Networking | Jason Wodlinger - Industry Centre - National Screen Institute - Canada's national training school for writers, directors and producers in film, television and digital media.

Posted by Jason Wodlinger on Friday, November 28, 2008. Categories: Careers

Networking is an important task for any professional in their industry. The

engagement of people getting to know their colleagues, finding partners with whom to work or share ideas is what sustains our industries and helps them thrive. The personal benefits to one’s career are also numerous.

Unfortunately, the art of networking has developed (in some circles) a negative connotation. Here are some common concerns I've heard about networking:

It’s really just a means self gratification
It forces people to say anything to get what they want from someone else
It encourages people to be fake with each other
It's an aggressive means of communication

Benefits of networking

In my personal opinion, networking is a vital part of helping yourself and others solve business problems; and as I mentioned above, it nurtures the industry as a whole. Benefits include:

Exchange of information (job leads, industry trends, company developments)
Developing collaborative relationships with colleagues, competitors, prospective employers and mentors
It's easier (and more equitable) to ask for help from colleagues after one has already helped them
Promotion of yourself as a prospective employee
Introduces prospective employees / freelancers who you may need to hire one day.

How one networks has a lot to do with whom you want to develop a relationship as well as your preferable method of communication.

Questions to ask yourself regarding with whom you might network include:

What information do I have that I can pass on to others?
Who would be interested in this information?
Who is comfortable with the exchange and discussion of information?
Who can I learn from, who is a good mentor?
Who is a developing professional that I can mentor?who is a potential employer in the future?
Who is a freelancer / colleague that I might want to hire in the future?

Your preferable method of communication for the purposes of networking may include: telephone, email, texting; social networking portals (Facebook, Linkedin); industry conferences, seminars, workshops; company events (product launches, corporate anniversaries); and industry events (seasonal parties, festivals).

Many people are uncomfortable in large professional social gatherings, be it a film festival party, a corporate Christmas event or a teleconference. Whether it’s just the fact that there are so many people in attendance or the intimidation of having to make conversation with professionals with whom one would not normally socialize, these situations can be awkward.

Survival tips

Ease yourself in; look for people that you really need to talk to (or with whom you are comfortable) and begin your socializing with them; the ease of these conversations can build your confidence as you continue on chatting with others at the event
If you know who will be attending, come up with a list of questions or issues beforehand that you might like to speak with them about (thus alleviating the need to come up with subject matter on the spot)
You don’t always have to talk 'shop'; people love talking about their families, their vacations, what they’re going to do on the weekend. Networking is not just about talking about business issues, it’s also about getting to know your colleagues and building a familiar and friendly relationship
If someone joins your conversation find a common topic about which everyone can converse; sometimes a group discussion is even more enjoyable and lively than a one on one
If you’d like someone passing by to join your conversation invite them in; they may be grateful to be included and all of you can enjoy the increased interactivity of the discussion
Feel free to take breaks; take a breath of fresh air, if the event venue has art on the wall, take a moment to appreciate it; there’s also nothing wrong with just looking around the room and taking in the moment – a good breather gives yourself a rest and helps you calm any nerves that may still be remaining

The bottom line is that in our media industry, people move projects forward and careers develop based on the collaboration of others. Whether you call it developing a relationship, doing favours for each other, sharing information or 'networking,' they all have the same goal. As long as you're honest and upfront in your intentions about why you want to be contact with another professional, then the relationship can flourish. jason@wodlinger.com

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Views expressed here are the views of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Screen Institute - Canada (NSI).

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The views expressed here are the views of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Screen Institute - Canada (NSI).

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