So, it's over a month later and I'm just starting to make sense of everything we have accomplished from this trip. As others have said, I have discovered that networking is not nearly as daunting as I originally thought. Before this I never would have considered emailing complete strangers for an interview, especially professional conductors. But I found that in general, people are very willing help out students and give some time to answering all of our questions. This has probably been the most valuable thing that I have learned from the experience, and I'm considering doing this again the next time I travel. I learned so much about NYC and the arts culture there just from talking with professionals there.
In an interview with Jennifer Peterson, a professional conductor and wonderful person, she told us how important it is to be creative and assertive in this business, which is not something that comes easily to me (I would say it's the Midwest nice thing, but I'm not technically from here). She talked about a job that she really wanted when she was just out of college, and after calling about it, they told her that they already had "stacks of resumés". As a way for her resumé to stand out and be taken seriously, she left copies in the mailboxes of the director and the hiring director in the opera building. It was a simple thing, but she stood out and got the job.
Long story short, I've learned a simple yet valuable lesson about being polite but assertive, and meeting new people who are more than happy to help you be successful.
-Jennifer
No comments:
Post a Comment