Learn to Strategically Target the Right People to Land Your Next Dream Job
Go from “I have no idea who to reach out to (or why)” to surrounding yourself with EXACTLY the right people who can open doors in your creative career you never imagined possible!
Learn to Strategically Target the Right People to Land Your Next Dream Job
Go from “I have no idea who to reach out to (or why)” to surrounding yourself with EXACTLY the right people who can open doors in your creative career you never imagined possible!
VISIT OUR SUPPORTERS:
“This process has given me the courage to reach out to people I NEVER in my LIFE would have before, because it’s helped me see a common ground that allows me to provide value. The spreadsheet alone made the program worth the time and money spent.”
Jill Calhoun, Film & TV Editor
The quality of your network dictates the quality of your career
The days of earning a specialized degree in a single craft, getting your foot in the door and proving yourself, gradually climbing the career ladder, and retiring from the same company are ancient history. As artists, storytellers, and creators, it has become our responsibility to constantly hustle for the next job and design our own career paths (with no map!!!).
Welcome to “The Creator Economy”
Unfortunately our current education system doesn’t prepare creative minds to navigate the uncertainty of the freelance world where we constantly migrate from one project to the next like digital nomads. Unlike doctors, lawyers, and many other “professionals,” there is no clear path to success in the creative world.
So we end up taking the next gig just to pay the bills…
…fast-forward to a decade later…
…and we wake up one morning to realize we’ve been pigeonholed doing work we could care less about working for people who don’t value & respect us (the perfect recipe for burnout).
Life is too short to be a cog on the assembly line of someone else’s dreams.
I hate my job but I feel too burned out to even think about what else I would do.
I am so tired of working on projects that I don’t care about, but I really need the paychecks.
I like the idea of building a new network for a better career, but successful people intimidate me so much I don’t even want to reach out.
If your ultimate goal is to wake up every morning:
Proud of the work you do
Passionate about the stories you tell
Excited about the people you collaborate with
You have two options:
You can either choose your own career path.
Or you can let others choose it for you.
The fastest path to designing the more balanced, more sustainable, and more fulfilling creative career that you deserve is surrounding yourself with the right people who want to help you succeed.
Being awesome at what you do only matters if the right people know it.
In the Creator Economy, the most valuable currency is relationships.
Knowing I have the skills to really pursue this career is necessary, but knowing there are others in your corner can feel even more important. I want to express my gratitude to Zack and this community!
Edward Schroer, Unscripted Assistant Editor
Yes…the reality is that in just about any creative field:
“It’s all about who you know.”
And we all know what that means, right?
You could continue spinning your wheels taking the “Shotgun Approach”:
- Applying cold to hundreds of online job listings (and getting zero replies)
- Constantly monitoring Facebook groups praying your DM’s arrive in time (and get read)
- Plastering strangers’ inboxes with your resume hoping they “pass it along”
- Showing up to random networking events and playing the “schmoozing” game
- Begging former clients for any available gigs (you don’t even want to work on)
- Blasting group emails to past colleagues hoping they’ve heard of recent openings
And worst of all…
Crossing your fingers, hoping you “get discovered”
Or you could become a Networking Sniper.
- Target EXACTLY the right people you need to connect with based on your career goals
- Stop having to hustle to find the next gig because the gigs find you
- Surround yourself with people you’re excited to work with (who respect your boundaries)
- No more begging to “pick someone’s brain” – they’ll ask YOU to set up meetings
- Work on projects that leave you creatively fulfilled
And best of all…
You’ll build meaningful relationships instead of just collecting more random contacts
Here’s How to Build Your Dream Network in 3 Steps:
1
CLARIFY
Your career goals & design the next most important steps that lead to more meaningful & fulfilling creative work.
2
STRATEGIZE
The right people you need to surround yourself with to hear about the best opportunities that never make it to jobs boards.
3
PRIORITIZE
Hundreds of potential connections down to the one person you MUST build a genuine relationship with to land your next dream job!
With the proper mindset, a focused networking strategy, and a proven step-by-step system that helps you prioritize your most important outreach, anyone can build their dream network*.
*PS…This system was designed especially for introverts, so you can do all of the above from home in your pajamas! 😉
Introducing
“Build Your Dream Network”
A self-guided online course built by creatives for creatives who are ready to take a more strategic approach to designing their dream careers.*
*Where you’ll never have to waste time “schmoozing” ever again.
CLARIFY
In Part 1 you’ll CLARIFY the steps between your current job and your next dream job based on the kinds of stories you want to tell, your “transferable” skills, and most importantly your non-negotiable lifestyle needs.
(I bet you didn’t think you’d learn how to set healthy boundaries in a course about networking, did you?)
STRATEGIZE
In Part 2 you’ll STRATEGIZE ‘The 3 Levels of Your Dream Network’ and walk away with a list of hundreds of people who can be in your peer group, become your “experts,” and even connect with “gatekeepers.”
These are the people who can open career doors you never imagined possible!
PRIORITIZE
In Part 3 you’ll PRIORITIZE dozens of projects, companies, and people who belong in your dream network into a customized spreadsheet that will tell you EXACTLY who to connect with next to achieve your career goals.
