Become Professional - Networking

Networking is often misunderstood as formal invite-only events, but it can easily occur in everyday interactions. You are probably already networking without realising! Building a supportive network has many benefits, not just in terms of discovering job opportunities, but also for mental health, a sense of community and learning new skills.

For some of us, the word conjures up cringey images of relentlessly dishing out business cards and talking ourselves up to people we feel we should impress. The good news is that networking doesn’t have to be like that at all (although we’ll cover how to talk about yourself in an authentic yet purposeful way as that’s a good skill to have). There are many ways to network whilst still being yourself. And yes, you can still network if you’re shy!

To bring it down to its simplest form, networking is exchanging ideas or information with people who share similar interests, professions or industries with you. It’s about building and maintaining connections, whether that’s in a very light touch way or with a bit more intention. It’s definitely not talking non-stop about how great you are or making things up to sound impressive. In fact, the best networkers are often very skilled at listening.

Here are a few different ways people can build networks:

Lots of these things can be done online as well as in-person, and they all bring benefits beyond a chance to network. They provide insights into your areas of interest and can help you build skills.

For further advice on how best to network, check out the Creative Lives In Progress articles below:

Creative Lives In Progress A Guide to Networking

Creative Lives In Progress Networking Dos and Don’ts

Creative Lives In Progress Three Ways to Promote Yourself

*If you’re wondering what on earth an informational interview is, check out Careers Service, Informational Interviews for more details.

1. Be Purposeful

What kind of jobs are you interested in? What events can you go to, in that case, to meet people who can help you or who will be interesting to speak to? What professional associations could you join? Which websites will let you know about creative meet-ups? How about student societies – are any of them hosting any helpful events relating to your interests?

2. Be Prepared

Having a few conversation starters up your sleeve can be useful, even if it’s just an opening comment about the weather. Also think about questions to ask should you meet people you really want to connect with. Do you know who will be at an event? Doing some research on them beforehand could be helpful and give you something to start a conversation about eg ‘I really enjoyed the recent article you wrote for ___ magazine about the gaming industry’ or ‘I found your recent LinkedIn post about ___ very helpful’.

3. Be Self-aware

Being ready with a short but meaningful intro about who you are, what you do and what you’re interested in is extremely valuable. It doesn’t have to be long or over-rehearsed. It can be something short yet informative. For example, someone attending a creative meet up might use the intro:

‘Hi, I’m ___ and I’m studying ____ at University of Edinburgh. I thought it would be good to come to this creative meet up as I’m always interested in hearing what other creatives are up to and potentially even finding people to collaborate with. Illustrations are my thing – I really love coming up with creative ways to express a message.’

It’s short but helpful as a starting point for more conversation. If you want more advice on preparing your intro (also often referred to as an ‘Elevator Pitch’) this article from the Forage has been written for an American audience but contains some helpful pointers.

How to Give a Great Elevator Pitch

4. Be Helpful

Remember that networking isn’t just about what other people can do for you. For example, being able to suggest resources that might help someone research an idea they have, or a blog you follow that might interest them, can help you stand out and form meaningful connections. These connections might then benefit you further down the line with reciprocal recommendations or introductions to potential collaborators etc.

5. Be Curious

Maybe you won’t strike up any conversations at the event itself- that’s ok! Hopefully you’ll still have learnt something new or interesting, and if not it’s all good practice – the next event might be more useful. Did you hear any fascinating talks or recognised anyone whose work you’d like to follow up on later? We suggest sending a connection request on LinkedIn or a follow request on other social media platforms to keep you in the loop. Networking isn’t always about instant connections or in-person interactions.

Here are a number of networking opportunity boards for both in-person and online events to help build up your bank of creative and cultural connections.

Creative Lives In Progress 13 Regular Creative Networking Events Across the UK

Eventbrite Homepage (not creative and culture specific)

I Like Networking Homepage

Meetup Homepage (not creative and culture specific)

Young People In The Arts, YPIA

Aside from social events and social media, sending ‘cold’ emails is another great way to put yourself out there and make connections with desirable organisations and professionals. You might hear this referred to as a speculative approach. This article below explains how to best write one to maximise your chances of getting a response:

Creative Lives In Progress A Guide to Sending Cold Emails

Ploy is new to the career-carving scene.

The app is a video-based, professional networking platform. It mimics the appearance of a TikTok For You Page, with graduates and early career starters as it’s prime target audience.

When first signing up to Ploy, you can select your career preferences. This ensures all the content you receive is specific to your areas of interest and ability.

The app is already used by well-known organisations, including Penguin Books, Spotify, BBC. The idea of the app is to help networking become seamless and unfussy. Employers film content from within their organisations in an informal manner, showing the behind the scenes of a workplace.

The app recommends you upload a short introduction video, explaining who you are and your experience. This’ll help you to stand out to potential employers and professional connections.

Ploy