networking for dummies

Feeling good about things at the moment and I feel like it's valuable to record that for posterity. Remind the future me who's reading this that it wasn't all shit all the time. This was a good week. This was a week that made me want to be productive and proactive and reminded me why I want to get into this dumb industry and more importantly made me feel like my breaking into said dumb industry is more of an inevitability than I previously thought.

Let's recap: I got onto the planning committee for this conference a year and a half ago and remember how intimidating that room full of curators and CEOs was at the time? I was less than two months into my college program and way out of my depth and not really able to offer anything constructive. And now look at me! (haha but seriously don't)

The conference wrapped up yesterday, and it went better than I could have expected. It was encouraging to walk the hallways and see people I knew, to realize, oh, I've got the beginnings of a network going, oh, I've been doing something right all along, even if it hasn't paid dividends in the form of, you know, tangible employment. But talking to other young persons you realize this is just how it goes. I want to work in an industry where I'd be willing to (and do) work for free. It takes time, it takes persistence, it takes legwork and volunteering and networking. It takes a bit of luck too (though let's be real, luck is basically a fake idea perpetuated by people who don't work hard enough).

I met some of this year's cohort at the conference too. They were easily identifiable as the clump of  young people huddled in the corner, which I get, I've been there. I got to play elder statesman/grizzled vet, offering them truth-bombs about what was waiting for them outside of college. I felt bad at first, when I couldn't tell them how super employed I was in the job of my dreams, but then I was like, there's no point in sugarcoating it. Most of them wont walk out of class and into this sector. Ain't no guarantees here son.

The other by-product is I don't feel as worried about them as competition in the job market. We all have the same certificate, but I have a year's head start on them, and perspective and a network. This last year has not been wasted (though I could have certainly used the time more effectively). Persistence is key. I need to continue to show my commitment to this sector through whatever opportunities come my way and demonstrate that I am serious about this.

I also don't feel as worried about competing with grad students anymore. An important revelation: going to grad school for this sector is dumb as shit. The theory/practice divide is so far out of whack. I attended a session put on by masters candidates (not by choice, I was voluntold) and it was all completely useless, a big masturbatory circlejerk (redundant, yes) that accomplished little but demonstrate that yes, these kids had in fact gone to grad school. I'm still mad about it. I started feeling sorry for the kids at one point. Everything they are doing seems so irrelevant to the industry in practice. I come from an academic background. I know from useless academic jargon. It has no place in this sector. Christ I am going to carry this for a while. Hey kids, here's some advice: don't go to grad school.

But everything else was good. I networked. I formed meaningful relationships! (Yes, me, I formed meaningful connections with other people who were recently strangers to me!) I learned some stuff. And now I feel energized and like I have some momentum again.

So here's the lesson I'll take away from this week: I belong in this industry. These are my people. I can do the things these people are doing. I want to do the things these people are doing. The sense of community, the sense of purpose and dedication and perspective (the way they balance the idealism with the day-to-day realities of running under-appreciated institutions with not enough funding, oh man) that all these people bring to their jobs is both inspiring and encouraging. It hasn't panned out yet, but I have the luxury at the moment to keep trying (almost wrote "to keep tilting at windmills, but whoops, that's a poor allusion). I'm going to keep trying. I'll continue to show up at these places, whether they pay me or not. I'm not that easy to shake.

One last thing, preserved for posterity: I almost sealed the deal with a cute girl who I only met that same night, which, I don't need to tell you, doesn't ever happen to me. Should I have been more persistent? Should I have invited myself up to her hotel room? I mean what's the point in having a hotel room in a strange city if you don't use it for whirlwind trysts? Anyway. It was fun, and maybe that's enough.