Peter Bart: Step Up Your Networking? Not So Fast – There Could Be Hazards Ahead
To state the obvious, this is a dicey moment in the job market. Amid cutbacks and strikes, even headhunters are job hunting. Those hot USC graduates who once lined up for CAA internships are now foraging for a TikTok moment. YouTube is swamped by a confluence of influencers.
“Step up your networking” used to be the common advice in a tough job market, but cocktail parties today have become all work and no play. Extroversion thus becomes the most important trait for networking success, according to a LinkedIn study as reported in The Economist. Bartleby, its business columnist, admitted that his introversion is now badly inhibiting his networking prowess.
“The sweet spot in networking is to get in the line for coffee, then you can have built-in exchanges with someone in front or behind you,” he advises. Job hunters who can mobilize superficial ties to lots of sources have a demonstrably better shot than those who pride themselves on more intimate links.
In earlier times, college credentials were presented as a key advantage in job hunting, but this is now being challenged by skeptics who argue that college is overpriced and overvalued. Analyzing this question, the Wall Street Journal last week published a detailed survey that weighed the cost of specific colleges against the prospect of financial return.
Princeton University surprisingly finished atop the list, even ahead of tech-focused institutions like MIT. This normally would have pleased its alumni except for the fact the elite Princeton Club in New York had to shut its doors because it went broke. So much for Princeton networking.
The upshot is that more and more show business aspirants are passing on company gigs as assistants or interns to leverage their opportunities on social media. According to a Los Angeles Times profile, one young Chapman University graduate named Gary Fagan turned down executive assistant-type jobs to develop a TikTok comedy video. He now has 5 million followers and feels he can chart his progress through his own initiatives.
More film schools are thus offering courses on visual storytelling in social media as a route around more conventional paths in the entertainment industry.
Traditional networking, however, is still a mainstay in Hollywood. Industry events offer rich opportunities for encounters with industry legends, provided lucky “civilians” can figure out how to start a conversation.
I once found myself jammed against a stoic Mick Jagger at an awards event and, panicked, offered this lame startup: “You and I were once classmates at the London School of Economics but you likely don’t remember.” He in fact remembered and gave me a surprised hug. We chatted for 10 minutes before a worshipful fan intruded to ask what hit album we were discussing.
Walking into an event like this, however, leaves me amazed that everyone in the room always seems engaged in intense conviviality. How do they know each other?
On the other hand, my most stressful Hollywood encounters occur when I personally have been featured in a magazine or on TV. Suddenly there are lots of people eager to talk, with startup lines like, “Why doesn’t Time Magazine like you?” or “Can’t New York Magazine find a kinder photo?” or “Why doesn’t CNN light you better?”
Remarks like that remind you of the safety of anonymity, irrespective of the job market.