Last time I spoke about ‘getting out there’ and how attending networking events and joining associations and clubs was a great way to do this. Another really proactive way to ‘get yourself out there’ is to volunteer to do things or to offer to work for free. What are some ways you can do this?
Charities
Lately I have noticed a growing number of charitable organizations operating in the international community. Although this may be somewhat connected to the growing importance of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in the business community, it also displays a increased concern and desire to help less fortunate people from the general public.
Most of these organizations are kept alive by the generous work of volunteers who commit their time, energy and ideas into the charity. These organizations are always looking for other volunteers to get involved and help out and so there are plenty of opportunities for you to ‘get out there’ and be involved with a charitable cause. Although you shouldn’t expect to get anything out of this kind of volunteering work , you will probably meet some great people and feel a high sense of reward for helping those in need.
I’m also involved in a variety of charity projects which raise money for childrens’ projects in Cambodia. To learn more about these projects please visit: http://honnomushi.gaishido.com/ and if you are interested in getting involved I’d love to hear from you.
Working for Free
If you want to work in a particular field yet have no experience or no companies are willing to hire you then I suggest offering to work for free. Offering to work for a company for a few weeks as a kind of ‘trial’ will show you are committed and give the company a chance to get to know you without much risk. There are also other part time and casual options for offering your services for free: If you want to be a writer or photographer then offer to write a few articles or take photos for a magazine or website. If you want to be a salesman then offer to work on 100% commission.
It may take a bit of creative thinking but there are definitely many ways to pursue the things you want to even if no-one will pay you to do it now. After all, if it’s something you are really passionate about and committed to doing no matter what then it wont bother you that you’re not getting paid.
There is a saying in English which goes: “it’s not what you know, but who you know!”, and simply means that personal connections and friends contribute more towards being successful than having a lot of knowledge does.
While we all have family, work and school friendship networks and connections, for many of us there are activities we wish to pursue or perhaps an industry we would like to work in where we have no contacts and therefore no easy way to ‘get in the door’. Under these circumstances what steps can we take to make out way into these new areas? Here are some of my tips on where to start.
Networking Events
Networking events are specifically designed for people to meet and get to know many people in one place. I organize a bi-monthly networking event called Gary’s Happy Hour and I am also involved in a really big networking event called NetTokyo coming up soon in July. NetToyko is actually a ‘network of networks’ event as it brings together seven of Tokyo’s premier networking organizations in one setting over a casual Saturday afternoon of fine food, drinks and conversation.
www.nettokyo.jp/
Business Groups
There are some great business and professional associations that operate in English which are a fantastic starting point for learning more about business in Japan and specific industries as well as meeting the movers and shakers (important people) in each sector. I sponsor a mobile industry association called MobileMonday:
In every school, many companies and across Tokyo there are clubs and associations devoted to everything you could ever imagine including sports, business, movies, travel etc. These are also a great place to meet new people and learn more about the subject you are interested in. For clubs and associations that involve the international community I suggest you take a look at the clubs listing in Metropolis Magazine’s classified section, available online here (bottom left): http://metropolis.co.jp/classifieds/biz.asp?action=home&pid=0
There is a saying in English which goes: “it’s not what you know, but who you know!”, and simply means that personal connections and friends contribute more towards being successful than having a lot of knowledge does.
While we all have family, work and school friendship networks and connections, for many of us there are activities we wish to pursue or perhaps an industry we would like to work in where we have no contacts and therefore no easy way to ‘get in the door’. Under these circumstances what steps can we take to make out way into these new areas? Here are some of my tips on where to start.
Networking Events
Networking events are specifically designed for people to meet and get to know many people in one place. I organize a bi-monthly networking event called Gary’s Happy Hour and I am also involved in a really big networking event called NetTokyo coming up soon in July. NetToyko is actually a ‘network of networks’ event as it brings together seven of Tokyo’s premier networking organizations in one setting over a casual Saturday afternoon of fine food, drinks and conversation.
www.nettokyo.jp/
Business Groups
There are some great business and professional associations that operate in English which are a fantastic starting point for learning more about business in Japan and specific industries as well as meeting the movers and shakers (important people) in each sector. I sponsor a mobile industry association called MobileMonday:
In every school, many companies and across Tokyo there are clubs and associations devoted to everything you could ever imagine including sports, business, movies, travel etc. These are also a great place to meet new people and learn more about the subject you are interested in. For clubs and associations that involve the international community I suggest you take a look at the clubs listing in Metropolis Magazine’s classified section, available online here (bottom left): http://metropolis.co.jp/classifieds/biz.asp?action=home&pid=0
