1) Stay Confident
Entering into an industry with seasoned professionals as your coworkers can be rather intimidating. People may have their doubts, and you have to accept that. There are no grounds for your employers to surrender complete trust, and that’s okay. Don’t take it personally. You wouldn’t have gotten the job if they didn’t see potential. Pay your dues. Stay confident in your skills. And prove yourself.
2) Don’t Be Surprised if You Hear, “We’ve Already Tried That.”
We have all been there. You have a REVOLUTIONARY idea. You arrive at the staff meeting, ready to share your brand new idea, and then you hear, “We actually tried that a couple years ago, and it didn’t really work out for us”. Don’t be discouraged. It’s better to get this information, and generate new ideas. You can also ask for more details. Find out the reasons why it didn’t work. Get specifics on the project and be sure it isn’t worth revising or revisiting before you decide to not pursue it.
3) Be Ambitious
After a few weeks, months, or years on your job, you may get discouraged by being the newbie, or undergoing constant questioning from your superiors, but KEEP PURSUING YOUR IDEAS. Identify issues at your company, and brainstorm solutions. Also, once you’ve sparked a new idea. Make sure you execute the follow through. When I first started my job as Marketing Director at Performance Network Theatre, I had a crazy idea to have an art show before and after our performance of “My Name is Asher Lev”. I began asking around the community for resources, and actually started a whole new program called Artnerships. For each performance, we included artwork in our lobby that matched thematically with the shows on stage. When it came time for “Asher Lev”, it seemed a larger artshow was out of reach. We didn’t have the space, and our visual art curator didn’t have the time. I was so determined, I did more crowd sourcing, and my friend Kayj Michelle at the Ugly Mug Cafe was ready to jump on board and bring my vision to life! Click here (and here) to see highlights from the Backstage Art Show!
4) Listen for Ideas from Your Staff and Friends
In regards to the Backstage Art Show, we were struggling to find the space to host the artshow, as I mentioned. A staff member suggested, “Why don’t we show the art behind the set?”. This was not my original vision. Frankly, it was better than my original idea. Rather than being upset that I didn’t conceive this genius idea, or being frustrated that my original idea didn’t work, I decided to pursue it! We escorted audiences behind the set after the show. They got to view works by local artists AND take a peek at the backstage area. Since I supported my co-workers input, they supported me even more! The Backstage Art Show exceeded all of my expectations and it wouldn’t have happened if I didn’t value the ideas of the people around me. Read more about gathering ideas from those around you by clicking here.
5) Maintain Your Personal Life
Starting a career can be consuming, to say the least. It feels like letting your guard down on the weekend or in the evenings may cause you to fall behind. This is simply not true. Yes, you want to be responsive if you get an urgent email or text from a co-worker, but other than emergencies, I highly suggest keeping your personal and work life separate. When you go home, go home. Stop updating your company’s website. Talk about work with your loved ones for a limited time. Instead of fretting about work at all hours of the day, go out on a date, play with your cat, catch up (or rewatch) Breaking Bad, work on your music…see? The possibilities are endless! Then, when you’re at work you won’t feel like you’re personal life is suffering. Only you hold the power to balance your work life and personal life.
