Hey Everyone, Sorry I have been away for a bit but I have been getting my Networking ON. In the last week and a half I have signed up to work my 2nd Peachtree International Film Festival and Dragon Con both are here in Atlanta. I am also looking into applying to work Taste Of Atlanta which is in October.
Today I want to go over the importance of getting yourself out there and networking and I believe the best way to do that is by volunteering. I have been volunteering for over 10 years and I have to say it has been my foundation. When you volunteer you get to meet so many people that you may not get the opportunity to meet in your everyday travels. Volunteering is awesome because you also get to help out and that makes you feel good. If you have never done it but are curious to know where to start I suggest you Google your local volunteer center, They will have you fill out some info to see what services best fit you. I also like to look and see what events are coming up that I may want to attend and then I call or email them and inquire about volunteering. This is my favorite way of finding out about opportunities because it's a lot of fun and it's exciting to see what events you may be involved with.
Now when you get chosen to volunteer and you want to do some networking there are definitely some Do's and Dont's. If you decide to volunteer make sure that it is something that you like and that you will be able to complete, don't take on a task if your not going to put your all into it. You have to know that you will be watched and people are going to take note of how good or bad you are. If you are great at what you do then most of the time they will ask you back, which is awesome because that is how you build your relationships. I have volunteered for some of the same events multiple times because the person who liked me asked me to come back and that is the greatest feeling. It is also cool because most times you return they usually move you up to a better position than when you started. Perfect example of this is last year when I worked the Peachtree Film Festival I did registration and this year when I attended the meeting I was told that I would have an assisting position.
Ok this is very important.. if you are working an event where celebrities are involved DO NOT harass them, treat them like a regular Joe and do your job that you are assigned to. If you want to network with them then wait to you feel is the right opportunity to approach them. I say use your better judgment and follow your gut feeling. Also when you approach make it short and sweet and have a business card in hand ready to go. If you happen to see a celeb that you have met before try to refer back to something that will help them remember you, this will make that conversation go smoother. Always try to make a good impression and don't talk a lot, try to use what great personality traits you have to make them remember you, be it a smile, humor or a nice compliment. Also make sure that your business cards are very professional and that the email address your using on your card is short and to the point Ex: (Parkeragency@gmail.com) Not (bigBOOTYBelinda@gmail.com) that is a NO BUENO...LOL I know it sounds crazy but some people have no etiquette. So now since I have given you some helpful tips I will pass on the links to the events I am working this year and this way if you want to try please feel free to follow the simple steps I did.
Peachtree International Film Festival
http://pviff.com/
Dragon Con
http://dragoncon.org/
Taste Of Atlanta(registration for volunteers start in August)
http://tasteofatlanta.com/
Great Volunteer Site
www.volunteermatch.org/
Great site Athena.
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