Every Day Is An Audition
Author’s note: This originally appeared in The AdBuzz last year – but it was dusted off and edited up a bit because it’s a good thing to think about.
Yes, there are days when you might feel as though the work that you’re doing isn’t resonating. It feels like it’s just going up in the ether and that no one is paying attention. There very well may be some amazing results, but there may be that lingering doubt.
But the fact is:
The people who matter may be paying attention.
Human beings like feedback – and a few pats on the back can go a long the way. We like to know that the work we’re doing is good. Yes, it’s about the work – but the truth is that someone, somewhere in this industry, is watching you.
This may sound moderately creepy, but you may very well have just ended up on someone’s radar today in someplace far afield.
Anything that you do can catch someone’s eye or ear. That one obscure post that you wrote could be the next step in your career. That “viral” video that was “only” watched by 45 people may very well be the right 45 people – at the right time.
At ad:tech in San Francisco last year, Guy Kawasaki talked about “LonelyBoy15”.
This is the kid who may not have a huge following – but may be influential – and is noticed by the right people at the right time. He also mentioned how this kid – and people like him – should not be ignored.
This could very well be you.
No matter your age, experience or station in life right now.
Honestly:
You just never know when or where that next thing will come from, but you are on stage – even if the lights aren’t exactly trained brightly on you all the time.
To wit:
Imagine doing something four years prior that helped you earn an amazing gig.
Think about just one tweet starting the conversation that landed a client.
That’s exactly what happened to me. These were all auditions that I didn’t know were happening.
In 2007, I helped create a streaming Internet radio station for Advertising Week. It was a seasonal gig – from July to the end of September – that lasted for four years. Last year, they asked me to take over the community.
It is among the work that I am most proud of.
Moreover, it’s great fun.
In February of 2011, I sent out an innocuous, harmless little tweet mentioning a DJ from San Francisco that I really liked (Miguel Migs, in case you were wondering). 10 minutes later, it was mentioned by someone in the industry who then called and asked me if I was taking on more clients. She mentioned that she had been “watching” me and liked the work that I did in the social marketing world.
Yes, there is a little bit of luck involved, but that initial point of entry led to more discovery about me and what I was about.
What’s crucial about all of this is to make sure that you have as much to share about yourself as possible – and that what they see in the deeper look matches what drew them to you in the first place.
- Make sure your LinkedIn profile is updated.
- Keep your portfolio up to date.
- Make sure that people can easily find you and your work.
- Ensure that if they visit you on Facebook or other social sites, there aren’t photos of you after the Giants won the Super Bowl (of course, assuming that you’re a Giants fan).
Don’t be surprised if someone reaches out to you because of who you are.
People are naturally drawn to people they like – and now, that scope of opportunity is even wider because of the obvious:
All things digital.
In fact, most of the people involved in the Advertising Week Social Club (our social contributors from around the globe) first came to our attention on Twitter.
It’s easy for people to figure out the “what” you are and the “what” you do.
But, it all really starts with the who you are.
This is the delightful audition that happens every day – whether you know it or not.
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- by AWSC
- posted at 8:55 am
- June 15, 2012
