The Global Media Site for Entertainment.
Menu
I like to read a lot of articles via sites like AV Nation, Inc. , Pro Sound Web, Forbes, etc. I read each platform for different reasons. Inspiration, motivation, to learn about new products, business storylines and all in all to stay in the know. One key factor that is consistent across each of these platforms is the topic of millennials. 10 mistakes millennials need to stop making, what millennials want from the workplace, millennials and how we use social media trends and maintaining their online reputation.
All kinds of titles leaving all generations kind of divided. We have a handful of industry leaders voicing their opinions, “they (millennials) feel entitled to things. They’re lazy.” On another hand, you have a group of industry leaders embracing us millennials and all the different aspects we have to bring to the workspace. They’re willing to teach us what we have yet to learn and guide us through situations we haven’t too fully experienced. Both of these groups are a blessing to all of us millennials. We might not like or agree with the boxes they try to fit us all into. But this group of wise industry leaders keep us sharp and on our toes if you take a minute to listen to what they’re really saying. However, millennials know a thing or two about social media so the education can go both ways.
I want all of us to reap the benefits of utilizing social media outlets to build awesome portfolios no matter what generation.
No matter what age, whether you’re a freelancer, entrepreneur, employee. Personal branding online is important in each circumstance and when your passion is reflected throughout your social media properly, it can create one beautiful portfolio and great opportunities to push you forward within your career. On social media not only do you need to remain professional, but you need to showcase your personality across all platforms.
Most millennials love social media and most of our elders are not fans of too many social sites. But in this day and age employers and clients are looking for you online before they even ask you to come in for an interview or to discuss a project. Here are some social platforms we all can utilize to create an awesome portfolio on social media.
Instagram is a great place to showcase your work for one reason that is pretty obvious. You can display visuals. Pictures and videos are one of the best ways to show prospective clients and employers the gear you’ve worked with, the types of training you’ve participated in or even the school you’ve attended. It’s living proof of you working with a particular console or at a specific gig.
When utilized correctly, Instagram can be a visual resume of what you can do, how you do it, with a hint of personality to give a little sense of who you are.
As a freelancer or entrepreneur, you will possibly have more freedom in posting what you want from the gig. But always be sure to have social media postings cleared in a contract or have final approval from the overall facilitator of the event. Do not overdo the picture-taking. Remember, you’re working so you will have other important things taking place. Find the right time and prioritize accordingly. Maybe before sound check, or after the show get a few pictures of the board and some behind the scenes footage of the band showing their gratitude toward all your hard work that night. Get creative but do it within the right time frame.
There is so much you can do with Twitter to showcase your passions and interests. The best thing you can do on Twitter is engage in a Twitter chat. Twitter chats allow you to connect with like-minded individuals in the industry. It also allows you to become a part of a community where you can share your knowledge, collaborate and learn from others. This will show you know at least minimum information about audio or production. Or it will show that you are beyond proficient in the subject matter. If you don’t give a lot of feedback or information, still participate. Ask questions to show you want to grow, have a strong passion and are willing to learn. Another great way to take advantage of Twitter is to post about your work. Share tips on how you EQ a particular instrument or share a blog post about a console and incorporate a known hashtag to correspond with the post. For example, below I share an article. I tag the company or person it is in relation to. I then use hashtags to connect my post to the community.
You can also use Twitter to post pictures and videos. When you post pictures and videos on Twitter it will create more engagement. Which is exactly what you want, you want to be active so people have a reason to follow and connect with you. If you’re not active why would anyone want to follow you? Of course you must continue to be professional on this platform as well. Don’t tweet about how unorganized a client is or how difficult a band was during a show. Your public timeline is not the place.
Your professionalism and personality have to equally shine and reflect you in the same light across every social media outlet.
LinkedIn is the social platform created for professionals. This is the place where you always want to remain professional no matter what, this is not the place to post too many pictures or add videos. It’s very direct and straight to the point. On your profile you create a resume, make sure you keep your profile up to date and keep any gaps in your work history to a minimum. After you have created your profile make sure you fill out every section in its entirety. Especially the skills section. This will allow people within your network to endorse your skill set.
