So you've fansourced or used fansourcing. So how are you actually going to use this career-wise? Sure it was fun and everything (and maybe you even got paid or got some great work done), but how can you use this as a professional?
First there's the obvious benefits for those who take fansourced assignments:
- You get connections
- You build skills.
- You get an entry in your porftolio
- You get a reference.
These are simple and kind of obvious (or hopefully obvious), but there are more. So stretch your imagination - let's take a look at other ways to use fansourcing in your career.
For those who take fansourcing assignments:
- List those skills usedin fansourcing on your resume, and note anything you added to them – did you have a new computer program? Learn plugins? Don't forget you may have added depth or detail to your skills.
- Consider mentioning fansourcing in the hobby section of your resume or website or both. It shows how serious you are.
- Consider an entry for your freelancing work on LinkedIn or on your resume or website. In fact, maybe it's a great way to promote your freelancing.
- Judge if you can use your fansourcing experience in an interview to show your skills or interest.
- Can you do a panel about what you did/do at a convention? This helps others, promotes you, and improves your speaking skills.
- Update your personal website with these projects (you have one, right)?
Now, what if you've asked for fansourcing? Hard to put on a resume or use in your job search? Actually requesting fansourcing also helps out your career – beyond any benefits you get (like, say, having a fanartist design your business card).
- Good fansourcing builds your people and leadership skills. If you do enough fansourcing, this may be good to put on your resume or note in interviews with potential employers or clients. Leadership is important to people.
- Good fansourcing is also experience in using what are, essentially, external contractors. If you don't have experience with that – you just got it (in a light way) through fansourcing. Use that on your resume, website, or in interviews.
- Those people you fansource with may be people you call on professionally as well. Imagine how helpful they may be professionally as well – and how you'll help them. Also some fansourcing contacts may look pretty impressive – imagine how you look introducing people to a great artist, etc.
- You also can use your fansourcing contacts to be references on your leadership skill.
Put fansourcing to work in your career beyond some pay, skill development, or just getting some work done. There are many options.
Any other suggestions?