“Networking in Quarantimes” by Justin Matley

As a busy freelance Re-Recording Mixer / Sound Designer and college educator, I get asked a lot about starting out, or making an upward move, in the industry. The answers to these questions are not so different than they were seventeen years ago when I was asking them, but there are some new wrinkles updated for the rapidly changing world we are in; particularly 2020 itself. It’s a scary, lonely time. And while I’m particularly applying this advice for budding production or post-production professionals, I think the crux of it is appropriate for any serious student looking to make his or her mark in getting their career off to a good start, or for any early-career professional looking to make their next step. More specifically, this advice is meant to acknowledge the challenges of a COVID-19-influenced world.

“Networking in Quarantimes”

By Justin Matley

The Tried and True Way to Meet People

The tried and true way to getting to know people is, well, getting to know people. This is the oldest trick in the book, and is true for any professional aspiration out there. It’s who you know. Fine. But, when you’re a junior in college and considering internships and how to escape your parents’ basement and start paying rent with an actual, career-focused job, the meeting people part can be tricky.

One of the easiest answers would be to attend a professional conference and workshops where you can get facetime with industry veterans: potential future colleagues and bosses. It’s a safe, non-confrontational way of bumping shoulders and talking shop with these folks that doesn’t feel like you’re being obtrusive. But, this is 2020. No one’s bumping shoulders. And no one wants to touch a conference with a ten-foot pole. So, we have to get a little creative these days.