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[previous article] [next article]Barry Hunter Priest
At the close of the curtain on my experiences here as the Head Consultant at Esite, I would like to share the experience of my leaving. I hope sharing this will help you think about how you present your "virtual" self. In my case, my "virtual" self got me a job.
My major is in Theater Design and Technology. Availing myself of the computing resources here at the ECN, I subscribed to a mailing list on the topic of Stagecraft. At the time, I thought it would make me smarter on the topics that interested me.
But the times were changing on the net. Commercialization was beginning to take hold. Subscribing to that list put me in contact with industry leaders and some of the most innovative thinkers. I lurked for a while and then posted fairly innocuous stuff (at first); establishing who I was and what I did. At this point in time, I had no realization of the ramifications of what I was dealing with.
It wasn't until after a post I made, where I complained loudly about problems we were having with our computer lighting controller that the power of the net became clear. In the post I also questioned who was the person that specified this equipment for our theater, because it didn't work worth a %&*#. This all happened when I was very tired and very frustrated, after a particularly "BAD" rehearsal with the robotic lights on the PMO Christmas Show. Unbeknownst to me, the company who manufactured the light board was on the net and word got back to the person who specified the board! Well, what can I say? We all make the mistakes of the young...at least once.
Two years later, on this very same list, the subject of dual degree seeking students came up. A proud professor posted on the benefits of his theater students accessing Purdue's engineering resources. He remarked that dual interests (theater/engineering) give students a new way to look at problems and he had students to prove it. The next day email messages were received requesting more information on the students with the diverse backgrounds. After a fax of my resume, more email and a phone interview, I had a job with ABC studios in New York City.
The net is an important communicating device. Be careful how you present yourself in your posts, on your web page and any other "social" communications on the net. Your future job may depend on it.
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