Progreek Pride: Communication In The Geek Nation

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Halo action figures once made my job easier.

I had to get to know a team operating several servers on a project I worked on at a past employer – and being the Project Manager I had to get to know everyone.  This included people who I'd never met,  on a team I didn't know existed.  I needed to get to know them – and get some things moving project-wise.

Fortunately, someone had Halo action figures.  Sensing a fellow geek, I struck up a conversation with that team member, and had an instant in to the team.

Being an unrepentant geek helped my communications with others.

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Convention Idea: Must-Use Technology

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The roundup of convention ideas is here.

There's a lot to be said for professional-themed panels.  Voice acting.  Game programming.  Writing.

There's also a lot to be said for "peripheral" professional-themed panels.  Networking.  Making portfolios.

However, to these focused and peripheral panels, let me add one more suggestion to put in your convention event witch's brew.  What about doing panels on must-use technologies like making webpages, podcasting, and so on?

For most geeky and fannish careers, technology is an indispensable part of what you do, how you find a job.  Of course, as fandom is generally technical anyway, these technologies do double-duty in their usefulness – helping you out in your geeky endeavors and your career:

  • Websites allow for "personal branding", to establish a common point of contact for professionals, and to display portfolios.  Do people know how to make them easily enough?
  • Podcasts can do everything from self-expression to establishing oneself as an expert to just building social skills – and a consistent podcast is a great testimony to passion and skill.
  • Social media is . . . well everywhere.  If you DON'T have some social media panel at a reasonably sized con, you're missing out.
  • Smartphones are everywhere.  What can fans get out of them professionally and personally?
  • There's many, many other subjects like Apple versus Mac, best free software, etc. . .

Best of all you can find people able to speak on these subjects easily among your regular convention attendees and staff – since they're probably using them.

So next convention, don't forget fantech.  You've got a lot you can cover – and a lot of resources to draw on.

– Steven Savage

Frustration Friday: The Best Isn’t The Best – Again

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OK, let me go and say something I've been telling people for awhile.

Your competency at a profession is not based on any one skill.  It is based on if you have the skills that SUPPORT that skill so you can use it, and thus have a job and a career.

  • If you're the world's greatest artist and have no social skills, you're probably not going to get hired, or even let people be aware of your talent.
  • If you're the world's greatest writer and you're disorganized and ever complete anything, that legion of half-finished novels will never see an audience.
  • If you are a brilliant programmer and don't know the industry you're in, then you will not be able to deal with clients, make plans, and get the job done.

For that matter if you're a brilliant ANYTHING and can't do a job search, network, and market yourself you're probably in trouble anyway.

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