The importance of networking within the creative industries

In the creative industries it is extremely important to have the right toolset of skills for the job you want to do, but it is also important to know people who are already embedded in your chosen industry. Networking can feel extremely daunting, especially if you are still developing yourself to a point where you feel comparable to your peers; taking the first step is always the most daunting. In this post, we’ll break it down step by step so that taking that first move forward doesn’t seem quite as scary.

To put it simply, networking is building up your connections. Reaching out to people who share a similar creative space as you either in person or online, and starting to build the bridges of a professional relationship. Networking is extremely important in the creative industry for landing jobs; as it helps put you on peoples radars who would otherwise not know you even exist.

There’s multiple ways you can do this, be active on linkedin and actively reach out to connect with people who share a similar creative space as you, or interact with artists on artstation / post your work for others to interact and critique. For an environment artist, Artstation is one of the most important places for you to be active, as a vast majority of the industry use Artstation for their portfolios and it’s very easy for your work to be seen by the right people. Also attending events/seminars in person can be highly beneficial and creates a more personal connection as you actually see each other face to face.

When networking, you are a small fish in a very large ocean. It’s incredibly important to make sure that you stand out and present yourself in the best possible light, whether this is in person or online. There are a few things you can do to highlight yourself, and none should be understated.

When you set up your online presence, whether on LinkedIn or elsewhere, make sure your profile is professional. This includes wording, what you post, and how you present yourself in your display picture. All of this will be taken into account.

If you are going to a networking event, or a seminar, it’s important to present yourself in the correct way. Make an effort with your appearance and people will take notice, however, don’t make an effort and people will also notice, but for all the wrong reasons!

A custom URL for your website or portfolio will help you stand out against the hordes of generic URL’s that a recruiter will have to siphon through. It shows that you care about your portfolio and how you present it to others, it’s a minor detail, but one that definitely helps you stand out more.

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