... Im seated in a conference room, a little nervous, as my team leader and bureau chief prepares to explain my mid-year evaluation. Youve done well this year Karl, Steph, my team leader says, enumerating some of my reports which she says really stood out. Youre a solid reporter, youve taken what we threw at you and listened to what we wanted. But we think you could do more. There it is again. A smile freezes on my face as my mind slightly wanders. Sometimes, I feel my company can be like a critical lover who feels youre never good enough. Too thin, too fat, too busy, too clingy. Steph says the company thinks I can better manage my time, particularly with managing multiple tasks at the same time. They think I can write reports faster, that I can work more closely with my teammates in the region. Haaay (Whew), I think to myself. Before, they wanted me to do more compelling stories, so I tried really, really hard to do better. This year, I worked harder than ever and gave the best I can. But now they want me to be faster. Theres never going to be an end to this, it seems. I almost didnt hear what she said next. So to help you achieve these goals, were planning to train you as an editor, Steph announces. We think youre ready. Youll be a hybrid reporter/editor. This should be helpful as you write and shape your own stories as well as help us edit some stories when needed. . . . Im in shock. The room is still. So what do you think Karl? Steph asks. For the first time this year, Im actually dumbfounded. Wow Steph. Im very surprised, I finally manage to blurt out. Thank you. For believing in me, that I can do this. Im very excited. . . . . . . That was about a month ago. Last night, I received word the training will begin in October for a week. As I write this, I cant stop smiling. Im so happy. Im looking forward to improving my craft, to writing more regional stories, to learn how to edit. Im excited to work more closely with my colleagues in Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore and elsewhere. Editing is taken very, very seriously in Bloomberg. As Steph once told me, it is the editors job to turn the story into the best possible version, to catch all the errors and mistakes before the report gets published. The last door, the final word. . . . In June, I wrote this. I want to shake the world. Make people think more critically, make them ask questions, demand more answers. It just keeps getting better. Maybe I was right after all. Maybe the best is yet to come. ...
Posted on: Fri, 15 Aug 2014 03:03:12 +0000
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