Stereotype-fu: Choose your stereotype!

by

This is going to be the first in an ongoing series of columns on what I call "Stereotype Fu" – the art of using stereotypes to your advantage in your career.

A lot of us fannish and geeky types end up stereotyped – as we well know.  Trekkies, fanboys, lifeless gamers, nerds, fangirls, etc.  We're use to it, and often a little afraid of it – we're used to being viewed negatively due to simple associations, even when the stereotypes are not totally negative (or negative at all).

BOOKS could be written about why this happens.  My simple summary is that on the neutral side people like to find ways to classify things easy, and on the negative side some people need a group to look down on (and that drags into issues of the culture at large).

However, when we're starting businesses, interviewing for jobs, at work, etc. we have to deal with them.

I want to talk about using them to your advantage.

Read more

Wisdom Rot

by

Remember that great advice you got ten years ago that is entirely irrelevant to your career and you wonder why you're still following it?  Remember that industry that would be perfect for your career that is now a smoking economic ruin of failed dreams, bad ideas, and lawsuits against the accounting firms?

Or do you remember that piece of advice that stuck with you since childhood?  That helpful concept that you got from someone much older than you that got it from some else?

We get experiences and advice that are useful for our lives, and useful at best for a limited time.  Some things are seemingly forever – some lessons are not.

Read more

Convention Spotlight: Daishocon

by

Part of our continuing series on helping conventions add more professional and career events!  The roundup is here.

Daishocon is an anime and gaming convention in Wisconsin.  As you can guess from this being in Fan To Pro, Daishocon's head of programming has plans to make sure the convention caters to the fan-to-pro crowd along with the usual offerings!

The major innovation at Daishocon is to look at bringing in panelists who have written how-to guides – as opposed to people just speaking on careers, they're looking to bring in one or more speakers who have actually written books to help people in their careers – and who work in geeky areas like manga.

This is an innovation I strongly approve of – because there's many people who write on careers, art, anime, video games, and more.  Speaking on a career is one thing, but getting people who can write on it and communicate it is quite another.  This is an idea i'd like to see other conventions pursue.

Daishocon is also looking to host panels for "breaking in" to industries are properly represented as well – to make sure people get a good launch pad for their careers.

In central Wisconsin?  Give them a check.  I especially hope more "how to" writers get more attention in the con scene.  I am of course biased – but I admit it!

– Steven Savage