Posted by Some of you know I started a new job just before the holidays. I’m was so excited (and still am!) because it gave me the opportunity to combine my education and background in higher education with the work I have been doing in the community for the past 9 years.
Every day since I have started I have been thankful to be there and one of the reasons why was reiterated by a blog post from my friend Annie the other day. She wrote about how to engage in discourse on social media or that was my take away. As you well know, “conversations” on Facebook can be more decisive than productive. I attribute this to the fact that you don’t actually have to talk to somebody face-to-face. Don’t get me wrong, I love social media and I love using social media for good but I’m not sure it’s the most successful place to have an engaging discussion with different viewpoints. So what does this have to do with my job?
Conversations that happen at a university are unique, engaging, and (most of the time) polite. In my hallway I overhear colleagues talking about so many different things with different viewpoints in a way that honors each of them instead of disparaging the other. I thrive off these types of conversations–the ones that challenge your way of thinking while at the same time affirm who you are. It was one of the things I remember talking about in my interview for the job…how I missed these conversations and wanted to be in a place that fostered them…and now I am! YAY!
Excited to tell you more about the new job and why I’m thankful to be there and what I actually do in the coming weeks.
call me koko 
Love that you have a job that thrives on interaction! I agree: social media is great (for what it is) but can never replace face-to-face discussion and debate. Looking forward to hearing more as you get settled in!