Working as a Digital Design Consultant in Brainwave Digital Consultants - Assignment Example

Assessment Number 1: Networking Plan Student’s Name Institution Tutor Course Date Assessment Number 1: Networking Plan Part 1 Figure 1: Career Network Key Contacts First Introduction Vince Myer – Class Mate in High School Me Jane Kim- Former Colleague in Showman Company Ltd. Me Tim Brown- Lecturer and Mentor who inspired me to be a designer Me Scott Bull- Manager , Frisco Designs Tim Brown Cliff Dean- Assistant R&D Manager Lincroft Digital Media Vince Myer Lena Chow- Proprietor , Chow & Associates Design Company Tim Brown I work as a digital design consultant with my own company, which is called Brainwave Digital Consultants. Vince Myers was my classmate in high school during my time at Kimberley High School for four years. I consider him my best friend as he has been one of my most crucial contacts for a long time. His friendship extends from a personal to a professional relationship. I have known him for about eight years since we first met in my junior year at my former high school. Vince Myers currently works as a Freelance Graphics Designer, who works on both short and long-term contracts for a variety of clients (Uzzi & Dunlap 2005, p. 54). He introduced me to Cliff Dean, an assistant research and development manager at Lincroft Digital Media. His company is mainly involved in various forms of design ranging from outdoor publicity, web design and indoor design. The connection with Dean has been of immense value to my career because I have been able to extend my operations into new areas. Dean made me realize the importance of advertising my services more often so that I can market myself to potential markets. This has made me get more recognition for what I do in the industry that I am working in. I have been able to acquire valuable insight, which has been beneficial to my operations and also helped me to build a positive reputation. I have been able to modify the way I do things because of the interactions I have had with Dean (Uzzi & Dunlap 2005, p. 56). My schedules regarding work have become more efficient, which has improved the outcomes of what I deliver to my clients. Jane Kim is a former colleague in the company that I used to work for before I opened my consultancy firm two years ago. She still works for that company unlike me as my entrepreneurial instincts pushed me to leave formal employment to chase another dream. We have stayed in touch and we occasionally meet in design related events. My interactions with her keep me updated on the new directions the industry is taking, which helps me to plan ahead (Uzzi & Dunlap 2005, p. 56). She is a valuable social contact because through her, I am always in a position to tell the business ventures that can be of great benefit to my business operations. Tim Brown is a person I consider my mentor because without him, I would not have been where I am today. I consider Brown as such because he encouraged me to push myself harder so that I can excel in my career as a designer. Brown also encouraged me to set up my own consultancy because it would be rewarding to me both financially and professionally. Brown introduced me to Scott Bull, a manager at Frisco Designs. My meeting with Bull helped me to cultivate a positive relationship, which helped me to get a lucrative contract with the company early this year (Uzzi & Dunlap 2005, p. 56). The contract helped to raise the profile of my company to become one of the best performing start up consultancy firms in my city. Brown also introduced me to Lena Chow, a successful entrepreneur whose design company is performing well in the market. I consider Brown as my super-connector because the people who he has introduced me to have a significant and positive contribution to the design industry. I would want to grow my network more to include people who are active in other industries different from design. Part 2 My Primary Contacts on LinkedIn Vincent Kissinger Lincoln Stafford Neil Kawasaki Vince Myer Richard Duke Latifa Lint Lucy Baines Linda Shaw Stacy Clyde Lennox Akasama Matthew Johns Lloyd Kasagama James Lipper Don Stewart Jennifer Cox Stephanie Michaels Hanifa Lopez Laila Edwards Trent Gable Mikhail Kirov These contacts are drawn from a variety of settings and they are the ones that I interact with most of the times. The majority of these contacts are people I went to school with and I have managed to keep in touch with them through LinkedIn. I maintain regular contact with them and they are able to update me on the things that happen on a daily basis, which have a positive contribution on my career. Some of the contacts are also my present and former workmates with whom I have had the benefit of sharing a lot with. The best primary sources that I have been able to identify through my LinkedIn account are Vincent Kissinger, Linda