Career development and networking strategies from arts industry executives

¶ … Career Overview of the Two Non-Entry Level Executives

Sara Wyer, Project Director

Sara Wyer joined the Livet Reichard Company in 2014. She is a native of New York, a graduate of the School of Visual arts and holds a BFA in illustration. Before joining the company, she worked for other three years in other arts related companies wjhere she had assisted in the successful implementation of various unique events. She started her career as an intern for an arts related PR company while she was still a student where she was able to secure a part time job and a full time job after she graduated. There, she was able to grow within the company in an organic way before moving onto Livet Reichard where she also had to grow within the company. Sara's key moments or challenges that she faced, overcame, and helped in developingher into the professional she is today are mainly related to the nature of the industry. The arts industry is fast paced so one is required to learn very quickly how to keep up with all of the demands, and stay organized. Sara advises that it is really important to put attending work related events and events related to personal interests fornetworking purposes. In additionit's important to keep oneself engaged even during off-working hours.

Reflection on these experiences

These two conversations, with highly experienced and accomplished executives was a major eye-opener for an expectant entrant into the corporate world. I have derived various lessons from these conversations and based on the career starting point, the challenges in their professional lives, and in general the work-experiences of Maria and Sara.

The first importantlesson is the importance of networking. Networking is the live-line for social capital, a very vital resource in the corporate world. Sara provided me with some very rich strategies on how to create networks, and the relevant mindset towards networking. As a student, my opinion towards such events like conferences, seminars, and hobbies came only as avenues for having fun. However, and after listening to Sara's experiences, I have had a major mindset shift to appreciate the crucial nature of these events in the creation of resourceful networks.

The second lesson is the ability to understand the business environment, the trends, and then the ability to successfully manage personal business. This is evidently clear in the two conversations. For the case of Sara, she had to begin from a small company, understand the business environment, the trends in the industry, and then grow organically. Assumedly, starting with a small company isn't easy, and the ability to successfully manage business in a small company is a remarkable capability, and an avenue for growing personal skills and experiences. For the case of Maria, as a project manager she has clearly undergone several challenges given the nature of her job. Her challenges are as a result of other parties with whom she has no control over. This in addition to being able to understand the industry requires great patience and humility, and understanding on how to deal with the various situations that arise.

The third lesson that is clearly evident from these two cases is the need for critical thinking. It is clearly evident that, critical thinking has been a critical element in the professional progression of both Sara and Maria. The most evident use of critical thinking is in that, very often, in the course of their work, they both have had to apply critical thinking. For the case of Sara, she had to critically think on how to improve her networks and thus, actively use such events that would otherwise been used for fun to make and grow are networks. Critical thinking is however more applicable in Maria's case where she has to critically think on any potential areas that might not be covered in their plans. Nevertheless, such areas will crop up no matter the efforts in planning the event. To manage such areas when they come up, it is more than clear that critical thinking is the most useful tool.

Lastly, the ability to understand ones capabilities, limitations and simply being realistic is a vital skill in the corporate world. This lesson is useful for it allows for setting of realistic goals, understanding the resources at one's disposal, and the ability to know when to seek assistance. This is best seen from Maria's experiences, given that she has to more than often deal with artists that do not have a personal benefit, in the form of profits, from the projects she undertakes. Understandably, it is highly impossible for an artist's to abandon his/her money making projects to engage in a not-for-profit project. It is important to be realistic enough as to understand this truth and therefore plan on how to progress with a project when such a case presents itself.

In brief, the two conversations where an eye-opener for me and it's with no doubt that they have prepared me in a major way by triggering a mind-set change, from a student perspective to the practical perspective in the corporate world.