The Google networking spreadsheet template alone is worth the price of admission!
You’ll never wonder
“Who am I supposed to reach out to next?” ever again!
Above is a short demonstration of how this Google Sheet Template provides not only a way to organize your research but also prioritize it according to YOUR career goals.
Before, I was clicking around IMDB randomly. When I started using the google worksheet, I was under the impression that I didn’t know that many people in the industry, almost like “Why am I doing this?” But to my surprise, I knew a lot more people than I thought. Within just a few sessions of working on it, it became clear who I needed to connect with. Now I am playing a game of chess with my career instead of checkers!
Adam Moffat, Feature Editor
I’m astounded that I’ve done nothing like this in the past. My list is growing and I’m cultivating it like a garden with this spreadsheet. Amazing.
Michael Addis, Show Runner/Director/Editor
Become a Networking Sniper
My Optimizer students usually pay me $2000 to learn these strategies, but I’ve distilled months of in-depth coaching down to a simple, self-guided learning course which will teach you how to surround yourself with the right people who can help you design the more balanced, more sustainable, and more fulfilling creative career that you deserve.
SELF-GUIDED COURSE
BUILD YOUR DREAM NETWORK
4+ hrs of online video instruction
Bonus Networking Strategy “Hot Seat”
An additional hour of student Q&A
BONUS GUIDE:
How to Find (Almost) Anyone’s Email Address
BONUS INTERVIEWS:
Includes multiple in-depth interviews with industry experts to help you design the next steps in your creative career
BONUS COURSE:
The Way of the Networking Ninja
($297 VALUE)
- Learn how to craft the perfect cold outreach email to connect with “Experts” and A-listers
- (5+ hours of videos, email teardowns, and Q&A)
BONUS STUDENT CASE STUDY:
($200 VALUE)
- Learn how Optimizer student Marian Shamas transitioned from the corporate world to Hollywood
- → with a single COLD outreach email
- (3+ hrs of email/résumé/job interview teardowns)
*No discounts available for this package
NETWORKING NINJA BUNDLE
BUILD YOUR DREAM NETWORK
4+ hrs of online video instruction
Bonus Networking Strategy “Hot Seat”
An additional hour of student Q&A
BONUS GUIDE:
How to Find (Almost) Anyone’s Email Address
BONUS INTERVIEWS:
Includes multiple in-depth interviews with industry experts to help you design the next steps in your creative career
BONUS COURSE:
The Way of the Networking Ninja
($497 VALUE)
- Learn how to craft the perfect cold outreach email to connect with “Experts” and A-listers
- (5+ hours of videos, email teardowns, and Q&A)
BONUS STUDENT CASE STUDY:
($297 VALUE)
- Learn how Optimizer student Marian Shamas transitioned from the corporate world to Hollywood
- → with a single COLD outreach email
- (3+ hrs of email/résumé/job interview teardowns)
Not convinced this is the right fit for you, or you have
questions about how this course works?
Scroll below for Frequently Asked Questions!
I have a total mindset shift now when it comes to networking and representing myself that I know will help me for the rest of my life.
Erik Vogt-Nilsen, Scripted Assistant Editor
ABOUT YOUR INSTRUCTOR
My name is Zack Arnold (ACE), and I help artists, storytellers, and creators design the more balanced, more sustainable, and more fulfilling creative careers you deserve…without sacrificing your health, relationships, or sanity in the process.
Consider me your career sensei. Welcome to my dojo.
Having worked in Hollywood for over two decades as an award-winning editor and producer (on shows like Cobra Kai, Burn Notice, Empire, and Glee), a documentary director – and now as a podcaster, mentor, and career strategist – I understand how challenging it can be to build your professional network when all you really want to do is make awesome stuff (in the comfort of your dark room). But making awesome stuff is only half the battle – the other half is making sure the right people know how awesome you really are.
“Luck” is when your hard work intersects with opportunity. Building your professional network is what creates your dream opportunities.
My work as an editor, documentary director, podcaster, career strategist, and American Ninja Warrior has been featured in publications such as The Washington Post, Variety, The Guardian, Forbes, NPR, The Huffington Post, LinkedIn Learning, Art of the Cut, Frame.io, Post Perspective, and many more.
I’ve achieved my dreams in the entertainment industry. Now I want to help you achieve yours.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Not sure if this course is the right fit for you?
See below for the most frequently asked questions.
In this self-guided online learning course you’ll get instant access to over 4+ hours of video instruction to help you clarify your career goals and identify exactly who needs to be in your network so you can land your next dream job. Below are all of the various chapters in the course.
