Social Hub 3.0Tech / Web / Politics / Society / Entertainment

The first thing to do is to acknowledge your available resources. You may think that the only thing you need is the internet, but that’s just an overstatement. Web applications is not the one and only solution. To exploit the web’s promise of global reach you need hardware and by that I mean computers, mobile phones (high-five to smartphones), digital photo cameras, camcorders, audio recorders, notebooks, pens and pencils (sometimes you have to go old-school to create what you have envisioned). When you have secured your set of tangible tools, it’s software’s time to take your work into the next level.

As you might have read in an earlier post, there is no need to spend a fortune for the right software. Creative people in the 21st century have to be smart, savvy and resourceful. There are tons of applications (including web apps) out there for multimedia editing, file-storage and promotion. Groaning over the ridiculously hefty price tag of Adobe’s Creative Suite and not searching for the next best alternative is mere procrastination. If you want to create content, then do it. Still, if you don’t know how, there are several options for you to choose from. My personal choices? : Lifehacker and iTunesU. Especially if you want to make it in the media and communication industry, you can’t rely exclusively to your individual talents. You have to learn a little bit of everything, from video editing to web design and from typography to marketing. Unfortunately, the new media landscape requires well-rounded professionals who have taken a holistic approach to their crafts. You have to prove that no matter the task, you can come up with the right solution and that’s where the social media come into the scene.

YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook, Flickr, Wordpress, Twitter, LinkedIn, Blogger, MySpace, Tumblr and many more don’t exist just for you to share your experiences with your friends and family. These websites are legitimate tools to host your work. Publishing and promotion have never been more feasible than the last 5 years. If you want potentials employers to take you seriously in these times, then you need to have a multi-faceted online presence where your work stands out. Believe me, it’s easier than you think; you just have to keep an open-mind and embrace your experimental side (you have to crack a few eggs to make an omelette).

The next step is to connect, communicate and interact. Talk to the members of the communities of your choice, share with them thoughts, ideas, files and links. Create an open channel of communication from and to you. Be open to criticism and don’t give up learning new things. Move away from your comfort zone and live. Keep your eyes and ears open.

Treat yourself as a brand for which you will care. If you don’t respect your own work, why should others do it? There is a world of possibilities and opportunities out there for you to discover. All you have to do is to step outside your “door”.