Avatar photoSteven Savage

Convention Idea: Make Something!

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The roundup of convention ideas is here.

So you want to do a professional event.  There's the speakers, the advice, the stories . . . but what about adding more oomph?  Some extra?

How about doing a pro-level project at the con?

Imagine a project that lasts the entire duration of the convention that involves people leveraging their professional skills to produce a complete work.  People would cooperate, work with pros (who would oversee it), and in the end have a result – and learn a lot from it.

Consider such possibilities as:

  1. A team-drawn and team-written manga or set of manga.
  2. Pro-level costumes made from scratch?
  3. A round-robin serious writing project?
  4. Creating a fan website from scratch?
  5. Actually creating a browser-based game?

Everyone participating gets some advantages:

  1. They make new friends.
  2. They have a piece of work to show off in a job search.
  3. They learn teamwork.
  4. They get to stretch their skills.

So how about it?  Want to jazz up your con's profan events?  How having your attendees sign on to make something . . .

– Steven Savage

Fan To Pro: The Book

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FanToProIcon And it's done.  The Fan To Pro book I've been working on, blogging about, and mentioning for months is done and out at Lulu.com.  In a few weeks if all goes well, it'll be available internationally.

It's done.  It still hasn't quite sunk in.

So now, you've got my distilled advice, wisdom, and exercises for turning from geek to progeek, fan to profan, in one handy guide.  From learning to see fandom differently, to career brainstorming exercises, to using fandom as a tool to help you relocate, its all here.

It's been quite a journey – but it's been worth it.  I learned a lot, did a lot, and now I have a single tool that lets me help people turn their geekery into their career.  I can hand them a book and say "start here."

So what's next?  Well I promote the book, I speak at more conventions, and I do what I always have done – help people out.  I believe in the power of careers, and in the powers of geeks, fans, and otaku.

Of course there's other books in the works with some similar goals.

So go on, check it out!

Oh, and I've already collected notes for "Fan To Pro" Second edition . . .

– Steven Savage

Epic Resume Go! Part 5! Tie-Ins!

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"Wait", you think, "didn't I just do my resume?  Isn't that what all of this is about?"  Another section?

Well, if a resume is a story, it's made even better by supplemental material.  Like movie photobooks, sequels, short stories – additional elements help flesh your resume out.

Things that help you "tell your story" include:
Cover Letters – These are an art in themselves (perhaps one I should cover sometime). Cover letters help tell your story as well – I think of them as "previews" of your resume.

Websites – Having a professional/personal website helps tell your story as well.  Of course you want to have your website fit your theme and focus.

Social Media – Twitter, Facebook, etc. all are great ways to show who you are.  They're also ways to embarrass the hell out of yourself, so use them cautiously.

Portfolios – Portfolios can be online or offline (or both), and range from simple prints to clever things like DVDs with video examples.  A good portfolio, delivered in the proper manner, can really make an impression.

What else can you use to tell your story?

– Steven Savage