It’s not what you know, it’s who you know
- Ancient proverb
While it might be nice to believe that to get a job in the creative industries, all that matters is simply the quality of your work, this is unfortunately not the case. Raw ability does make a difference, of course, but if you can’t sell that ability to a potential employer, you’re unlikely to succeed in the competitive world of animation. Networking takes this concept and brings it to its logical conclusion; making yourself known to a potential employer before even going for an interview gives you the best chance of getting a job, as well as building your reputation and getting your name known in the industry.
How to network#
There are two main ways to build your network: in person and online.
Online#
The major platform for online networking in the creative industries and indeed for almost all professional circles is LinkedIn. Here, you can directly interact with people you look up to, and get your work noticed by potential employers. Some ways that LinkedIn can help you are:
Get your work seen - Posting your work on LinkedIn is a great way to showcase your talent, both to new people and your existing connections. People can comment, give feedback and interact, letting you gauge reactions to your work and providing a way to see your progress through your work. Posting your best work, also has the potential to get the attention of potential employers, and could even lead to being asked to come for a job interview.
Connect with others - Is there an artist you especially look up to? A studio where you’d love to work? A professional with the job you want? On LinkedIn, you can connect with them directly, and ask any burning questions you have about them and their job. Of course, it’s important to remember that you should always be respectful of people’s time, and sending a thousand message requests to a working professional will probably not work in your favour. However, if you are respectful, and honest with your questions, you’ll find that many people are happy to talk and give advice for your career moving into the future. If someone doesn’t answer though, don’t take that as a bad sign, just as plenty of people are happy to help, many others, especially if they’re successful, simply don’t have the time. As such, don’t be discouraged, simply move on to the next networking opportunity.
In person#
The other side of the networking coin is doing so face to face with others in your chosen industry. While there are many advantages to networking online, none of them are as effective as the simple human connection you can create by just having a conversation with someone. As such, this is by far the most effective method; but unfortunately it’s also the most difficult. Especially in the animation industry, where social skills are a scarce commodity, it can be scary to try to start a conversation with someone you’ve never met, and even more so when you look up to that person and their work. Here are some helpful tips though:
- Don’t be desperate - Probably the most important piece of advice is to simply be genuine and interested in the other person. Especially for those high up in the animation industry, it is extremely easy to tell if the person talking to them is only doing so because they want something out of them (a job, mentoring, etc.). As such it’s important to simply talk to the other person, and if the topic comes up then you can talk about yourself and your aspirations, without making it seem like you’re angling for a specific response.
- Go to animation conferences - These are the best places to network, as it’s essentially getting a bunch of professional animators, putting them in a room and telling them to go talk to each other. Technically, there are usually also talks being given about subjects to animation as well, but everyone knows that these are really just there to give people an excuse to get together and network. Often there will be food provided, which is a great opportunity to strike up a conversation with people.
- Get a business card - I can say from personal experience that the first thing that I forget about a person is their name, and as such, even if you make a great impression on someone, if they forget your name then they won’t be able to contact you. This is where business cards come in. As a conversation is coming to a close, you can quickly pull one out and give it to the other person, thus making sure that they have no excuse when they can’t remember you the next time you meet.
In Conclusion#
Networking it a great way to boost your chances of getting a job in the creative industries, as well as simply to meet people who are passionate about the same things you are.
