I started this section of
the module by looking up the definition of Network:
A supportive system of
sharing information and services among individuals and groups having a common
interest. (1)
1) What are the current
and different ways (tools) that you have, or do, engage your professional
network?
At the moment my current
networking is mainly online based. I am part of several online agencies such
as, Talent Cast, Dancers Pro, and Spotlight. There are a lot of other
online sites that offer a similar service to these; however I have eliminated
the sites that do not suit me and found which ones are best for me with regards
to the jobs and opportunities they post.
Another area that has
become increasingly bigger and useful are social networking sites, although
they are good for the ‘social’ aspect of life, it is now becoming increasingly
important that you have these facilities for your professional practice. Now
there is a huge networking group for performers on Facebook, called ‘The Hustle’.
On the group people post job opportunities, places to rent, headshot and body
shot deals for photographers or even if you want advice or ask a question about
the industry. It is a great platform for performers to use and network.
One of the best forms of
networking I have is my friends in the industry and people I have worked with
before. I have gotten most of my opportunities through a recommendation. Most
people would like to hire people they know are reliable, talented, hard-working
and easy to work with, that is why I believe this area of networking is the
strongest. There is nothing better than someone putting in a good word for you
or when someone asks what you are like they can say good things about you, much
like an informal job reference. This only comes if you have made a good
impression on your previous jobs. Remaining professional and keeping in contact
with people is essential.
2) What are the
established (and different) ways that others use their networks, especially if
they are more established or experienced practitioners that you admire?
I would say a lot of more
established performers would have an agent. I personally have managed without
an agent so far, however I know if I wanted to change into a different area of
the industry or go to the next step in my career it would be easier with an
agent. Although there are increasing ways to get jobs yourself you are still
limited to certain jobs and would not get private auditions unless you had a
higher connection. Usually a more established practitioner would have a wider
network, as they would have worked with more people, and have had more
experience. As employers tend to go for people that someone already knows it is
easier to help other people out if you have more connections. For example if
you have history with someone and you’ve done them a favour in the past and they like
you, they can help you too. However when you are just starting out or at the
early stages of your career it is harder to do that as you have no employment
history. You gain this over time, with the more jobs you do and networking with
the people you work with.
3). Are there methods,
approaches and technologies that you use socially that might apply and help you
develop your professional networking?
I have come to realise that you need to use
social networking to get by in this industry. There is an increasing amount of
sites that provide useful information. The benefit of using social networking
sites, rather than using normal web pages is that the information is
up-to-date. For example if you are attending a class at Pineapple and the
teacher is no longer able to make you can find out who will be covering. If you
were to just look at the website it would say the same information and nothing
about the change to the timetable as it takes too long on a normal website to
change information that regularly. You are now also able to follow agencies,
casting directors, choreographers, and other performers on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
Another area
that I have found successful although it may seem obvious, is to, socialise in
the industry. When
I first graduated I thought it was important to always remain professional and
to not mix your professional life with your personal life. Although I still
think this is important to an extent, I have found socialising one of the best ways to
network. This could be during a class or an audition, talking to other dancers
in the same position as you and sharing experiences. If you are asked out for a
drink after the show with your fellow cast members join them. Socialising and relating to people
on a personal level and knowing that you are all in pretty much the same
position can really help. People are more likely to remember you and you are
essentially networking with more people.
4). When you reflect upon
current networks, can you think about the motives of others to be in the
network and what values and purpose they have in mind?
Looking at the current
networks I think the motives of others are the mostly the same as mine. Firstly
if we are just looking at performers, most people want to get a performing job
and stay in work as long as possible without having a gap in employment.
Everyone has their dream job they are working towards and most people want to
make money along the way. Everyone involved can offer something different and
most people in the industry are linked in some way or another. The trouble with
most people having the same goals means that there is competition. In the
industry if you are looking to join in a company the casting directors usually
want people that look similar, have the same shape and height and preferably
dance the same. On the other hand there are some cases where people want
different types of people in there cast. This is where the problem usually lies
and competition takes over. For example I am a 5ft 5 brunette with a slim
build. If I saw a job that was not looking for this description I would let
other people I know about the audition or job opportunity, however it wouldn’t
be tactful for me to let someone I know that is the same description as me, as
I would be in direct competition with them. This is where the motives and
values of others differ.
Another aspect to look at
it is from an agency point of view. They will have slightly different motives
as a performer. Most agencies want great people who they believe will
get a lot of jobs; therefore they will get more money themselves. Although both
parties, the agency and the performer, want the same thing, for you to get a
job, the lines can sometimes be blurred. I have heard so many stories of an
agent putting someone up for a job they have already said they do not want or
encouraging them to take the longer contract or the one that earns the most
money as that is how they can make more money, rather than looking at the
opportunity they are usually more driven by the amount of money they can
make.
5) What would your ideal
network look like and why?
Thinking about how I
would like my ideal network to be, I first begun to think about what I didn't
like about the network I have at the moment. One of the biggest problems I find
is that there are too many sites and profiles that you can have. This is
largely due in order to get more of a variety of job opportunities however I
constantly find myself being behind. I find it so hard to find time to keep
up-to-date with all of the social networking sites, emails, surfing the net and
keeping in contact with people. There isn’t enough time in the day. Therefore
my ideal network would be to cut down the amount of sites involved so that most
information would be in a few places and not over lots of different sites that
you need to check everyday. This also could be helped by having an agent as
they could do a lot of that work for you, as they would be looking for
auditions for you to attend.
6) What realistic things
could you do to work towards developing your ideal network?
I could start by looking
for an agent and also having a clear out of the sites I use. Looking
realistically into what I gain from them and is it worth still using them. Also
to make sure I dedicate specific time to networking and looking for
opportunities, and not just leave it till later when I have
more time. I also
need to start thinking more towards the future whilst still on a contract. I
tend to just focus on what I am doing at the time rather than thinking ahead to
what I should be doing next. I usually get to the end of the contract then
start to look for my next job rather than looking whilst I am still working.
7) What tools and methods
do you need to use? What do you know about your current and intended networks,
and importantly, what do you not know?
In order to improve my
problem with time I need to plan in advance what I am going to do. I now know
the different tools in which enable me to improve my network, for example
useful social networking sites, networking with friends and colleagues and
using a diary to be more organised. An area which I now what to
explore is whether it is important for me to get an agent in order to move onto
my next goal, if so what agent and would they be suitable for what I want or is
it better to do it yourself?
After looking into these
questions, it has made me realised how much time I need to put into this area of my
professional practice. Networking is an area that I have neglected and I hadn’t realised how many more
opportunities I could gain if I put more time and effort into this area.
Networking Image (2)
References
