The networking assignment was INCREDIBLY difficult for me. I am very uncomfortable meeting new people and am not one of those social butterflies to say the very least. I found myself focusing so hard on just responding to what people were saying that I forgot what their names were, or I forgot what the previous conversation I had was about. It was good to get out and see other design professionals and students. As I said in my response papers, it really brought the industry down to human scale for me. Seeing how other professionals and students were in very much the same place as I am, struggling to find work and make contacts was very encouraging. I guess it's nice to know you aren't the only one.
While the assignment was very beneficial, on the other hand it was not entirely useful to me. My goals are not to find work immediately after graduation but to find a graduate school. I also have NO desire to work anywhere local or in NC. With that in mind it became increasingly more difficult networking with people at the AIA and USGBC meetings I attended, because it felt like something I was doing to fulfill a requirement for a grade, rather than a targeted effort doing what I knew I needed to do. Perhaps I was viewing the situation from the wrong angle.
At any rate it was quite enriching all together.
No comments:
Post a Comment