3b.

3B.

This reader took a lot of time to digest, but after reading it numerous times and allowing myself to let the information and concepts settle I realised how and why I am currently using my professional networks.

I find co-operation important in our industry as I do believe the more you co-operate the more you will benefit. For example in my last job I worked consistently hard and supported my dance captain a great deal and even after the contract had finished, she is now a great contact for me always providing me with auditions and further contacts- she is someone I will not lose contact with. I also provide the same help to her creating a great trust and the want to help each other.  I think this tool combines co-operation and tit for tat together. You are always going to be more open to help someone whoever it is if you feel you are gaining yourself in return. My best contacts are through working relationships within my industry, whilst working you create a bond through a common interest which I feel naturally progresses further. It is these contacts I need to make sure I keep; it is so easy once a contract has finished to lose that network and regret it later on down the line.  Maybe I could join other networks not just work related, I’m sure there’s more opportunities out there for me to connect with. 

I feel a big problem for me is when I am in work; although I am making new contacts I feel safe and do not concern myself with networking and keeping in touch with current networks. It is when the job is over and you need more work that realise just how important those contacts are, sometimes it’s a little too late. 

A professional network is a group that has a common interest, and generally we do stick to those groups. However I think it can be beneficial to move out of those circles and create networks with people with other interests; it’s not always those with a direct link that can be of help.

The prisoner’s dilemma game makes sense of this theory; in the long run I believe co-operation is going to always be more beneficial. By competing and not always co-operating you can win by a small margin but this is going to be a short term success, I believe. Obviously there are going to be times when you need to be selfish like at auditions and castings, it’s just knowing when and where.

‘The theory of affiliation says that we need to network across a range of human activities, professionally and personally’. I think this is true we need people around us both professionally and personally. If I am looking for work I connect with my contacts within my industry and create a network of help and advice around me and the same goes for my personal life. I do believe people have the need for others around them, some more than others. I think this can have a lot to do with your genetics and upbringing. People from a large family may feel the need to have a strong network around them more than a single child perhaps.  Hofstede mentions culture as a factor in affiliation and I think these can all be factors that do affect us. We are persuaded and influenced by our surroundings and people around us. 

I believe we all learn from experience, and situations in our lives vary and send us on different paths, leading to different contacts and connections within those networks. Really understanding why we do things and need certain things is what will help us grow and understand our professional and personal lives further.