Why Writing My Book ‘How To Edit Generative AI Content’ Showcases My Resilience

Consistency is crucial and crucifixion of a career. This story is all about proving these contradictory concepts true and if it is possible to spark inspiration in you on this International Women’s Day.

For four years, I dedicated myself to a single company, steadfast in my belief that climbing the corporate ladder meant staying the course, accumulating experience, and ascending gradually.

A perfect plan of growth.

That is the first sign I failed to take into account. The graph of success is never vertical, it is more like a heartbeat, with its peaks and valleys marking the rhythm of progress.

Vertical growth without horizontal stability is akin to building a skyscraper on a weak foundation; it may rise quickly, but its fall is inevitable.

Also people are assets. Good to Great written by Jim Collins argues that sustained corporate growth requires disciplined people, disciplined thought, and disciplined action, emphasizing the importance of consistent strategic focus and execution. The book suggests that great companies distinguish themselves by a relentless pursuit of excellence, fueled by a combination of leadership, culture, and a deep understanding of what they can be the best at.

Au contraire, the last thing on the company agenda was People – there were no performance evaluations, no performance-linked incentives, no recreational activities, and a glaring absence of documentation. Strangely, I never even received an offer letter. My promotion came as a desperate phone call: “Shanu, can you take care of faculties? I have too much on my plate.” With a simple “yes,” I found myself promoted as Faculty Head in addition to Centre Head. No formal letter, no official announcement, not even an informal acknowledgment.

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This overwhelmed me

I was not looking for any appreciation, but an information dissemination is required. Imagine asking students progress reports from another branch while heading one yourself. No one would adhere.

So on a hot and brimming May morning when I reached my office and saw it had a seal from AMC, I quit. That sign was screaming at me, “Pack your bags and run.”

And I took it. It would sound silly if I said that I didn’t know about the processes happening at the HO. I was working as Center Head and even though my participation was minimal, a design by HO itself, in the HO policies I was privy to the behind-the-scenes antics transpiring at the head office.

I resigned while the company peeled off the AMC sign, like a chewing gum stuck by a naughty teenager, and ventured ahead with its day to day operations.

Obviously, I had doubts when these signs were ignored by other company heads. In fact, when I resigned, I was scorned for being negative and naive by my boss; who also rejected my resignation and asked to take a week’s off and come back.

I had different plans, however, but at a time when generative AI had devalued writing

I love writing and I took this opportunity to hunt for a writing job and compile my research into a book.

But along with those new beginnings were the marching bands of Generative AI that I heard, ignored, explored and later hated.

Sardonically, when I made the decision to reboot my career as a writer, it coincided with a time when writing opportunities became secretive and the market grew increasingly skeptical of writers.

When I started using ChatGPT, I found it quite good but at the same time, being an academic writer for four years and being a fierce editor for that long time, I found a lot of errors in coherence, tone and lexical resources. Strangely, I found that even when the syntax was grammatically correct, it held no meaning at all. It was déjà vu. My students do exactly the same thing.

I authored blogs both using Generative AI and without it, publishing them all on my website to gauge their impact. After a month, I analyzed the results and concluded that further refinement in the Generative AI technology was needed, reassuring myself of job security.

As I began writing my book, I simultaneously applied to several companies for writing positions. However, I faced difficulties securing even a single task, resulting in a deluge of rejection emails flooding my inbox.

Fewer companies that assigned me tasks and conducted interviews offered me significantly lower compensation, underestimating the value of writing in light of Generative AI advancements. Writing was perceived as requiring minimal effort, diminishing its status as a scholarly skill.

A lack of a personal brand at this time led to a lack of a job

It was such a disastrous August. I have never thought my lack of personal brand will affect me so much. Had I worked more proficiently on brand building during my tenure as center head, because believe me I have so many tales to share, I think I would have better chances of getting an offer at a better remuneration. But my story is that first I left my full time well paying job thinking that the company was about to collapse and pursued a profession that was about to reinvent itself.

I sat there wallowing in grief. The grief quadrupled when I heard that my past organization has opened one more branch. I was totally wrong about the company and about myself.

So I cried for days, roamed my house in pajamas, with unruly hair and absolutely no sense of self. My husband tried to distract me, my kids tried to make me laugh. But I was depressed. This went on for some time. But rains are magical; they have the power to bring about change. I love drizzle, and I love it even more now because it brought about a whole paradigm shift.

An idea struck me then

During a rather rainy midnight, when sleep was elusive, an idea struck me. I still ponder why ideas are more active past midnight. At first, I thought it was just another lame strategy my brain had designed for my own downfall.

I started recalling all the advice I have given to students about how negativity and obnoxious positivity both can lead to downfall, emphasizing that decisions should be made based on facts and figures rather than fear and instincts. I brushed off the idea of writing a book on Generative AI.

I also don’t recall a time when my dear brain ever followed the decisions I had made with it. So, by the time sunlight tinted my window panes, I had a complete idea of what needed to be done. That day, I sat down and wrote as many articles on as many topics as possible using generative AI. I applied to many companies for one reason: they would assign tasks, and I would use generative AI to understand how to write them.

It was September when I began using Generative AI extensively to comprehend its working style, and that’s when this peculiar idea emerged. By December, I had developed 16 rubrics for editing generative AI content to make it more compelling.

How to Edit Generative AI Content

In January, the editing process was completed, and by the end of the month, I published How to Edit Generative AI Content. I felt immensely proud of having written this book. It quickly rose to the top spot in the Editing of Generative AI content category, demonstrating my ability to derive success from something that was initially meant to undermine me. This achievement filled me with confidence and motivated me to continue my efforts.

The book enjoyed immediate success, reaching #1 and securing a place on the bestseller list.

Additionally, January confirmed my suspicions about my former company. To my vindication, the company and all its 16 branches closed down. I can confidently say that I take pride in having foreseen this outcome.

I have also decided to pursue opportunities as a Center Head or in a similar capacity within the education industry. After searching diligently, my efforts paid off when I received an offer from another company to work as an Academic Head. While the position is located far from my home, the company is reputable, and, more importantly, the people are exceptional.

From this journey, one powerful lesson emerges: resilience. Despite facing setbacks, doubts, and unexpected challenges, I never lost sight of my goals. I would dare say, I demonstrated the importance of perseverance and adaptability in the face of adversity. My story teaches me that consistency in pursuing our dreams is crucial, but so is the ability to pivot when necessary and embrace change.

To all the women out there, remember that setbacks are not failures, but opportunities for growth. Stay resilient, stay determined, and trust in your ability to overcome obstacles. Keep striving for your dreams, even when the path seems uncertain. Your perseverance will lead you to success, just as it did for me.

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Image source: by Nicola Katie Free for Canva Pro and book cover Amazon

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