For example as a sound engineer, you would list skills like audio engineer, audio, sound, pro tools, music, etc. Over time as you build your network, people will begin to endorse you and vouch for you in your particular skill sets. The skills listed on your profile will also lead you into groups that represent your skill set. There you will meet possible employers and other engineers looking to connect and build genuine relations that can lead to greater opportunities in a community of your peers.
Now this platform is professional, but you still have to find a way to incorporate a hint of personality. You can do this by publishing articles on LinkedIn. Here you can write about audio and anything else you have a passion about. This way anyone looking at your profile for the first time gets your work history, schooling and a little taste of who you are as a person.
You must stay active on LinkedIn so you don’t miss any job opportunities or a chance to connect with influencers and shot callers.
This is the place where you bring it all together. Yes, websites can be expensive but there are a lot of ways to get a nice presentation of yourself up and running. Here are a few free sites where you can have a bio, a display of your work history, showcase your mixed content and have the links to all your social media outlets in one place. Utilizing any one of these free website developers will give you a specific online address and help people connect with you. There are many more free builders I’m sure, but find which one displays you and your work best and create your online address.
Finally Facebook is always out there and while generally a social media that is truly a social platform and not a place to build a professional profile, it is worth keeping that profile in check and consistent with the others you have online. Constant pictures of you out partying all night splattered across Facebook can harm the professional front you are putting up on other social medias so be mindful of what you make public.
Some of the industry leaders that have paved the way for us say there is no place for social media in the workplace. But there is and it can possibly help advance your career if done and utilized properly. Social media can generate clients and a variety of different gigs. Creating more revenue, more experience and greater opportunities.
The Emotional Rollercoaster Of Relationships On Tour
Article by Sound Girl: Alesia Hendley
Join TheatreArtLife to access unlimited articles, our global career center, discussion forums, and professional development resource guide. Your investment will help us continue to ignite connections across the globe in live entertainment and build this community for industry professionals. Learn more about our subscription plans.
Love to write or have something to say? Become a contributor with TheatreArtLife. Join our community of industry leaders working in artistic, creative, and technical roles across the globe. Visit our CONTRIBUTE page to learn more or submit an article.
The mission of SoundGirls.org is to inspire and empower the next generation of women in audio. Our mission is to create a supportive community for women in audio and music production, providing the tools, knowledge, and support to further their careers. SoundGirls.Org was formed in 2013 by veteran live sound engineers Karrie Keyes and Michelle Sabolchick Pettinato and operates under the Fiscal Sponsorship of The California Women’s Music Festival, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. In 2012, Karrie and Michelle participated in the “Women of Professional Concert Sound” panel at the AES Conference in San Francisco. The panel was hosted by the Women’s Audio Mission (WAM) and moderated by WAM founder Terri Winston. Terri brought together five women working in live and broadcast audio. The groundbreaking panel (which also included Jeri Palumbo, Claudia Engelhart and Deanne Franklin), provided young women and men a glimpse into life on the road, tips and advice, and a Q & A with the panelists. More importantly though, was how incredibly powerful the experience was for the panelists. We had all been in the business for 20 years or more, yet most of us had never met before that day and within minutes we bonded like long-lost sisters. We were struck by how similar our experiences, work ethics, and passions were and wondered why our paths had never crossed and how our careers would have been different had we been there to support each other through the years. Each of us are strong on our own, but together we were even stronger and a powerful force. We were empowered. Each of us had been asked hundreds of times in our careers: Are there other women doing sound? How did you get into sound? How would a young woman go about getting into sound? Through creating SoundGirls.Org, we hope to establish a place for women working in professional audio to come for support and advice, to share our success and failures, our joys and frustrations, and for empowerment and inspiration.
Read Full Profile
© 2021 TheatreArtLife. All rights reserved.
Thank you so much for reading, but you have now reached your free article limit for this month.
Our contributors are currently writing more articles for you to enjoy.
To keep reading, all you have to do is become a subscriber and then you can read unlimited articles anytime.
Your investment will help us continue to ignite connections across the globe in live entertainment and build this community for industry professionals.
