From Fan To Pro: Using Your Hobbies in Your Career By Steven Savage http://www.stevensavage.com/

What is this all about? This panel IS about using your hobbies in your career. This panel IS NOT about getting a specific job or working for a specific company. This panel IS about seeing your hobbies, interests, and obsessions as tools and how you can use them. This panel IS NOT about finding a situation of making money for no work.

Who I am . . . An unrepentant long-term geek. I saw Star Wars AND Akira in theaters and played actual Space Invaders machines. A professional geek – 18 years in IT, multiple certifications, working in graphic software. A blogger, writer, and coach on the subject of careers for people with media, communications, and technology interests – fangirls, fanboys, nerds, geeks, otaku, and more.

Your situation? You want: A career that uses your interests. A career that uses some or all of your hobbies. Your challenge: You’re not sure how to do this. There’s often social or other pressures.

The Solution Your goal is to get a new perspective on your fandom. See the opportunities you’ve otherwise missed. Hear what it has to tell you about yourself and your interests. Connect with your fandom in new ways – as something to improve or even provide a career.

Fandom Focus #1: Finding Out What You Like

Fandom is a Gate to Awareness “What do I want to do with my life?” is a question many people ask, but few answer successfully. Fandom, which tells you a lot about yourself – and lets you learn a lot, can be a key to answering that question. After all something you spend hours doing, talking about, etc. tells you a great deal about yourself.

Become Aware Of Skills Fandom can tell you: What skills you like to use. What you’re good at or can become good at (or will at least like to learn) Fandom can tell you both about “hard” skills” and “soft” skills you enjoy using or want to learn.

Become Aware of your Areas of Interest Fandom can tell you: What kind of career you’d like. What you’d like to work on or with who. What industry you’d be interested in. Where you’d like to work.

Become Aware of Your Values Fandom can tell you: What you care about. Who you care about. What you like to do or achieve.

Putting It Together Fandom can provide you many ideas for a career. The best career is one where: You use the skills you like. In an area you’re interested in To fulfill your values.

Fandom Focus #2: Improving Yourself

Fandom is a Way To Grow With all the energy and interests fans have, fandom is a great way to improve yourself. If you know what you want to do with your career – or aren’t sure – the opportunities are there in every website built, convention run, or fanfic composed.

Grow Your Skills Fandom can help you: Improve skills you had – in many ways. Gain new skills in an interesting and supportive environment. Gain both specific and general skills – from learning to draw to general people skills. If you choose to direct this, you have many opportunities.

Leverage Your Habits Fandom often leads us to develop useful habits: We develop organizational habits. We develop self-improvement habits. We develop social habits. There’s no reason to leave our best side in fandom – find ways to bring these habits to the rest of your life!

Get Informed Fandom is often educational – more than we realize: You learn about careers. You learn about industries. You learn about the economy – believe it or not. You can learn a lot in fandom – you probably learned more than you realize.

Get Social Fandom builds social skills and knowledge: You learn about connecting and dealing with people. You learn about collaborative work. You learn about social media. Fandom often is about other people. The fandom social skills you learn can be applied to careers – fandom after all can be like a job . . .

Fandom Focus #3: Get Connected

Fandom is a Way To Connect It’s often said by about anyone giving job advice that job searches, and indeed careers, are about networking and connecting with people. Fandom, which gives you everything from a list of achievements to networking opportunities, is a way to connect with people. These connections can be focused on or can help with your career.

Show Your Skills Fandom shows your abilities to an employer or client: You can fill a portfolio with work. You may publish various works like a blog or reviews. You may be in news articles. You may find references. You do a lot in fandom – find a way to use that to show people what you can do!

Network Fandom is a great way to make contacts: You can meet people in various industries. You can meet fellow fans with similar interests and band together. Meet role models. You may even find job opportunities! Always be sure to have your social media updated, and consider a “personal business card.”

Fandom Focus #4: The Big Picture

Fandom Can be Your Gateway to More When you start applying fandom to your career, you can just end up focused on jobs, skills, and breaking into a company. Fandom also lets you see a bigger picture if you’d let it and expand your opportunities.

Get Relocated Fandom can also help you find the ideal places for you: You can find places to relocate. You can scout locations. You can get help relocating. The right place is important for you. Use the tools you have.

Start Your Own Business Why not consider your own business? Your hobbies can: Be a source of ideas. Be a source of feedback. Provide resources via “Fansourcing” Be a source of customers. Starting your own business isn’t for everyone, but fandom can give you a more solid foundation than many.

Start a New Career Maybe it’s time for a Career Change. Fandom can: Give you new ideas for a career. Meet people that can teach you about career options. Find new inspiration. You’re meeting successful people doing what you love at every convention. You hear about them all the time. Use that!

Wrapping Up

Fandom Gives You Advantages: Being a fan provides many advantages: A chance to know yourself. A chance to improve yourself. A chance to get connected. A way to move beyond your location and career.

Never Forget: Be Aware To truly use your fandom in your career requires you to be open to opportunities – and make them. Learn to look for them. Learn to brainstorm them – always have a notebook. Keep reading and improving and opening your mind – Blogs, newsfeeds, books, etc. Keep having fun so your mind is open.

Never Forget: Give Back When – or before you make it – help others. Give people a leg up. “Idea Tithing” – Share your ideas. Perhaps do presentations at conventions . . .

For More Information Check your handout for useful information! Contact me at http://www.stevensavage.com/ You can get my books at http://www.informotron.com/