So last week when this Blog was assigned in AIA, we had a visit from an incredibly energetic woman. Anne Denman , Executive Director for the Okanagan International Festival of Animation, came to our class to speak to us about how to build connections and name's for ourselves within the industry. Now, when I heard we were going to be given a presentation, I'm going to be honest and say I expected to be fairly bored considering my past experiences with "Educational Presentations". This was not the case. Anne came into the room and her presence was immediately known. She was so full of life that it was hard not to take note and this energy didn't diminish at all throughout her presentation. Anne is someone who is full of experience and I was happy that she was able to clearly describe her own experiences both personal and professional to us. She described many good experiences and a few bad but she was one of the more positive people I've come across and I have to admit that it was contagious. Overall, Anne Denman is an incredible woman with much to say and I would recommend listening to each word.
Alright, back to the reason I'm writing this. Now Anne didn't just come to show us her outgoing personality. She came to give us tips on how to market and promote ourselves in the big scary world that is Animation. We were asked what we had to offer and asked what we could take away from the Industry. These questions stuck as they really made me think about why I came here. For a general answer I would say that I have ever growing skills to offer and a positive personality. What I can take would be experience and information. In PD I was told that one of my strongest traits was Learning and that's exactly what I want to do. Anne also gave us information about how to construct our resumes and what future employers would be looking for as she has hired many in herself. This will lead into my next point. Anne had said that they were looking for personalities more than anything and want to hire us for being different but it also doesn't hurt to have one foot in the door. We were told that it could benefit us greatly to know some people already on the inside so that they might put in a good word for us.
Now, knowing people in the industry has been something that has been stressed since we got here. Networking is turning out to be extremely important and this very thought is becoming more solid and pressing as time goes on. Anne also stressed the importance of this in her talk. "It's not what you know, it's who." These are the clearest words I've heard thus far. Anne taught us The Art of Connecting/Lunch during the discussion. I now know how and how not to approach someone and speak to them. Whether I gain the courage or not to do so is another matter entirely. This reminds me, we also spoke about interviews. How to act, how to dress, what to do and what not to. These tips were extremely helpful as I now know what to expect whether I was aiming for the job or not. Apply Everywhere was something Anne stressed as well. No job is too small mentality.
Finally, (Yes I know I ranted) I was inspired to keep up with my own projects. It is important to keep developing your own ideas to keep your own creativity running, also to give you a break from whatever it is you've been working on professionally. Overall, Anne's presentation was enlightening and educational in a fun way and I hope you'll understand what I mean if you ever meet her.
No comments:
Post a Comment