I must be one of the worse people for keeping up with connections. My character allows me to enjoy my own company, maybe a little to much. I prefer doing things on my own.
As I have been learning along this journey I have began to understand myself better as a person.
I think from an outsiders perspective I may come across cold and hard to approach, this couldn't be any further from the truth. I seem to put up a barrier when I don't know people or if I am accompanied by a stronger character, which makes me come across this way.
If I decide I don't like a person for whatever reason, without hesitation I can quite happily cut them out of my life/network. I have now learnt this is not a good trait to have.
At the moment my Professional Networks are limited. I use Facebook mainly, as it offers many great teachers groups. I am also a member of a couple of dance associations, which offer great networking opportunities. I am actually attending a CPD two day course in London this weekend with one of the associations. I have recently joined them so I'm really excited to meet new people and hopefully extend my professional network. After attending this course I will be able to apply for more teaching work in different schools around my area, which will then lead to further networking.
I have also been covering a lot of colleagues dance classes recently, classes and styles I wouldn't normally teach. I have thoroughly enjoyed the experience, teaching a new network of students and meeting other professionals. I find even meeting parents of children you teach is a great way to network. Once they can put a name to a face, parents tend to warm towards you more and often recommend your class to other parents.
I think what I'm trying to get at here is that I personally mostly rely on face to face networking, to improve my image as a professional. I have recently set up a professional Instagram account. It started off well, but I have now found my self sitting back and viewing other peoples posts rather than creating my own. This is a huge problem for me, my goal is to eventually move back to my hometown Gibraltar and share my knowledge of dance. Gibraltar is such a small place, its all about who you know, not what you know, so if I'm ever going to stand a chance of making my mark there, I need to network with fellow teachers and lovers of dance in Gibraltar.
I do try to keep up to date with what's going on over there in the dance world but once again I am doing as an outsider, not actually interacting, or putting my views or support across.
#Self-realisation happening right here, right now!
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