Saturday, August 21, 2010

Opportunity and Adventure: Monster-Mania, Day One.

Networking, they say, is key to a job search in the 21st Century; it seems like they may be on to something.

Fan conventions may be a little carnival and geek-ridden, but there's a certain camaraderie that develops between folks that work for pizza slices to keep the show on track. I was surprised - and not slightly delighted - to find an unexpected ally in the ranks of the convention volunteers.

My last official application of the week was to Bancroft Neurohealth - a leading provider of programs and supports for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, autism and acquired brain injuries. They were looking for someone to maintain and build out their website, which seemed perfect for me - I had built out the Occupational Training Center of New Jersey's site last year, so I was well aware of their mission and goals.

My colleague at the convention mentioned that she worked for Bancroft, which led to a discussion and an alliance; I now have a number and name to go with that Internet advertisement, and - most helpfully - a person inside that may prove to be my salvation. Time will tell.

In addition, I had the opportunity to speak at length with Herschell Gordon Lewis. Attending the convention representing his film work, Herschell is better known in business circles as a Marketing Guru of the very highest water. My opinion of the man as brilliant, open and gracious was cemented within moments of the start of our discussion, and that opinion only blossomed in the hours of discussion that followed.

Tomorrow, if time, opportunity and grace allow, I believe I will attempt to bend that magnificent brain of his towards the subject of personal marketing and the job search in our current economy. If he will allow the interview, I'll transcribe it in full and post it here. For the job seeker, the opinions of a man with his qualifications are worth many times their weight in gold.