Networking. We’ve all heard about how great of an asset it can be to any graphic designer or web developer, but just how good is networking for your career and how can you develop a strong network of your own? I’ll try to answer these questions by sharing my experiences with networking as a graphic designer.

When I first started working on freelance projects about four years ago, I knew that in order to be profitable and have a strong client base I would need to network to get it. The question at the time was where to start. How can one build a network of clients when you don’t know where to find them? Are you going to cold call offices in search of potential ties? Unlikely. At the time I was just about to graduate college and I had no idea where to go to meet potential clients, so this was a dilemma. That is, until one day when I realized that by simply telling everyone I knew that I was looking work those doors would open on their own.

Sounds easy, right? Actually, it was easier than I ever thought it could be. Don’t get me wrong, my rolodex didn’t fill up overnight, but by planting that seed in all of my friends, family, and especially people I was meeting for the first time I was able to secure work on projects that I would have never thought to pursue otherwise. Get this: my first full-on design project right before graduation was to build a site for California-based Matthew’s Specialty Foods, and the best part was the payment. How much would you charge for your first full-Flash site? My payment for that first project was $200 and a case of frozen burritos delivered to my door. Not bad for a college student who loves Mexican food, but it wasn’t going to pay the rent.

With a professional site to display in my portfolio and a full belly I was set to pursue the next project. Turns out I secured a full-time job soon after that, but that didn’t stop me from networking. I made sure that everyone I met knew I worked on the side as a freelancer, and no one left my sight without a business card in their hand.

Eventually, my client list grew from one company to ten, then twenty. Seventhfury Studios was born. I could bet that at least 30% of those clients were referred by other clients that I had worked for in the past, and sometimes even those new clients would refer someone else to me. This is the biggest reason as to why networking is so important: producing great work for a satisfied client can lead to the opportunity to work on projects for many, many more clients.

It doesn’t stop there. Networking can play a very important role not only for freelance graphic designers or web developers, but for anyone in any career. How else can you climb that ladder to reach your career goals? By taking advantage of every opportunity to talk to someone about the work you do you just might be opening a new door for your career. Don’t expect people to know what you do, they’re not mind readers. You have to communicate to them, and you’ll get your return.

Below I’ve put together what I call my Checklist for Networking—the top 5 rules that I follow for my career.

1. Communicate - open that door by opening your mouth. Tell people what you do and it can lead to a conversation you wouldn’t have expected otherwise. Give out those business cards, they’re not meant to be bookmarks in your Stephan King novels.
2. Be honest - keep the relationship genuine. Trust plays a huge factor in networking. If you’re only there for the money, it’s not going to click for you. By loving what you do and by relaying that to people you are setting up a genuine relationship with that person.
3. Set yourself apart - show why your skills should be valued. You need to be able to communicate what you have to offer, and be able to follow up by showing that you’re not just talk.
4. Follow through - if you get a referral or are contacted make sure you get the ball rolling. Don’t wait a week or even a few days to respond to someone when they contact you about work. No matter your workload, take the time to converse with people and you’ll be rewarded.
5. Keep in touch - by keeping constant communication open with someone, they’ll remember you. You don’t need to call a client every day, but by keeping in communications with your clients you’ll remind them that you’re there. You’ll be surprised how often they can turn to you for advice on things in their business or even refer you to someone they know.