Six ways to build your network

In Hollywood, your network is your key to success. The best way to find jobs is through referrals, and even once you're in a job, your network will help you generate new business. If you're worried you don't have a strong network, we have great news for you: Your network is bigger than you think it is, and growing it can even be fun! Here are six ways you can go about cultivating your network:

1. Nurture relationships with your industry friends. Your friends are always going to be your number one support system in the industry. They’ll be the first to think of you when they hear of a job opening, and they will enthusiastically refer you for jobs and introduce you to their friends when they think there are opportunities for you. Your friends care about you personally and want you to succeed! Plus, they're the people in your sphere who you can be the most honest and vulnerable with about work. Make sure to carve out time for your friends to keep those relationships strong, even when it's tempting to stay at home with Netflix.
   
   
   
2. Forge strong relationships with the people you meet at work. Alongside your friends, those who work at your company or with your company as partners are going to be your most important allies as you advance your career. These are the people who have the best understanding of your work ethic and professional capabilities, and they have the ability to help you succeed in both current and future roles. Do your best to get to know as many people as possible through work and develop friendly working relationships with them. In a non-remote world, coffees, lunches, and drinks were an easy way to kickstart these relationships, and you should certainly try to do as much of this as you can, but it gets a little trickier when you are remote. This is why it is absolutely crucial to do your best work, as you are being judged on it more than ever – make sure you're responding to emails efficiently and checking your work. More importantly, make an effort to come across as a friendly and enthusiastic person on Zoom, on the phone, and in writing, take extra steps to thank people who are doing great work or are helping you out, and show empathy and compassion for your colleagues who might be struggling. Kindness goes a long way.
   
   
   
3. Set up informational interviews. A great way to build your network is to conduct informational interviews with people who hold positions you are interested in (now or in the future), who work at companies you would like to work for, or who work in a particular field that you would like to get into. You can use LinkedIn to help identify people you might want to meet, and ideally get friends or professional contacts to help facilitate an introduction. If that’s not possible, cold outreach can work, too. Informational interviews give you a chance to learn about possible career paths and also serve as a nice introduction to what could become a valuable professional relationship if you are able to keep in touch. What’s more, informational interview contacts are often well-connected with other people in similar roles, which will allow you to build a web of new contacts. In situations where you aren't necessarily looking for a new job, you can consider the informational interview's cousin -- the general meeting. In a general meeting (which could also be called introductory drinks or an exploratory conversation), you get to connect with a professional you don't really know and try to learn about each other to see how you might help each other out down the line. Meetings like these can even blossom into friendships!
   
   
   
4. Leverage alumni networks. If you’ve attended college or grad school, you automatically have a network of people who are willing to help you. Schools with strong entertainment programs usually have a lot of ways for alumni to get involved and help each other get a leg up in the industry. But even schools with smaller entertainment programs will inevitably have some alums who work in the industry, and you should try to cultivate relationships with these people. You can even start your own networking mixers for fellow alums! It’s easy to build rapport with other alumni of your alma mater, as you already have something in common that had a great impact on your life. And typically other alums are eager to help out. Events are one way to meet alums, but you can also reach out cold for a one-on-one meeting -- your fellow alum will often be happy to connect!
   
   
   
5. Attend networking events. Whether virtual or in person, many organizations offer networking events or professional development opportunities that provide you with the chance to meet others in your line of work. The nice thing about networking events is that everyone is there to build their network and open to meeting new people -- knowing this should help alleviate some of the stress of approaching a stranger. They'll probably be thrilled someone came up to them first! The key to networking events is to follow up with the people you meet individually. If you get someone's contact information, you need to do something with it after the fact, otherwise the event won’t do much for you in the long run. If you're not interested in a large event (which is totally okay!), you can try Lunchclub, a service that uses an algorithm to connect you to other professionals who might be of interest to you for one-on-one meetings. It allows for longer, more meaningful conversations with total strangers -- the kind you'd love to meet at a networking event.
   
   
   
6. Pursue activities that facilitate human interactions. Since networking is really just a fancy term for connecting with other humans, you might find valuable contacts in unexpected places, simply by being human! You may have never guessed that the acquaintance you sometimes chat up after your spin class is a successful exec at a company you’d love to work for, or they know someone who is! We're not saying that you should awkwardly ask about work in all your personal activities -- and it's certainly important to have boundaries that work for you between work and play. But don't shy away from mentioning your work to the people you meet through your hobbies and community involvement. You can even connect with them on LinkedIn or other social platforms and reach out for help if there's an opportunity. Give yourself permission to explore hobbies and interests outside of work, and if there's a little voice bugging you that you should be out there hustling instead of taking your pup to the doodle meetup, shut it down. 
   
   
   

Keep in mind that you can do whatever mix of these feels right for you -- networking really just means relationships, and your relationships should be fulfilling, not scary. Networking is an opportunity to connect with other people who have similar interests, and not something icky, sleazy, awkward, or whatever other negative association you may have with it. Nurture your connections by staying in touch the best you can, pay it forward when you can, and make a genuine effort to care about the people you connect with, and you'll be on track for a successful career.

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-- Angela Silak & Cindy Kaplan