Written by Kenn White, allowing for republishing
wAnt works in the gaming industry? Stop the network.
If you are looking for a job, you may hear how you should be building your network all the time. So you might decide to try to attend some “network activities” with the goal of finding someone who can find a job. After all, you want a job and need to meet someone to get a job, so you will keep this activity in mind.
The problem is that you think of “network” as a transaction. You want to know people looking for jobs. You seem to be the means to end – the end of unemployment.
Strangely, most people don’t like the feeling of using… Unfortunately, this feeling of interaction is exactly that. So many people who can help you find a job end up avoiding these events because they don’t like the feeling. After all, no one likes to feel like they are working hard just to say hello. Connecting with people should feel organic and natural, unlike some kind of ritualistic quirk.
Want to make the most of these events? Stop treating them as “events”. When you use it, stop treating the network as a “network”.
Want to make the most of these events? Stop treating them as “events”. When you use it, stop treating the network as a “network”
I remember the first time I walked into a friendly neighborhood game store. Aside from a row of games, models and dice, I was immediately shocked by the fact that there were so many other people in the store talking about the game openly. Just browsing the aisle, I surfaced in over a dozen conversations with everything from DND to Star Wars. Not long after, I found myself involved in a discussion about Battletech and introduced myself to some people who ended up being some long-term friends. I found my people…they found me.
Do you want to be better on the web? First, you need to stop trying to connect and need to start looking for your own people.
When your mindset shifts like this, you no longer worry about whether the people in the “network activities” will help you find a job, because that is no longer the focus you are going to. Instead, you are looking for your people and I promise you will find them when you start thinking about it this way.
Suddenly, it is not a bad thing to find out that people who are unemployed are simply not a bad thing. After all, they won’t be unemployed forever and you’re connected with other people who seem to be a long way, especially if you find yourself trying to help them get a job (even if you need help yourself).
Just because someone is out of work today doesn’t mean they’ll stay there. When they work, they will remember the “people” who helped them along the way – as you will remember
Look, many of the people I entered the industry with Activision’s entry-level assistant producers now run a team or studio in 15 years. You never know who will end up being huge, so just because someone is out of work today doesn’t mean they’ll stay there. When they work, they will remember “their people” to help them all the way – as you will remember.
Yes, stop the network. Instead, the people who go to find you… let them find you too. Worst of all, you’ve found a new connection.
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