Friday, November 25, 2011

The Importance of Industry Connections

If you plan on getting involved with a career in multimedia, you need to understand the importance of industry connections. In most retail positions, paralegal jobs, engineering careers, and other professions, you don't have to know someone to get involved with the work. You just have to prove that you are the best applicant for the position. That is not always the case in the world of multimedia. If you haven't started looking for those connections in your life, take this as the kick in the butt you needed to get yourself out there. Listed below are a few reasons why you desperately need industry connections to succeed in this career path.

Getting Your Foot in the Door

We've all heard the expression "getting your foot in the door," implying that something gave you a chance to get into something else. That is what industry connections can do for you. They give you a chance to meet with people who could ultimately dictate your success. Let's say, for instance, that you work as a freelance photographer but you want to be commissioned by magazines and newspapers to make more money. If you already have connections with industry leaders, you can find out about job opportunities before they come up. That will get your foot int eh door before anyone else even puts on their shoes.

Gaining Hands-on Experience

If you establish your connections through an internship, you can gain hands-on experience that will prove vital to your work in the future. Most people only find out about their work through a degree program before they actually get into the work force. You could have a big advantage if you already have real life experience before you get a job. There is only so much you can learn about from a text book. The rest you just have to learn as you go. By developing the connections you need early on, you can bypass the first stages of your learning and skip right to the work itself.

Making More Money

With more connections comes more clients, and that will inevitably help you make money in the end. You are only as successful as the amount of clients you have, and they can be hard to gain at first if you have no connections whatsoever. With the right people in your calling list though, you can easily start off on the right foot when it comes to earning an income. You will still have to do some marketing on your own, but at least this will give you a jump start in the right direction.

Earning More Respect

There is a sense of authority that comes along with having industry connections. You will find that people trust you more when you have a connection with someone than they would if you were on your own. You get to benefit from the respect that the other person gets. If people trust him or her, they will inevitably trust you. That saves you from having to win over the hearts of the masses right out of the gate.

How to Establish Industry Connections

If you think you want to start looking for some connections of your own, you can essentially look all around you. Your professors and people in local businesses could all be jumping points for you. Try to attend any seminars or conventions you can to get your name out there. This will undoubtedly help you succeed in the end. With the right people supporting you, there is no telling how far you could go in this industry.

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