Can I get a referral?

Tangents: Vol. idk

It’s all about who you know, not what. So we chase referrals and connections with people embedded in our industry of interest. That’s great because it is extremely crucial to network and build relationships. However, we still need to know SOMETHING. We can’t expect to be a dumbass and just get a job (actually maybe we can in some cases, but for the most part no).

So, how do we go about building our skillset and experience? Typically, an array of internships, research opportunities, fellowships, etc. These institutional-based formal opportunities qualify as “resume-worthy.” However, there are other things we can add to our resume which may not be considered formal, but are super important.

These “other things” entail pursuing passion projects and expressing ourselves through creative outlets. I am doing it right now by writing this. For someone else, that can be editing short films, painting, making music, streaming, etc. Whatever passions we have, we should pursue them, even if it isn’t considered formal.

Also, a note… I’m not saying drop out and stop chasing formal opportunities, but simply make sure we are blending our creative endeavors into our chamber of experiences.

An obstacle we will likely encounter when we work on a passion project is the question of whether is there an external source of support pushing us to do this. Meaning, are we doing that thing because someone/something told us to? Or maybe, strangely, weirdly, we are doing it simply because… we want to? When I first started writing, the first thing I was immediately asked by countless people was “Is this for a class or internship?” The possibility of me just writing for fun, motivated simply by my passion and nothing else, didn’t make sense to them.

This is because we, including myself, often expect an institution or someone/something to push us to act. It can’t just be us pushing ourselves to act based on our will or passion. Ideally, we should push ourselves to act simply due to our own volition, not because someone or something enabled us.

This reality mirrors itself within the referral example. Getting internships is difficult and it is usually only when we know someone or have an “in,” we feel comfortable about our chances to secure that position. It is much scarier and harder to fathom us getting that opportunity simply by our skillset and no one/nothing backing us. This shouldn’t be the case. Our network should SUPPLEMENT our skillset, not supersede it.

So yeah, that probably was messy and confusing, but hopefully, what I am saying is understandable. Build yourself first, through a mixture of formal opportunities and passion projects, THEN use your network to showcase your great skillset and amazing qualities that every single one of you has. And honestly, I am sure you all are doing amazing and probably don’t even to read this. Each one of you is super talented and gifted.

Alright bye, have a good day.