My Networking:
Well i'll start where a few people have started which is Facebook, as I said earlier in web 2.0 about having a Personal and a Professional Profile. I have now done this and I have my family and friends on my personal profile and my professional contacts and audition/job groups I have joined.
This has helped with my last job which was in Kreta Greece for season 2010 by joining a group called Lions Entertainment where I looked and got informed of up and coming auditions and I went to this audition and got the job. I am now doing the same and joining different groups and networking with people to find a Professional Dance job this year.
I also use a site called Linkin (www.linkedin.com/) this is a very good networking site similar to facebook but a lot more professional its a Professional page, you can join professional people in your industry, groups and also the companies, the Profile page you make and display yourself on their is your CV, experience, website and recomendations, previous employment and many things of which you need to like me look for jobs or get Professional Contacts in your desired field.
Hi Laura - yes the technological tools are useful for networking but as important is how we behave in these networks. Too often people say that networks are useful for getting information from bu as important is our role in the networks - what are we contributing to them. The reader explains different viewpoints and aspects of networks - affiliation / communities of practice etc. So we may have college networks, "job" networks and issue networks eg "How do we do this?" Thanks
ReplyDeleteHi Laura, you have mentioned linkedin.com on various occasions. Is this a website similar to Dancerspro? Is linkeding.com a free site to join or is it similar to dancerspro in that you have to pay a monthly fee?
ReplyDeleteIf there is a charge what are your feelings towards paying a fee to gather information on contracts?
Just a thought that I myself have been pondering. Do I pay the charge and become a full member of Dancerspro or do I rely on my 'word of mouth' networking skills to uncover the companies behind the adverts??
Any thoughts you have would be appreciated- Thanks Amy
Sorry such a late reply Amy.. Yes Linkedin is a free site you just register and get linked to professionals you may now and you can search and and other organisations and you can also search for other peers/professionals you know.
ReplyDeleteWith regards to dancers pro I always feel that I dont want to pay the monthly fee as it is a lot of money and with dancers being in and out of contracts you dont no when/whether to really spend that money I feel that I get the newletter and latest auditions through to emails but I cant access the full information so I google that information I do have and I do find most of the audition information on a different site or through a friend(s) or professionals I know without paying, it is a lot to research for these auditions but you can get there without paying the price as we have more important things to pay for I feel for example Equity, what did you decide? did you pay the monthly fee? how do you feel about the fees that these sites charge to access information and do other professionals in their professions need to pay to access their job information?
Thank you Amy and sorry its late but please let me know whether you decided to pay or do like myself use other sources to find the information needed?
Laura