A Day in the Life of a Content Developer

I wrote a post in the Medium collection “A Day in the Life Of…” and here it is:

I live in the Silicon Valley with my two housemates and a very derpy cat named Patrick Copperpawts. I spend most of my time writing and developing content for my full time job as well as my personal projects. I work full time as a product marketing specialist for a company that makes computer memory hardware. I also work on my travel blog and personal writing projects outside of my job.

Here’s my typical day:

6-7am: Wake up and check social media & email for anything I should respond to ASAP. A few minutes of stretching & meditation to get into a focused mindset. Get my breakfast and head out to work.

7-8:30am: Commute to work on public transport. I usually use this time to think about what I have coming up that day and what I need to get done. I also spend some of this time on self-reflection.

8:30am-12:30pm: Work, usually creating social media content and writing content like product catalogs, trade show banners, website product information, etc. I also check technology blogs and sites for updates.

12:30-1:15pm: Lunch break. Instead of using this time to eat (that comes later), I like to use it to go outside and go for a walk. This gets my mind going and is often when I have ideas for my personal projects. Sometimes I use break to walk and talk to my parents or friends on the phone.

1:15-5:30pm: Actually eat my lunch while checking emails or reading more news updates. Then more writing/editing or approval of content. Monitoring of company’s social media accounts. Sometimes I spend this time developing campaigns or proposals to present to my boss.

5:30-7pm: Commute home. I spend this time listening to podcasts or working on my personal content projects. If I’m mentally tired, I will just listen to music and use the time to recharge by zoning out a little.

7-8:30pm: Make dinner (I cook a meal from scratch almost every night) and hang out with my housemates. This is my main social time of the day, sometimes I will Skype with family, friends, or my boyfriend during this time as well. Maintaining relationships are important to me, so I make an effort to check in with people I care about every few days.

8:30-9:30/10pm: Work on my personal projects, usually writing or researching. Sometimes I work on physically creative projects (aka crafts). I like making personalized cards or small gifts for people.

9:30/10-10:30pm: Get my bag/lunch ready for the next day, make sure clothes, etc. are laid out to make for a smooth morning start. Also clean up after my housemates, straighten everything up and make sure its neat enough. While I clean up, I think about what I want to do the next day and if there is anything urgent.

10:30-11pm: Wind down for the night by reading a book.

11pm: Bedtime. I function best on 7-8 hours of sleep so I try to get to bed by eleven.