Upon enrollment you’ll have instant lifetime access to all of the following course content:
Getting Started
The Path to Your Dream Network
Welcome to Your Hero’s Journey
PART 1: Designing the Path to Your “Next” Dream Job
Chapter 1: Discovering Your “Creative Calling”
Chapter 2: The Four Types of Creative Jobs
Chapter 3: Maximizing Your Match Quality
Chapter 4: Defining Your “Next” Dream Job
PART 2: Becoming a Networking Sniper
Chapter 5: Reframing How You Define Your “Network”
Chapter 6: The 3 Levels of Your Dream Network
Chapter 7: Your Ideal Mentor
Chapter 8: Concentric Circles of Your Network
PART 3: Building Your Dream Network
Network Spreadsheet Quickstart Tutorial Part 1
Network Spreadsheet Quickstart Tutorial Part 2
Setting Up Your Customizations
Step 1: Your Previous Jobs & Companies You’ve Worked For
Step 2: Collecting People’s Contact Information
Steps 3 & 4: Your Ultimate Dream Job and Your ‘Next’ Dream Job
Step 5: Building Your Concentric Circles
How to Take Your Networking to a Whole New Level as an Optimizer
Hot Seat: Networking Strategy Session Post-Presentation Q&A
Post-Presentation Question & Answer
BONUS: How to Find (Almost) Anyone’s Email Address
This course is a vast expansion of my previous “Build Your Network Using IMDbPro Masterclass” from 2020. It covers a few similar principles, but it’s that program on steroids! Over 80% of the content in this course is brand new material, and the Google Spreadsheet I included in this new course has been significantly upgraded based on 3 years of student feedback.
In short, even if you took my previous IMDbPro Masterclass, this is absolutely worth your time.
This course will not specifically teach you how to draft outreach messages and get the attention of A-listers in your craft or industry. This course helps you clarify your career path and WHO you need to surround yourself with to achieve your goals. When you purchase the Networking Ninja Bundle you’ll also get lifetime access to The Way of the the Networking Ninja online course with 4+ hours of my best strategies & tactics to draft cold outreach messages that get an 80%+ response rate!
If you purchase the Self-Guided Course you’ll get instant, LIFETIME ACCESS to the Build Your Dream Network self-guided course, plus bonus guides and bonus interviews to help you take your networking efforts to another level.
The Networking Ninja Bundle, includes the Self-Guided Course AND LIFETIME ACCESS to The Way of the Networking Ninja online course (4+ hrs of my best resources to help you draft amazing outreach emails) plus my Student Case Study with Marian Shammas (3+ hrs of interviews & teardowns) about her journey from having zero industry connections to landing her dream job for the biggest VFX company in the entertainment industry.
I could write a book about all the things people do wrong when it comes to building their professional network. In this course I’ll highlight the key areas where most people go wrong and how to build your dream network in a matter of hours to get you real results. You’ll never have to spin your wheels taking the shotgun approach to networking ever again. Instead you’ll become a networking sniper.
Ask any of the hundreds of students who have used my career development programs in the past…this system changes careers!
Yes! This system works for anyone in any industry. Just because I used to be a film & tv editor by trade doesn’t mean what I teach is only for editors. These networking & relationship-building skills work across all crafts and industries. People are people, and networking is networking.
The same rule applies to geography, there are no special skills I teach that only work in Hollywood. What you learn in this course has been used successfully by my students across six different continents.
Although I happen to work in the entertainment industry (and most of my students also work in entertainment), these strategies have NOTHING to do with Hollywood. This system works for anyone who needs to surround themselves with the right people in their network who can help them achieve their goals. People are people, relationships are relationships. These strategies work for anyone in any industry.
I’ve heard fifty different times how “networking is different here” from past students in Israel, South Africa, Ireland, Denmark, or [fill in the blank]. People are people, relationships are relationships. I’ve seen these strategies work for students on six different continents. However – full disclaimer – I’ve yet to help a student build genuine connections in Antarctica. Still working on cracking that code…
This custom-build Google Sheet is specifically designed to help you not only organize your contacts but more importantly sort & categorize them based on your unique career goals and needs. Whether it’s sorting and prioritizing by project, company, job role, job type, the quality of your connections, the kind of mentorship you seek, where connections fit in ‘The 3 Levels of Your Dream Network’ and more, the calculations that help you prioritize whom to connect with next are INVALUABLE…
…but unfortunately you won’t be able to export this into Microsoft Excel and expect the same results.
Technically you can export from Google into Excel, but I do not guarantee all of the calculations and functionality will still work as intended. Use this system in Excel at your own risk.
While I will demonstrate how to organize your dream network using IMDbPro (the entertainment industry’s best networking database) – and also briefly how to apply this system using LinkedIn – a subscription is not required to either. You can do everything I demonstrate in this course using the standard version of IMdb, LinkedIn, or your networking tool of choice if you work in a completely different industry. Just expect that some of the nuances of how I use this system will change based on the tool.
The systems I teach in this course (and how I apply them to the Google networking spreadsheet template) are equally applicable to LinkedIn and other networking tools. Just expect that some of the nuances of how I use this system will change based on the tool.
Because this is a live event I cannot grant refunds no-questions-asked. However, if after the workshop you can demonstrate that you’ve followed the systems I teach yet you’re not getting any real-world results from your networking effort, I will grant refunds on a case-by-case basis within the first 30 days of registration.
Become a Networking Sniper
Are you confident you need to improve your networking skills but still not sure if this course is the right fit for you?
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