Let’s say you come across someone who you admire or who could potentially help your career. You could sell yourself and your services to them, but how can you be sure that you’ll be different from the rest? How do you stand out?

Network!

First and foremost: be genuine. Be kind, even. Try and show them the best version of yourself.

Try and make a connection with them before you jump into a “hey, how can you help me?” type of conversation. Treat them like the human being they are. If you’re honest and kind and you prove your talents, they could very well put in a good word for you somewhere or at some point. But you have to put in the work. You have to present yourself as the person you are.

If you build on the relationships you have and work towards expanding your network, that is key to becoming a successful individual. Make connections with the people you know and make connections from them as well. You never know who you could meet and get involved with!

To get noticed and to make connections with people outside of social media? Meetups! There will always be potential employers and clients that you could connect with in person, to really show who you are as a person and as a creative individual. You should want to make your name known as something good and as the creative professional that you are. You should want to meet people, to talk to them, and to give them the opportunity to get to know you and your creative talents.

Be real with the people you’re building relationships with. When you network, remember that you’re making connections and you should be doing it all with genuine intentions.