I’ve been at my current school for 6 years now, and will be moving on at the end of next year. During those years, I have held three roles concurrently and in those roles I have built quite a number of tools, systems, solutions, which means I now have somewhat of a dilemma – how do I both leave everything in a way that is sustainable for the school when I leave, AND take everything with me?
At the same time, I’m trying to put together my CV. I need to get a new job, which means I need to update my professional profiles on various platforms.
It must be 15 years or more ago that I landed on a solution I loved. Update my LinkedIn profile, then build a CV from this. Up until now, that has worked. But now I find myself struggling with this approach because condensing what I have learned and achieved here into a limited number of characters, and a 2-page CV, just isn’t working. I’ve tried writing STAR statements so I produce something more than a laundry list of achievements, but I have achieved A LOT. I keep trying to list what I’ve done. There’s just so much.
As I struggled with another version a couple of days ago, adjusting the focus from a role-based to a theme-based approach, I came to a realisation – this isn’t going to work. I have to build a portfolio/website. I’ve tried to do this in the past but haven’t felt I’ve had much content, but I am hoping this time around will be more successful. I have a genuine purpose this time.
Organising it all
So, that helps somewhat with the “take it all with me” piece. But I have various pieces of code I’ve put together, a range of Google Sheet and Apps Script solutions moving data from ManageBac and OpenApply into other systems, GAM routines, automating start of school year processes, etc. And I need a good way to organise all of this – both to document it for others and to keep it all organised for myself.
Which led me to Git. I have developed a basic understanding of how Github works, but my coding skills are totally self-taught and I haven’t ever actually done any version control, etc. I am still at quite a basic level, and I had never understood how to use a repository. Also, since I’m building everything in Google’s online editor, how do I also store it elsewhere? Do I seriously have to copy/paste all the time?
Turns out no I don’t. Some research this weekend led me to Visual Studio Code, clasp, and Amit Agarwal’s Google Apps Script starter kit, which should enable me to move my coding locally, enable me to start building a repository of all these bits and pieces I’ve built, and get properly started on organising them.
I think this is going to make it easier to document everything well which should help with the sustainability. I still have to work out how to manage creation from a work account and storage in a personal account.
Building a site
Now I need to work out the best place to build a site/portfolio.
I just tried Wix which looks interesting but honestly, I got overwhelmed as soon as I had to come up with a name. I am absolutely useless at naming things, and terrible at coming up with names which mean something like “hey, look at all my cool stuff, you want to connect with me and maybe even employ me”. Not my strength at all!
I’ve got this blog here which, if you check the history, you’ll see I’ve only contributed to sporadically (I deleted the one I had before which I had also only contributed to sporadically over a number of year, and started again!).
I think I’m going to have a go with a Google site. The tools I’ve been building are in G-Workspace, and I’m more familiar with Sites since I’ve been playing around with them at work for a few years. Now that they’ve released full page embed I’m wondering if I can link this blog in there nicely, we’ll see.
This stuff is hard. It’s like drawing an owl. I have never been any good at sales. I tried door-to-door once, security systems. Wouldn’t have even wanted one myself, completely incapable of selling them. Did the training, went out with the team the first day to some random town to go knock on doors, got back, got off the bus, walked round the corner, burned my ID card, didn’t go back. Have to respect the people who do that, it’s a skill I do not have. I’m good at selling my school, but I guess in many ways I’m kind of preaching to the choir – people are already interested, knocking on my door instead of me on theirs.
Maybe the secret is to ignore the potential audience and just get on with it. Pick something I built, make a page, link to things and write about it. Publish, and repeat. Worry about the organisation, etc later on, just get on with creating the content.
I’ll try and give that a go. I should probably stop writing this now and go get on with that.
Writing to Think 