Tuesday, April 20, 2010

#9: Happy Hour - No, This Isn't Just an Excuse to Drink

Earlier tonight I attended Ed2010's Happy Hour/Networking event. Ed2010 is a non-profit organization started by magazine editors to help out other magazine editors and editor-to-bes. I wouldn't have a job without this site, so bless them.

I put off attending one of their happy hours because I thought, "What could I possibly get out of it?" Plenty, actually. You meet awesome people who share the same interests as you, get industry contacts and cheap booze!

But another reason was that I didn't know anyone there. Well I'm glad I went alone.

One of the things I liked about doing reporting is that you get placed in situations outside your comfort zone (kind of the point of this blog too, actually). It's terrifying at first, but there's a thrill to it. Like that time I covered a photo exhibit about Hurricane Katrina and needed some quotes. I could have not approached a woman who was crying looking at the photos, but her story (she lived in the neighborhood captured by the photographer) added so much to my story, that it was worth putting myself into an awkward situation. Trust me, I'm more likely to roll my eyes at you than offer you a tissue if you get emotional in public.

While I didn't meet my new BFFs at this happy hour, I did meet people who were in similar situations as I, career-wise. Good to know I'm not that girl standing against the wall sipping her drink. Next happy hour on my calendar is with NYC Women in Publishing.

Cheers!

No comments:

Post a Comment