How did I find career changing opportunities?

Getting gigs. Finding career changing opportunities. Working in media, music artists, TV appearances and even film. Being paid to travel to multiple countries, all expenses paid AND being paid for the privilege. ITV, BBC, the West End & more.

All of this sounded like a wild dream to the 15 year old version of myself playing in a small church and my school band, with no leg ups into the music industry (people who could get my foot in the room).

So what changed?

How did I go from school band to limoncello on the Amalfi Coast? I've looked back at my journey to find the patterns and key decisions that helped me find these opportunities. Or I should really say how those opportunities found me because the creative industry is one where word of mouth REALLY matters.

It's not who you know, it's who knows you...AND is happy to stake their reputation on recommending you. If there's one sentence in this article to take to heart, it's that one.

When this clicked, all the chasing people with business cards and "knocking on doors" became less relevant. You have to hit a certain standard. Of course! and the more time i've spend playing, the more I become aware of how much I need to learn. But being good means nothing if no one knows you exist, and people knowing you exist means nothing if they don't want to recommend you. It's probably WORSE to be well known and not very recommendable.

With that in mind, when you think about what makes someone recommendable are factors like of course being able to get the job done to the satisfactory standard, but also dependability, professionalism and just being a person people like to be around.

You can boil it all down into one sentence - make other people's jobs easier.

Especially the ones hiring you! Through trial and error with plenty slip ups along the way, I'd look to understand what success means to the people hiring me. And that often looks slightly different to what I thought it might be and can change based on the job.

Example - CBeebies work requires you to be precise for recording and filming as set time is limited, but the nature of kids TV means also being up for a lot (including occasionally morphing into a bass playing bumble bee), so being easy going and not taking yourself too seriously whilst still being able to perform your professional duties is a massive advantage.

My higher end corporate gigs require much more professional presentation on site, normally tuxed up & require a lot more dependability, organisation with transport & personal gear etc... The less the band leader/organise has to spend any energy thinking "where is Caleb? What time will he get here?" etc... the better. I'd like to think they know it's going to be a good vibe when I'm on the gig & the client will be happy, I guess I'll have to ask!

So how does all this actually help me find work?

My goal is very simple. To build a network of as many people as possible who will recommend me for more work. It's a backwards approach that is arguably slow short term but, if done well, should lead to a very sustainable career with many options so you never have to rely on one gig. I've been in that position before and it's no fun.

It sucks to not have options. It sucks to not be able to say no to work you don't want because you NEED the money.

Understand what makes people hiring you successful in their job and maximise that. If you make it easy for them to win, they’ll likely want to keep working with you.

Grow my network and consistently strengthen existing connections to stay top of mind so my name pops up in their head when they hear that someone needs the services I provide and build the reputation to be someone that they can be confident in recommending.

Big side note - it's always most costly for the person recommending you if it doesn't work out. They might be burning a bridge with someone that trusts them and might lose out on personal work and recommendations as a result of a bad recommendation, so it's our responsibility to make sure we smash that recommendation in order to be recommended by that same person again.

Everyone can be a recommender for you

Never discount people who can't directly hire you, you never know what rooms they're in and who else trusts their judgement. The best opportunities can come from the most random of people and places.

I got the CBeebies gig through a lead from someone on Facebook who knew someone that worked in the BBC and shared that they were looking for musicians of all kinds.

I got the Emeli Sandé audition through someone I reconnected with who was playing drums for a guest artist on the CBeebies show I was doing at the time. I got into the film world and casting through a strings player I met on a trinity rock and pop syllabus promo shoot, who after sparking up conversation, I discovered she ran an agency specifically for musicians in commercial applications.

With all this in mind, I look to engage with as many people as I can, find out what they do and what's important to them and see where I can help them or make their lives easier with recommendations or connecting people. They’re much more likely to help you if you can help them first!

Aim to help others so much that they actively begin searching for ways to help you back. That's my long term play anyway. If I do that for enough people, I'll always have an abundance of opportunity come my way.