When Veronica Belmont graduated from college, there wasn't a job that married her interests of gaming, technology, sound production, and new media. So after a few full-time gigs that focused on only one of her interests at a time, she created a career that let her explore more of them. She is now the host of the popular science-fiction podcast "Sword & Laser," a co-host of BBC America's series Gizmodo, a public speaker, a business consultant, and anything else that piques her interest. She also has 1.72 million followers on Twitter.

"I can never answer the question, 'What do you do for a living?' because there is no simple answer," Belmont says. "I work on what I'm passionate about, and that takes many forms." Here, Belmont shares how she hustles.

My parents were very supportive about my early passion for technology. They never stopped me from playing video games or things that were "for the boys." I think that's the reason why I was able to foster that early passion for gaming and technology.

I've always loved gaming because I'm able to immerse myself in fictional worlds. I find that relaxing and satisfying. The stakes aren't as high as they are in real life.

When I was young, I thought I wanted to be a teacher. I think that was because I loved school and the idea of explaining things to people and helping them learn. Being able to communicate complex ideas in a way that people understand them is extremely satisfying. But teaching wasn't meant to be. Once I got to high school, I realized how difficult the job would be, dealing with teenagers all day.

So I decided to get into music production. I loved everything about music, and I was especially interested in how it worked behind the scenes — from the soundboards to post-production. I went to Emerson College in Boston and majored in audio-radio production. Along the way, I got into computers and the growing influence of the Web. I started taking new media courses that taught me about web development and Internet culture. This mix of experiences would help me get my first job.

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After graduation in 2004, I drove across country with my two best girlfriends. The closest thing I had to a plan was to get out to San Francisco and start canvassing the local live music venues and get a job as an apprentice to someone doing live sound. There weren't a lot of these jobs available so it was a bit of a stretch. I posted something akin to a résumé on Craigslist, and I ended up getting a temp job at a skin care company as a customer service associate so I could pay the bills.

During the same time I saw another posting on Craigslist. CNET was looking to hire someone as an audio production intern. That meant editing and producing their web audio content, and helping produce videos that explained technological concepts. It just seemed so perfect for me. I decided that I needed to do whatever it takes to get that job.

I sent in a résumé and got an interview, which meant I needed to find an interview outfit. I was pretty punk rock back then — short red hair, and all my clothes were hoodies and ripped jeans I accessorized with spiked chains. I found something at Target that made me uncomfortable, but it seemed appropriate enough. During the interview they gave me an unedited audio file and asked me to fix it on the spot. I sat there for 15 minutes and edited with someone looking over my shoulder.

I got hired.

The internship only paid $200 a week, so I kept working at the skin care company for about six months until I got hired full-time at CNET as an assistant producer in 2005.

Shortly after I was hired, the news side of CNET.com wanted to do a daily tech news show and my boss at the time didn't want to deal with it, so he let me be the producer. It was called "Buzz Out Loud," and initially I just managed things behind the scenes. But every now and then I turned on my mic and chimed in with my opinions. Hosting the show hadn't entered my mind. I just had things to say on the topic and didn't want to keep my mouth shut. But apparently they liked it. My boss made me the co-host of the show, and also suggested that I start writing and producing my own video content.

That was a pretty big shock to me. It was definitely something I had never done before. I created and hosted segments for existing CNET shows that focused on new technology. I learned as I went. After several months of this, I became an associate editor, where I did more writing and focused on video journalism.

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In 2007, my friend Jason Calacanis was starting a new company called Mahalo. It was trying to be a search company that competed with Google, but they wanted original content. He wanted me to host the "Mahalo Daily." It was a news show that focused on topical issues in technology, culture, science, and innovation. It was kind of the Wild West of online video at the time. YouTube had just started in 2005, but people weren't doing their own content yet. It felt exciting to be a part of something new, but it also made me nervous. I could have stayed at CNET for my entire career and been happy — and stable. But I knew I needed to follow my instincts and branch out on my own.

