We’ve all been there, you’re itching’ for a gig, you need help with a project, you want to get your name out there, but you just don’t know how to go about it! Never fear dear friends, I have some suggestions that will enhance your networking abilities and hopefully open doors of opportunity!
Here are the DOs of Networking.
-DO open social media accounts. I can’t tell you how wonderful it is to connect with like-minded people who share similar career interests. Not only are they working on their own projects, which could be potential jobs for you, but you may even get some help for anything that you may be working on! Expanding your social reach is never a bad thing.
-DO get to know people! Whenever you meet someone new, get to know him/her. Making new friends is fun and you never know who you’ll bump into!
For example: a friend of mine was at an event and at the time she was crowdfunding for a genre-specific movie. Rather than socializing with others, she stayed with a group of close friends the entire evening and completely missed the opportunity to meet a journalist for a national publication focusing on the genre of her film.
-DO help out on as many projects as you can! You’ll rub elbows with more people on-set who could recommend you for future gigs. Plus, it never hurts to be able to call in a favor someday.
-Do ask for mentorship. Find someone in a position you would like to be someday. Ask for their advice.
-DO seem passionate about your work. Enthusiasm is infectious!