There Is a Resource Called Social Network

There are many things which we can’t accomplish using our own efforts and resources, but by sharing our resources with each other, we can accomplish much more. If we want to get more resources, we will need to build our own social network. This is especially true for a journalist. Social network is like a road, once you have more roads, you will have more choices. In my own experience, there are few points to share.

1. Building social network at school: teachers and classmates are the easiest sources to get help. Last fall, my teacher asked me to find a fashion designer for a professional interview assignment. I don't personally know any fashion designers from studying in the U.S in three months. However, I contacted some of my friends who are in fashion design major for help. Soon, one of the girls introduced me a knitwear design student from our school, Szu-Yi Chen, who presented her work at the New York Fashion Week Spring 2017. I successfully interviewed her and we became friends. Now Szu-Yi Chen works for a fashion design company in New York, and we occasionally contact via email and I also interact with her on social media.

2. Accumulating social network in the internship or work: both colleagues and clients can be developed into your social network. This summer I interned at Global People in Beijing. Although this is not a fashion related issue, Global People is currently China’s biggest political issue publisher. My supervisor during my internship had some cooperation with Cosmopolitan magazine China. At the end of my internship, he said that if I return to China next break, he will recommend me to intern at Cosmopolitan China. I'm very grateful to be able to get so much help from my colleagues.

3. Staying in touching with old friends: they can always surprise you with their relationships and connections. My friend, who is a makeup artist has now become a very famous makeup artist in China. He was responsible for the modeling makeup work of Changsha Fashion Week for three years in Changsha, China. Last winter break when I met him in Changsha, he introduced me to an owner of a boutique store which greatly helped me on my research for an essay about the new age of Chinese fashion designers. This source became very informational and beneficial towards my research essay. Staying in touching with old friends and updating on their life are things we can't ignore.

I'm just getting started in the United States, and I need to do more to build my list of essential and reliable contacts. Of course, trying to become a better version of myself every day is the basis to expand my social network.

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Image Credit:

4th Pointer: https://4thpointer.com/the-blockchain-technological-innovation/