Showcase Ready: How to network and make a positive impression

When you meet people at your show, or reach out to people online, you need to capture their attention quickly. Being able to communicate what you do clearly, quickly and in an exciting way is key. These connections can bring work opportunities, collaborations, partnerships, funding, awards and sales and clients.

This session will help you to sell yourself without selling out and make a positive impression for future opportunities.

This session will cover:

• Understanding and communicating your unique selling point (USP)
• Elevator pitches and preparing short, rehearsed introductions
• Practical tips for how to interact, reach out and meet and greet visitors
• Confidence building for those that don’t like networking
• General tips on pitching and understanding your ask

Speaker bio

Andrew Tollinton is the Behavioural Economist in Residence at London College of Fashion and guest lectures on rhetoric and persuasion across Southeast Asia, London Business School, University of the Arts London, UCL School of Management and Cass Business School.

Further support and resources

Visit the UAL Career Toolkit on moodle to discover a range of online learning resources aimed at developing your career skills at a pace that suits you.

Our resource, What is networking? Why should I do it?, has been created to support you when planning to make connections to further your professional practice, career, or development.

We also have two further networking resources:

• Where to network has been created to support you when thinking about making connections to further your professional practice, career, or development. It aims to help you understand the act of networking, specifically where to network based on your intentions.
• Engage your networkwill help you understand and engage your network more meaningfully. It will cover when and how networks can be useful, relationship dynamics, and ways to stay active within your connections.

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This event is organised by Careers and Employability and ispart of 'Showcase Ready' - a free programme of careers events where final year students can get the most from their UAL Showcase.

Taking place on campus and online, these events and activities support the preparation, presentation and professional skills final year students need to make a success of their final show. Sessions are delivered by creative industry professionals, expert advisers and UAL Careers and Employability staff.

Visit our webpage for more events and information.

Please note that this event is available to UAL current students, graduates, alumni and staff ONLY.

If you believe there are any barriers to your participation in this event or you have any access requirements you wish to discuss, we would be happy to talk to you. Please contact careersevents@arts.ac.uk in advance.

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Image Credit: Students as Partners Festival, 2023, Chelsea College of Arts, UAL | Photograph: Ilan Ricardo Valdes Querol