Your Network ≠ Your Net-Worth

Many creative professionals I meet tell me they can’t connect to opportunities because they “don’t have a network they can lean on”.?

Your network can absolutely lift you up and open doors. The thing is many professionals don’t understand the science of networks. They assume that knowing lots of people or even knowing key people will make the difference.?

I’ve met and worked with many creative professionals that have insane networks - famous luminaries and well-known design leaders at some of the top companies, some that they even call their closest friends, and yet they still don’t know how to unlock the best opportunities. The truth is ... having a great network isn’t the end all be all, and it still won’t solve your challenge.

Lots of doors but nothing opens.

I’ve met design professionals that tap into their networks, not understanding how to move through these scenarios... and then they run out of leads and introductions.

“I’ve been tapping into my network and now they don’t respond to me. They aren’t sending me opportunities anymore. I hate to say it, but I think I've called on them too many times ... before I knew what I wanted.”

The truth is… even with a kick a$$ network, you can exhaust your network.?

Of course, some creative professionals understand this - and the creative professionals that I work with already know this. They don’t want to waste their valuable resources!

Akin to interviewing for opportunities, you want to also know what to ask of your network.?

If you’re a Creative, you’ll understand this analogy: a client comes to you with a design concept, but they’ve done absolutely no research into the market they want to enter and have little to no strategic planning surrounding the product, how it will be produced, marketed, or who they’re target customer is. They’re not even really sure what this product does, but they know they want one designed.

Prior to going for the “ask” or applying for an opportunity, it would be prudent to know what it is you want in the next step of your career. But I get it when you’re always having to represent yourself as the all-knowing seasoned design professional.

And here lies the challenge.

Your network will not know what’s right for you, until you know what’s right for you.

Regardless of how well-connected these people are, and the prestige of their network notwithstanding, it doesn’t help them launch their next venture - be it employer, project, or career. Because, oftentimes, people don’t even know what it is exactly that they need or want to launch. Maybe they have an assumption, maybe they have a general idea, maybe they know the industry, or the company, or the title they think they would want. Unfortunately, amidst those “maybe”s, there isn’t any certainty.

Here, let’s say your network is like $$$ - cash gives you the opportunity to build what you want, right? But if you don’t know what it is that you truly want to build, having an exorbitant amount of money is not going to help you figure it out. You’ll spend some money here and there just *fingers crossed* hoping one of your investments is worth pursuing. You’re gambling.

It’s not very different from having a fantastic network and not knowing how to use it.

I hear it every ?? day??. People tell me all about the network that they want to connect with - they tell me all about the companies, the brands in the industry, and even the sectors of design they want to be a part of… and they tell me all of this with confidence! It isn’t until I delve deeper into the conversation to discover what’s holding them back and what their roadblocks are, when I start to hear the real reasons why they are having problems. And it all stems back to not knowing what it is that they truly want from their own network.?

If you are finding that you have been tapping into your network or if you are even at the point of exhausting/burning out your network - and it happens - and aren’t coming up with any opportunities, it may be that your “ask” hasn’t been defined yet.

Be clear on what it is you want for your career and what you want from your network. And be careful that what you want is really what’s right for you and what will propel your career (although, that’s a whole other conversation…). Determining your destination is the first step to the successful outcome you seek.?

A network with no purpose is like having a ticket with no destination. If you don’t know where you’re going, you won’t get there. And you can exhaust your network making the wrong requests.?

Invest in yourself and start THRIVING today! Seize your moment and take the first step to building the career you seek by understanding how to harness the value of your network.

~ Ang