest part.”

What exactly should we name this baby?

Recently, I’ve been thinking about podcasts and their place in the world. No surprise there. That’s what this column is supposed to be about, right? But lately I’ve been thinking semantic. Words do have power and they represent ideas, be they concepts or physical objects present in the world. There are even plenty of people, myself included, who like to argue that even the “stuff” is just an idea. But enough metaphysics. My point is that everyone is throwing around the word “podcast” these days. Well is it, or isn’t it?

What started me down this train of thought were a few programs containing interviews with representatives of major traditional broadcasters. All the big players were represented in one show or another, from the public to the private. All of them talked about their foray into “on demand” content delivery. That’s their buzzword where podcasting is concerned. I say “their” because, while I do work with broadcasters, I have little say in programming decisions. But that gets to my point.

I think we should coin a word for content that starts its life as an RSS feed. Let’s call it a “podcast.” And let’s have another word for content that starts its life some other way. I’m really talking here about the spirit of the word. What the idea of it means to us (or at least to me).

On one level, podcasting is just a means to an end. It’s a way of getting your audio, video, etc. from one place to another. It’s an act. A verb. Fine. No argument there. And if the Wikipedia is to be considered, “podcasting’s essence is about creating content for an audience that wants to listen when they want, where they want, and how they want.” If broadcasters want to podcast they should go right to it. Apparently there’s a lot of “demanding” listeners out there.

It is just content after all, and I agree that whatever route it takes to get to me doesn’t really matter. Some terrestrial radio is now on satellite. So are some podcasts. Some satellite shows are streamed over the Internet. Great.

Like I said, it’s just a means to an end.

But one of the reasons podcasting is gaining ground is not from the demand of the same ol’ same ol’. If I can hear the same show on 5 different stations at different times in my market, why do I need to have it sent to my computer? What’s great about podcasting is all the NEW content, as well as the NICHE content.

The voices we haven’t heard.

I believe one of my greater purposes in life is to help people who don’t have a voice get one. Where and when I can, I open doors. Sometimes personally, sometimes through technology. I’m a big fan of the democratization of media, and if I can help out, I’m there.

So now we have a way to hear these shows that would NEVER survive the gauntlet of the broadcasting world. Stories, interviews, music and ideas, that program directors worldwide would have to turn down for one reason or another. Some of the reasons are financial, some due to the limits of only having 24 hours in a programming day, and many other reasons we never hear about.

And what do we get with this wonderful new technology? “On Demand.”

Same thing, different day.

I’m probably being naïve, but I’ve worked with enough media organizations to know that they’re oozing with creative talent. Stifled and depressed creative talent, but talent nonetheless. They’ve had their drive and ideas channeled and beaten down for so long they gave up years ago. It’s called learned helplessness, and it pretty much defines the industry. So much potential, and now we have the tools to release it.

I’d like to make just one humble request to the powers that be. The next time someone comes to you with an idea, let them podcast it. All you need to provide is the off-hours studio access and the server space - and maybe the IT guy or gal to help them get started. Let them put their own team together and develop their own content. If you really want to change the world, let them use a portion of the time you’re already paying them. Then let them free to make mistakes.

If only a handful of people subscribe, so be it. It probably deserved to die and saved you a boatload of transmitter expenses in the process. But maybe, just maybe, your skunkworks team will come up with something that could actually grow an audience. With a little nurturing, it might even replace a slot on your coveted airtime. But the wonderful thing is that it doesn’t have to. Most importantly, I think you can honestly call this home grown baby, what for once it truly is.

A podcast.