I left Mahalo after eight months and haven't had a full-time job since. That sounds brave and risky — and maybe it was— but I also had some help. Shortly before I left CNET, I was contacted by an agent, George Ruiz of Intelligent Artists. I thought it was weird that he wanted to represent me. I only had one job. But since 2007, he has been able to find me a lot of opportunities because he knows the industry so well.

My first contract gig was in 2008 with the PlayStation Network. They hired me to host their on-demand show, Qore, which was broadcast to PlayStation users through their gaming consoles. Each monthly episode focused on different video games, and I was the host, producer, and writer of the content. I hosted 42 episodes from April 2008 to October 2011.

While I was doing Qore, the online digital network Revision3 contacted me about co-hosting a new weekly web show called "Tekzilla." Every week my co-hosts and I tested the latest gizmos and gadgets in the technology world. I stayed on that show for six years, shooting hundreds of episodes. That team was like a family to me, and the experience made me realize that web television is where I belong.

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My biggest promotional tool is social media. I use Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Google Plus, and I treat them like a separate full-time job. Remaining active in conversations about technology in the social space is so important to maintaining the contacts that can bring me my next job.

I was an early adopter of Twitter. I went to an event with CNET in 2006 and saw Biz Stone giving a presentation. There were maybe 40 people in that conference room. I signed up on my laptop while I was in the audience. Because I was a technology journalist and very active on the site, I was on some of the early suggested follow lists. That gave me a bump in numbers, and I just built it from there.

I landed a job with BBC America through social media. They reached out and asked me to host the pre- and post-shows for the Dr. Who 50th anniversary special in 2013. They knew I was a geek and I loved sci-fi, so they thought I would be a good fit. I was so excited by the opportunity, but I wasn't a huge Dr. Who fanatic. I had to do a lot of cramming for that job, and I'm still not sure I studied enough. That gig led to shooting a pilot for BBC later that year called Gizmodo: The Gadget Testers. I am still one of the co-hosts of that show.

Initially, the idea of being a hired gun was a little scary. It's not as predictable as a full-time gig, but it has been consistent for me so far. And I've had a lot of cool and strange jobs. I've tested video games, consulted startup businesses on their social media strategies, hosted corporate technology conferences, and I've started getting into voice acting.

While I was at PlayStation, I sat in on one of the voice acting sessions for a game, and they invited me to voice a few characters. I've since worked on commercials and online cartoons. It's something I really enjoy doing. I am by no means an actor, but voice acting is fitting for me because I do so much talking for a living on radio and podcasts.

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I don't have a typical week, but these days it goes something like this: Mondays I call in to a friend's podcast to talk about the games I am playing, which I do as a favor and because it's still fun for me to talk about my gaming obsession. Tuesday is production day for "Sword & Laser," the sci-fi/fantasy podcast I started eight years ago. Then maybe I'll fly to a technology conference, like CES, where I emcee for tech companies like IBM and Intel, hosting panels, introducing guests, and doing interviews nonstop. I also advise startups on their social media strategies and test their products to give feedback. In my spare time, I host a romance novel book club on Goodreads called Vaginal Fantasy Hangout. I don't get paid to do this, but I have built a large following of more than 11,000 and I am one of the top users on Goodreads. Sometimes they ask me to consult on their platform — I give them feedback about the user experience — and I get stock shares instead of a check. The rest of the time I'm writing or in pre-production for everything I'm working on. I'm also shopping around a TV pilot I shot about science, technology, engineering, and math geared toward kids.

The greatest challenge to my career is deciding what I want to focus on. I struggle with that now that I'm in my 30s. My husband and I just bought a house. We're settling down. What do I want my career to look like in the future? What if I get older and they don't want to hire me anymore? There are times when I feel a little insecure.

It has crossed my mind to go back somewhere full-time. But I think I've just become accustomed to this weird lifestyle I've created for myself. I enjoy the freedom of choosing my jobs, traveling around, having a week off, then three weeks of craziness. And I certainly never have the fear of my work being boring. That's something that keeps me going.

Get That Life is a weekly series that reveals how successful, talented, creative women got to where they are now. Check back each Monday for the latest interview.

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