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Yeah I really hate how it’s less about skills and more about who you had coffee with. Feels like the unspoken rule is: make sure the right people see you doing good work or it doesn’t count. I've never really been one to want a lot of attention for anything I do, though, so I hate having to brag about my accomplishments or sell myself in small talk with strangers. Not my vibe.
I’m similar. I hate being the centre of attention and I feel gross when pointing to my own accomplishments but a lot of this industry is that if you want to get ahead.
I don't like that it's called networking culture. But just knowing people and having connections, that's just how the world works. It's been that way since ancient Rome, at least. I agree that people should get ahead based on merit, but a lot of people have merit. That's the baseline. Getting noticed is usually the whole struggle, and that's where knowing people and getting to meet they people they know come in. You can have all the merit in the world but if you're a lone wolf you might not find any place to use whatever your talents may be.
Yeah that’s true, it’s hard to stand out on your own. I’m more okay with it when they’re connections built somewhat naturally, I think I just hate the culture around networking events specifically.
Totally get that—it can feel really disheartening when it seems like who you know matters more than what you can do. I try to focus on building genuine relationships rather than “networking,” but yeah, it’s frustrating when merit doesn’t always speak loud enough on its own.
Yeah I try to make the connections more naturally if I can, I feel gross doing it superficially.
I agree with this, it’s such an important part of the creative industry though. I know people who have moved up in their career so quickly only because of who they know, without much experience.
The networking is important, never stop doing it but still build your knowledge so employers can see how much value you will bring to a role.
It's not one or the other. How are a whole network of people going to know you have merit if they don't even know who you are?
Yes, but if no one sees what you do, then why does it really matter? If a tree falls in the forest…
I get what you’re saying. As a junior employee at an old firm, I worked for multiple different directors on projects throughout the year. When it came time for the year end review, 90% of those directors were gone / not part of the collective performance review discussion (left company, switched groups, maternity leave- I was basically very very unlucky). Because nobody at the figurative table knew who I was, there was no one to vouch for me and I was on the chopping block. My work didn’t matter.
That’s life. You need visibility by the right people to get ahead.
It’s just a bit sad after all that work and effort you can be dropped. Keeping up a lot of these connections can be exhausting.
The sad truth is you're not that special. Skills can be taught, personality cannot, which is often why these are the people who get ahead.