"Making It" in the business

Many professionals today want to know how to "make it" in their certain field of study or interest. The question is then asked of how. How do i get into the entertainment industry, how do I get into that law firm, how do I work with children at that hospital, how do I start my career in IT?? There are three main ways to accomplish these goals of which I call the, "People, Places, Things" or PPT method. Let me break it down for you...

1. In some cases individuals are lucky to know certain people. It could be that your family has a successful background putting you into the area with a select group of influential people or personalities that can help make things happen for you. This tends to be the easiest way to get ahead and falls into the People faze of the PPT method. Be kind to the people that you meet and interact with because even if your family is not in a state where they may know those type of people you can simply meet them yourself! That guy next to you in class may be the next CEO of a major company of future interest for you so keep in contact. Another girl in one of my classes like myself was starting a business so her and I are networking and planning on helping each other out big time! We both have different pieces of information that will help the other that we can share. Striking up a conversation on the train or elevator from time to time can actually put money in your pocket. I once was fortunate enough to meet a woman on the elevator some years ago while getting mail from a company I was working at during the time. I was simply friendly, smiling, and kind and the woman liked me so much that she gave me her number and told me to call her. I called her later that day to find that she was one of the top three managers at a large firm that wanted me to work with her! Soon I was in a better position making more money and with an amazing boss who believed in me from the beginning. I know that some of you may suffer from terrible shyness or anexiety when speaking to a stranger but practice little by little and try to muster up the courage. I actually can be shy at times and have to talk myself into conversations with a new face! But I promise a smile does go a long way.

2. Places to go and people to see is said from the mouths of busy professionals every day. Well where do you go? You may not meet the special person who can help you get ahead or give you at least the knowledge that they have to get ahead unless you surround yourself in the right place. Don't just sit at home! Many times that place is a normal everyday type of place that you may go and it may be a fluke accident that you meet someone who can guide you in the path to success (or course we know that there are no true accidents in life). If you are in Barnes & Nobles & interested in becoming a wedding planner then you might hit the bridal section isle and may meet someone who is trying to start a wedding planning business of their own. That happened to me. That woman and I met and talked about a possible fusion of ideas and help for each other to get a great business going! I later of course decided that I really didn't want to be a wedding planner and that's ok, the experience and guts to dream always helps. Say you go to the grocery store every Thursday evening you might be picking apples next to someone who mumbles a few words to you, guess who that person might be...?? Well you don't know unless you actually respond back and then can be presently surprised. It doesn't hurt since you are in a place with people to optimize your trip. More effort in some cases needs to be made by joining certain organizations. Some are free and others may have a small membership fee or cost. For starters an organization I am joining (and know others who have joined) WEDA is a women's organization helpful for entrepreneurs and networking. There are free ideas and classes as well as some that cost. Devoting time to help volunteer for a favorite organization for children, or homeless, or the environment is not only a great way to give back to others and focus less on self by making a difference for someone else in need but to meet other people with character who are at these events where conversation is easy and almost necessary! Find out what these people do, become involved, stay involved and keep in contact! They may be able to help you get inside where it would be difficult on your own.

3. The third method is more geared toward college students but not limited to them. You might have to do someTHING else besides be nice at Walmart to the woman in the three piece suit, or go volunteer for Habitat for Humanity. That someThing else is to intern. Intern can be a four letter word to an America who feels that they need money now, and just don't have enough time to give as it is! And I felt the same way until early 2007. Now I say yes it is a four letter word but that four letter word is GOLD! I had to do someTHING else besides go to school, work, socialize with my friends, attend church, and sleep! I thought I was full enough with school and work especially but when an unpaid internship opportunity came to be involved at a popular record company I jumped at the chance. Well honestly not at first. I heard unpaid and almost turned it down until I thought very hard about my future in entertainment and where I desired to go. I "accidentally" found the internship while searching for another job because i was so miserable at the current one I had. I never planned to do an internship but it ended up being the major plan for my life and success. I already knew it wasn't easy to "make it" in an industry where tens of thousands were competing with me. I had prayer and then I had the knock of opportunity at my front door. I "found" the time to give to this internship and was and am being greatly rewarded to this day for my choice! I ended up getting paid on certain projects unexpectedly, was able to go to events I would never had gotten into without this chance, met people who could push me into the right direction and who knew other people who could gladly give me a helping hand and knowledge for the steps I needed to take to succeed! The THING I had to do was give my time and intern. Me being a non traditional (not in my early 20's) college student made that honestly harder (working full time) and even slightly embarrassing (I felt like an old head many days surrounded by vibrant youth) but pushing through my inconvenience and pride ends up being a much smaller feat than not participating and missing out on golden moments and platinum benefits! You never know how the internship will pay (yes pay) off but don't get discouraged! You may not get hired from that particular company right away but it may be down the line when a position comes open so do your best (I even took out trash, swept floors, carried boxes and counted thousands of people in a line to a fun event I didn't even get to attend) as an intern! It could be the internship boosts your resume or the manager of the company may put you in contact with another company or person that has a need in the same field. You might even decide that you really don't want to be an engineer or part of the A&R department for a record company. Instead you may take the business owner route and start your own company in that filed or another! The experience is always invaluable if you open yourself up and allow it to be! So do you have to go back to school to intern?? In most cases yes (yes a doctor must go through years of schooling, etc.) but in some, no. Go to a local school or college and find out more about internships and the requirements, or find out from your old college or friends of yours who may be in college. Even if you didn't go to college it is possible. Go onto the Internet and type internship opportunities and similar searches for your field of interest into the search browser and see what comes up! Even the place where I intern now there are a couple of people there who are already graduated from college or who have never gone some are interns and some have been hired on. I think going to college is optimal in success for most professional careers so going back if needed can be a good thing, however it is not the only way to success and that is a fact. Look at some of the top entrepreneurs in the world...some who did not graduate with a 4 year degree!

So do your best to be kind to people, meet new people, attend places like normal but make the most of your attendance, volunteer, join a group or networking club, and do someTHING extra...intern! Imagine your success today, dream of it and write plans of it as if it is already yours. It's OK to make some mistakes and flub a little along the way. I am still flubbing here and there but I am at least doing someTHING and building my dream a dream that is becoming this reality right before my very eyes and heart. Are you building yours? The best of luck with People Places Things and to your success in your chosen industry!

Miesha White