It is true what they say...it's not so much about what you know, as it is about who you know. Now that you've faced that harsh reality, it's time to start getting to know people. What good are ideas with no one to share them with? The following are three big ways to get to where you want to be.
1. Talk to people Simple right? One would assume. The reality, however, is that people become hesitant when wondering who to talk to, when to talk to them and what to say. Talk to anybody, anytime, about anything (educated). You never know anything about someone until you reach out and start a conversation.
Recently, I was in my local Buffalo Wild Wings waiting for my "to go" order. A nice older man came in, sat down next to me, and proceeded to wait for his order as well. I greeted him with a nice smile and a hello. That's it. From that, we entered a 10 minutes conversation about so many things. Turned out, he recently retired from the FBI. His wife recently died, and his daughter just completed her bachelor's degree at Temple University. He found out I was into communications and public relations, complimented my great communications skills and gave me an old business card with his current number and email address written on the back. Needless to say I kept in contact with him, and to this day he shares with me local job positions in my field. All of that, based on a 10 minute conversation in BWW.
I say that to say, it doesn't matter where you are, or how awkward it may feel, a simple conversation can go so far. You may never know who you're meeting, until you actually meet them. It will never hurt to talk to people, EVER. 2. USE social media. Don't just have a link, actively use it. Participate in discussions, trending topics, create dialogue, ask questions. Social media can be used for so much more than just talking about yourself. For example, more than half of my Twitter followers had no idea that Twitter offers "chat rooms". Every week at certain times, Twitter offers discussions for various fields on various topics. Each day at those specific times, just search the hashtag and follow or participate in the discussion. These chatroom times and hastags can be found online. USE THAT! Social media is said to be the easiest and quickest way to talk to and meet new people. USE THAT! Do not just use it to keep in touch with people you already know, use it to meet new, influential people. Create separate profiles geared toward your field and reach out to those with a similar passion. Exchange ideas, share recent events, become acquainted.
3. Lastly, INVEST IN YOUR PASSION. The most important one. For recent graduates and young professionals, it's hard to manage a new job, with maintaining a social life, saving money for loans, paying new bills, all while working hard to achieve your dreams. For people breaking into artistic fields, it's the same: going to auditions, doing shows, working, saving money and finding time for friends is such a daunting task. However, you have to invest in your passion, with both time and money. Attend workshops, conferences, webinars and happy hour networking events. Go to career fairs and become familiar with the representatives. Take time to educate yourself on the current events of your field and start conversations. Invest in business and resume cards, websites and even logos. Take your passion as seriously as you take your job. Set a time each day to work solely on what it is you dream of. Research the field, research current influencers in your field, send e-mails and find local events & workshops to attend. Remember this is YOUR dream, act like it. The more you invest, the more results you'll yield.
By doing those three things, you'll not only see that you're getting further, you'll feel more rewarded.Try it out, and let me know how it works for you. If you've already been doing these things, let me know how they've worked out. Leave comments and ask questions. In the meantime, follow me: @zshunterPR.
