'A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds.' - Francis Bacon
Every single day we are faced with opportunity varied by size and importance. It may be the opportunity to have dinner cooked for you, the opportunity to take a vacation or accept a great job offer. Some opportunities are obvious and you make the decision based on your knowledge, situation and past experiences. But the trick in life is to look at certain moments/opportunities in day to day life and try to make the right decision.
As you probably guessed I'm relating this post back to visual effects and employment. Because the industry is the way it is, freelancing comes with the territory and where reputation is everything you absolutely have to take advantage of opportunity when it presents itself and have the skill to identify a moment of great opportunity.
For example, when I get to work in the morning I love to take some time when I'm getting my coffee or walking down to my office to catch up with the people that I will report to, interact with or email later. It's impossible to get to everyone because I would spend all day walking around and I'd be hyped up on caffeine but it's a simple, friendly gesture that doesn't take too much time. It works for me because I can often get an idea of what my workload will look like from these quick conversations thus cutting back on morning emails and phone calls. It is also great for getting to know colleagues, showing that I'm proactive and a good communicator. These morning conversations I've had have also often lead to invitations to meetings or events that I wouldn't have been invited to otherwise. I'm not doing this purely for my own personal gain, it is natural for me, as a Recruiter and as the type of person I am to chat with people and get to know them. Communication is key in my role so it's expected but my relaxed approach is an opportunity that I create for myself and say 'yes' to every morning.
Say 'YES' to these opportunities -
- Job fairs/ VFX and Animation Festivals
- Social events
- Extra work or responsibility
- Lunch with a Supervisor
- Request for advice from a peer
'Life is short, God's way of encouraging a bit of focus.' - Robert Brault
Saying 'Yes' to opportunity will only assist in making your life awesome. Saying 'Yes' to opportunity may also be the key to making someone else's life awesome and how can you say 'No' to that. When looking opportunity in the eye, try to peel back the layers and see the steps involved and what the outcome might be. Sometimes you need to look further ahead as the benefits of accepting the opportunity may not be immediate. There is too much temptation these days to be lazy and just coast on through life but if you want excitement and adventure you have to take risks, step outside of your comfort zone and accept the right opportunities that come your way because you don't know what kind of amazing doors they might open for you.
'Carpe Diem! Seize the day. Make your lives extraordinary.' - Dead Poet's Society
