The Networked Professional

Reading through lots of blog postings, like everyone else I agree my main source of information and tool I use to access information is the internet. I use it to look information up for auditions, performances etc and for any research it is always my first port of call, to go to the web and google or You Tube to watch performances.

For example I had to research Lady GaGa’s “Bad Romance” for panto so I watched her over and over on You Tube.

I do use Wikipedia a lot as I find the definitions and basic information is in an easy to read and easy to understand format and then you can go onto other links to check out the information is reliable and backed up on other sites and read about a subject in more depth.

It is so easy to find anything you need just by a few clicks of the mouse and all the information is just at your fingertips and you can even access the information via your mobile phone or on a train or a bus -  wherever you are. I think it’s important to investigate people you are going to meet, people who it would be good to know and learn more about them by checking out there on line presence. I also research companies before an audition to get to know a little about who I am auditioning for and the reputation and work of the company. If you get to chat to a producer or casting agent it’s always handy to have a little background information as a head’s up. Shows you’ve done your homework!

The most important communication tool I use is email.  I have weekly alerts from dance agencies, Spotlight and Star Now and The Stage so I can apply for auditions and jobs. With a PIN number I just press apply and the agency automatically sends my CV and headshot.
I also email dance companies to ask to attend company classes when I can as they get to see you work as a dancer.

 I also network through face to face contact at auditions and at promotional events and after show networking, at professional classes and workshops. I think this is as important as on line networking – both are of equal importance to increasing my web of contacts and by sharing experiences with others we learn and develop. I agree with Ross about connecting with other dancers at auditions and see my blog – “Schmoozing the night away” – where I discussed the importance of face to face networking and “Do we reap what we sow?” which continues with the ideas around what motivates us to help each other.   

http://emilyrose91.blogspot.com/2010/12/schmoozing-night-away.html

http://emilyrose91.blogspot.com/2010/12/do-we-reap-what-we-sow-i-have-been.html

I use Facebook primarily as a social networking site to stay in touch with friends and family but I realise its potential to promote my professional self as well and that I can have a separate professional page and I am going to look to develop this in the future. Like Mark has joined the Peter Pan Facebook page to promote his pantomime so have I the “Snow White” Facebook page. It’s all about exposure and getting yourself known to a wider audience, a wider network. You never know who may look the page up after reading the reviews, seeing a promo or a flyer or after seeing the show and this inevitably could lead to an employment opportunity.

One of my blog entries on dance science was followed by Ava Barron who is a professional dance scientist and I contacted her via email with some questions about how she viewed the idea of critical reflection and it’s use for the well being of the dancer from a psychological point of view (still awaiting a reply) - but here is a link to her web page as an example of how you can really use the power of the web to promote your professional self and I think my ideal would be to have my own web page eventually.

http://www.dancescientist.co.uk/

I also use “flyers” to advertise dance workshops at local schools and dance/theatre companies as you tend to get work by “word of mouth” and personal recommendation. So I send them out to all the local groups  in my area and any groups that use me I ask them to put my advert in their show programmes. I also leave adverts at local theatres where they have flyers on their counters. Alana seems to have had a similar success advertising her singing lessons in a similar way. I think I need to add this to my professional Facebook page and the clips from my workshop on Wizard of Oz that I show reeled – it shows me at work as a choreographer.

I also use books and have several I use on a regular basis for my professional work and contacts.

 One is “Contacts” published by Spotlight which is an essential handbook for anyone working in the entertainment industry  - it has very useful info pages and lists of contacts for everything in the business – agents, show reels, photographers for stage , television, film and radio.

I also use the Dance Companies Handbook which is a directory of all the dance and ballet companies around the world. It gives you contacts and how and when they audition and whether you can join company classes.

“Dance Anatomy and Kinesiology” by Karen Clippinger is my bible along with “How to walk in high heels” by Camilla Morton  which is the essential girls handbook of etiquette for everything, it so funny. (I haven’t mowed the lawn in high heels yet though!)

Another is my “Diet for Dancers” an essential book to have at one’s side + “the students guide to cooking for one” and I wouldn’t be without Bobby Brown’s Make up Manual.

I think reading others’  blogs  and sharing ideas on networking helps me consider all the possibilities that I may not have thought of on my own or maybe not realised I was already doing and gives me an awareness of others’ perspectives and views. I think Alana brought to my attention the use of Wiki in one of her blogs and that is something I intend to do some follow up on later in the New Year when I maybe have more time to play and experiment.

I also thought Amanda’s mind maps showed how we network very well as many of the methods we use work hand in hand alongside each other and our networks grow as we make more contacts.

Ross’ little picture from  google  demonstrates the idea well too I think –the more people you  meet and connect with the more you can network and the more information is gathered and shared.

I think considering all the possibilities through the various concepts and theories has helped me decide what really matters and what actions I need to take to improve my professional networking.

Prior to the module I didn’t realise there was so much I could do to improve my professional “self” and I have so much to do to improve my networking to market myself. I have a long list of “things to do” to start on the road to getting a much better professional profile of myself. I need to revisit my CV, get some new photographs and a show reel , create a professional Facebook page and then eventually move to my own web page.


References:
The Networked Professional - A Course Reader forMiddlesex University 2010