Shaw, Lincoln Strafford, Vince Myer and Stephanie Michaels. These contacts have been consistently in touch with me for over two years and we have been able to share a lot of positive experiences. These contacts have been able to connect me to their acquaintances in some social gatherings that I have attended together with them. My interaction with these 5 contacts has enabled me to expand my acquaintance list and this has helped me to become a more active social participant than ever before (De Janasz & Forrett 2008, p. 631). I have been able to gain advice from them on the suitable career paths that I can follow, which can help me grow my skills further. They have also made me to learn the current trends in my chosen career and the skill profiles suitable for this profession. The best sources for secondary contacts were from the friend or acquaintance lists of my primary contacts. The message updates that my primary contacts post constantly have helped me to familiarize myself with the interests of the secondary contacts. Most of the secondary contacts that I approach are familiar to my primary ones and this makes it easy to approach them and familiarize myself with them (De Janasz & Forrett 2008, p. 635). The secondary contacts have identified my interactions with my primary contacts and this has made them to be interested in what I do. This has created a positive motivation for them to link up with me, which has kept our social interaction active and enabled the benefits arising from this interaction to be shared among us. The primary contacts can be approached through direct interaction at home, work or school. These primary contacts are people who we are very familiar with and who we are comfortable with. Some of the primary contacts can be very far away and thus it is important to reach out to them to find out what they have been doing for the time you have been apart. It is important to know about the career goals of your primary contacts and you should also be willing to share with them your own goals as well (Janasz, Sullivan & Whiting 2003, p. 78). Secondary contacts can be approached through constant communication with primary contacts. The primary contacts can refer you to their close friends and associates with whom one can share their experiences, goals and future plans. One can then request for further interactions with the secondary contacts referred to him to cultivate a strong professional relationship. Secondary contacts can also be approached in informal gatherings and meetings (Janasz, Sullivan & Whiting 2003, p. 82). During such gatherings, one can develop an interest in the people who are present to learn about what they do and open up possibilities for further interactions. Networking is very important for sustaining a positive career life for each individual. This has made me realize that there are mutual benefits, which can be shared as a result of constant communication and interaction with reliable contacts. These reliable contacts help me to know important information and they also guide me to follow a positive direction that can be beneficial to me (Hipski &Armani –Bavaro 2011, p. 79). Networking has enabled me to expand my social engagements with people and this has also sharpened my understanding regarding the environment that surrounds me. Social media helps to link up people in different locations who have similar interests. Social media is crucial in expanding the connections that people have regardless of the geographical boundaries that exist among them. Social media keeps one updated on the changes in the professional and personal lives of the contacts he or she has (Brogan 2010, p. 35). This gives a person crucial information regarding the direction, which his or her contacts are pursuing and the benefits that lie there. Interactions, which are sustained through social networks, help a person to have clear goals and a sense of purpose within the community in which he is active. References Brogan, C 2010, Social media 101: tactics and tips to develop your business online, John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, NJ. De Janasz, SC & Forret, ML 2008, ‘Learning the art of networking: a critical skill for enhancing social capital and career success’, Journal of Management Education, vol. 32, no. 5, pp. 629-650. De Janasz, SC, Sullivan, SE & Whiting, V 2003, ‘Mentor networks and career success: lessons for turbulent times’, Academy of Management Executive, vol. 17, no. 4, pp. 78-91. Hipsky, S &Armani-Bavaro, C 2011, Mentoring magic: pick the card for your success: a guidebook for students in higher education who are American, international or studying abroad, Information Age Publishing Group, New York. Uzzi, B &Dunlap, S 2005, ‘How to build your network’, Harvard Business Review, viewed 17 August 2012, < http://hbr.org/2005/12/how-to-build-your-network/ar/1 >. Read More