Task 3a: Current Networks

A ‘professional network’ can be thought of as a group of individuals within a community that is work-related. These people may have either very close working associations or remain more distant but all member of the network will have the same work interests/needs and a common interest in their field.

As a working professional myself, I am able to see that the networks I am a part of can vary greatly. It is apparent that regular engagement within the variety of networks I am a part of is conducive to the success and development of my career as a performer. By looking at examples of other practitioners and their use of networking, I can reflect on the current networks I am a part of and how I engage with them in order to emulate their success.

Web 2.0 tools such as Twitter and Facebook are both current ways in which I am able to engage with one particular professional network. It is important for me to be able to have regular contact with other graduates from Leicester where I trained. This network is, on the whole, a virtual one, as many of us are out in the industry working in a multitude of different locations and it would therefore be impractical to be able to see each other frequently. On a social level, it is great to be able to catch up with one another, find out what we’ve all been up to and reminisce over times we shared whilst on our course. However, being a part of this network also benefits me as the members of my community are able to share with each other information about upcoming auditions/vacancies or experiences of working with a particular company/director for example. Of course, there are a few people who I have been able to keep in physical contact with when our working diaries allow for it. This is when this virtual network becomes an actual network, having the ability to meet up with some of my performer friends who I have remained in close contact with as a result of this network.

Other professional networks that I find myself a part of are the teachers I meet through my employment in various schools and the T.I.E companies who I have worked on contracts for in the past. The main benefit for me as a result of these networks is that it helps to find new opportunities for employment. The network of teachers that I know and could call on if needs be, allows me time off from teaching to attend important auditions etc or the opportunity earn some extra money and put in a few extra weekly hours if I cover classes for my friends for similar reasons. Having toured with two T.I.E companies many times, I have established a working network with the directors/creative managers so that I can enquire about any future and upcoming work they may wish to consider me for.

Finally I am part of an online academic community of fellow Middlesex University students and course leaders/advisers. We are able to keep in contact with each other through the use of blogging, as distance means it would be impractical for everyone on the BAPP course to try to arrange a meet due to work commitments yet again. This type of network has a formal identity and has been created though some formal interaction, as opposed to previously mentioned networks containing a widely distributed set of practitioners that I have remained in contact with. I benefit from being a part of this network as it provides me with the opportunity to further develop my career in a way that I had not previously thought possible, at the same time as pursuing my performing career. The blogging network keeps me in regular contact with my advisers and other students so that I am able to complete work to the best of my ability.

The internet has allowed me additional virtual tools in order to aid my engagement in my networking. Aside from actively promoting myself in the way that I behave, address clients/employers, distribution of my CV/headshots, sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Blogspot as previously mentioned now play a huge part in the careers of many professionals. The use of emails and contact with the use of a mobile phone and personal number can also be attributed to the ease with which people can network nowadays and promote themselves and their career. Admired practitioners and individuals whose careers seem to be going from strength to strength also use the Web 2.0 tools to advertise upcoming productions they are in or to contact their followers or future employers with information about jobs they have completed.

There are further methods that I could employ when professionally networking in the future to encompass more of the technologies available to me. LinkedIn is a business-oriented social networking tool, mainly used for professional networking that I am currently not using. I could also think about creating a separate professional Facebook and/or Twitter account for myself as an actress/performer. Personally I am of the opinion that a mix of personal and professional on one page is not a good idea, especially when the field of work I am so eager to enter is that of teaching. The stage schools I currently work for have information about me as a teacher on their websites, complete with headshot and short bio. To run with this idea, I could use a Facebook page to promote my services as a dance and drama teacher. This is a free form or advertising which could very quickly and easily be shared amongst a whole community of social network users and potential clients. At the end of the day, my ideal network would look similar to something I am already a part of; a community of varied individuals who could benefit my career in different ways, that can easily be accessed through the use of modern tools and technologies anywhere and on the go instantly, to fit around the life of a busy working professional.