How to Make an Impact with Your Networking Outreach

Right now, it feels like everyone in the industry is hitting their network hard to try to land their next role. You’ve probably seen dozens of posts on LinkedIn of people asking for work and gotten several emails from your contacts seeing if you know of anything. Then, when it’s time for you to reach out…ugh. It feels so exhausting, repetitive, and fruitless. 

But the truth is, you need your network more than ever. And most people do want to help (especially if you’ll return the favor). You just have to make it easy for them to do so. And the best way to do that is to be as clear as possible about what you need from them.

For example, here’s a pretty common email that’s not actually effective:

Hey Jane!

How are you holding up in this crazy time in the industry? When we last worked together back in 2024 on SHOW NAME – have you had any interesting projects since then?

As for me, I was recently laid off from COMPANY. I’m on the job hunt and would like to chat with you about opportunities you might have available on your next project, or other people you think I should meet. As you know, I’ve been working in adult animation for the last 5 years, but before that, I did some stints in live action comedy, kids, and even a few AP roles on reality shows back when I first started out. I’m open to whatever’s next and would love to catch up! My most recent resume is attached.

Thanks!
Sally

If you’re Jane, what do you do with this email? Chances are, you don’t have a job opening just sitting around waiting for Sally, and, if you did, it’s not clear if Sally would really be the right fit. What does she want to do exactly? And maybe you can introduce her to some people, but who? If you liked her a lot, maybe you’d find time to meet for coffee, but at the same time, you’re busy, overextended, and/or not sure what the point would be. Most likely, this email is either ignored or gets a generic, “Nice to hear from you, I’ll keep you in mind!”

And if you’re Sally, you probably feel like you are spinning your wheels in an endless networking process when you send dozens of these messages and get the same tired response.

But there’s a better way! If you keep your email to one clear ask that makes sense for you, your experience, and the specific person you’re reaching out to, you’ll have a lot more luck. For example, you might ask for a referral for a job you applied for, or an informational interview with the person’s contact, or just to catch up over coffee (but not all three!). It's usually best not to send your resume over until someone asks for it and to keep your ask to something more doable than "give me a job."

The other really important thing is to hone in on the areas of expertise that matter most to the person you’re reaching out to. Using the example above, Sally might say, “I’ve loved working in adult animation, but for my next step, I’m open to any CE/creative producer role in comedy. Early in my career, I worked in live action, and I was an AP on PRANK SHOW, so I'm well-versed in different comedy styles and am hoping to land at a mid-size production company where I can work on a variety of projects."

By keeping your email focused, it feels a lot more genuine, a lot less desperate, and a lot easier for your contact to answer. It might not make endless networking any more fun, but it will make it effective.