Leaving a lasting impression is often beneficial, especially when networking; but becoming unforgettable for all the wrong reasons might not be.
Redditor u/Mat0fr recently recently told the ‘Petty Revenge’ community about meeting a loud and egocentric actress in an event in Paris. Being busy talking to people at the other end of the room, she was completely oblivious to the person sitting next to her, encouraging him to engage in petty revenge. Scroll down for the full story in OP's own words.
Bored Panda has reached out to the OP and he was kind enough to answer a few of our questions; you will find his thoughts in the text below.
Networking in events can be a great way to make professional connections
Image credits: djile (not the actual photo)
An actress’s ways of making connections encouraged this photographer to engage in petty revenge
Image credits: ashiqkhan (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Mat0fr
The OP was annoyed that the actress wouldn’t let anyone have a calm conversation
Using informal settings to make professional connections—or networking, to put it simply—can lead to some fruitful collaborations. That’s what makes all sorts of events, parties, and other gatherings a great time to meet new people and show off your charm, talents, or try to leave a lasting impression—preferably, a positive one.
The actress at the event didn’t enchant the redditor, though. “What annoyed me the most is that she was making everyone around her feel inferior and not important by not letting anyone speak calmly,” he told Bored Panda in a recent interview.
The OP added that he just happened to be a producer at that time. But she never cared to ask him anything about this profession, likely because he was not “shiny or cool looking enough for her", as he himself put it. He also told Bored Panda that the kind of party he attended in Paris hasn’t led to him landing a job so far; “but it made me meet interesting people and that's already a good thing,” he pointed out.
Networking can help one find and take advantage of all sorts of career opportunities
Nowadays there are quite a few ways to make professional connections, from conferences to online groups, focused on certain fields or topics. But joining one might not be enough; one needs to be efficient with the way they create connections and maintain their network.
Allison McWilliams—Assistant Vice President of Mentoring and Alumni Personal and Career Development at Wake Forest University—suggested that people are typically the doorway to career growth opportunities and related professional matters. “No one can be successful in a vacuum, no matter how much you may identify as a solo practitioner,” she wrote for Psychology Today.
She pointed out that, according to recent research, people who used their networks when job hunting received more offers and higher compensation; they were also more likely to stay in the workplace longer than those who did not.
There are certain things to keep in mind when making professional connections
In order to network successfully, McWilliams shared five tips, starting with being precise about what it is that you’re asking for and why. “You need to be able to finish this statement: ‘I’m asking for some of your time because…’ Otherwise, you are not ready to send the ask. Keep clarifying your ask until you are ready,” she recommended.
The expert continued by pointing out that it’s important to be respectful of other people’s time, as knowing how to respect and manage time is one of the most important professional and relationship-building skills. She also emphasized that it’s you who should make yourself available, not the other way around.
Other things to remember when networking, according to McWilliams, are the importance of following up (something as minor as an email can go a long way), working on maintaining the relationship, and looking for opportunities to connect other people to each other as well.
Networking is especially important in the entertainment industry
Based on statistics, networking seems to be paying off for those who work on it—TeamStage pointed out that it helps to fill as much as 85% of vacancies. Also, more than four-in-five professionals say networking is essential to the success of their career. Unsurprisingly, making connections is crucial in show business as well (which might be why the actress in Paris was so vocal about looking for a movie producer).
Entertainment Producer and founding partner at Cromono International, Julie Crosby, emphasized that “regardless of where you are in your career in the entertainment industry, building and maintaining professional relationships—your network—should be a top priority.”
Crosby stated that it’s crucial to make networking a two-way conversation, which, in a nutshell, is the way to make sure it’s effective. “If you do all the talking, you’re not building a professional relationship. If you do all the asking, you’re not building a professional relationship,” she explained.
Since the actress didn’t really give Mathieu a moment to join the conversation, she didn’t know that there was a producer sitting right next to her; hence, no professional relationship started there. But their example is not the only one of its kind; redditors discussed a few others in the comments under the post.
The OP pointed out that he was indeed a producer at that time
Fellow redditors shared their reactions and similar stories in the comments
