Success is Applying Fandom

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I talk about applying our fannish and geeky interests to our careers.  This brings up a subject I haven't really discussed:

What is SUCCESSFULLY applying your fandom to your career?

It's one of those things that seems obvious – until you really think of it – so I wanted to classify and clarify what I mean.

What is successfully applying your fandom to your career?  I'd say it's the following:

  • When your fannish interests have a place in your life that you're aware of (it may be only to blow off STEAM due to your career).
  • When your fannish interests provide resources – from knowledge to contacts to more – that you effectively and consciously leverage in your career.
  • When your fannish interests and career are not in conflict but support each other (perhaps at some point they may border on the indistinguishable).

That's successful fan-to-pro to me.  The two support each other and you're aware of how your fandom can be used in the bigger picture (again, if only to relax you).

-Steven Savage

“How” is the only sure path to “can’t”

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I talk to a lot of people who are very, very sure of what they can't do in their careers.

They can't be writers.  They can't be artists.  They can't be travel agents.  They have a giant list of can'ts.  It's often larger than their cans.

When I talk to such people, I also learned very quickly that the majority of them really have little or no awareness of the career they've given up on.  They hear something, read something, or make an assumption, and then kill off their career plans right there.

The only way for you to decide you can't do something is to know how it's actually done.

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Stereotype-Fu: A sense of humor

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Continuing my series on Stereotype-fu, let's take a look at another way to deal with stereotypes in the job and career.

I should note that I'm talking about the more innocent (or stupid) ones – not the nasty, negative stereotypes that we all know a bit to well – those that judge people by ethnicity, or gender, region of borth etc.  Those are areas outside the scope of what I'm discussing.

So when you're afraid you're being affected by stereotypes in your workplace, on an interview, etc. another tool is a sense of humor.

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