David Owen Norris gave an excellent talk on a variety of music-related topics regarding your outlook on your career, the highlights of which are below:
- Be ambitious but don’t have a single ambition. If the right opportunity never comes up to fit your specific ambition this can actually limit your career.
- The right answer is usually yes; once you become a yes-man/woman you tend to find opportunities throw themselves at you.
- Keep your address book up to date and stay in contact with your contacts. Be agreeable to everyone and make the effort to abide by the social norms of your particular circle of contacts.
- The Jack-of-all-trades problem is something to be avoided at all costs. While having a narrow specialism may limit your horizons, you really must be good at something. Maybe even two things.
- Learn to think creatively (that’s the reason you’re here!) and give yourself time to think the thoughts only you think. Once you become confident with who you are that confidence will show in your work and at interviews and employers will take note.
- Don’t tear up your networks.
- One good turn always deserves another.
- Never stop learning and keep your skills up to date.
- If you want to be creative as a career never take up a full-time job. This will give you the time to work on all the above and you WILLÂ become successful.