Something I have been told the whole time I’ve been at college is that networking is the way to go. For like everything. How did you get that job? “Oh, I got recommended it from my bosses friend”. How did you transfer from one to the next? “Oh, I got help from my former co-worker’s buddy”. Real stuff I’ve heard. And in design, it can be difficult to get your foot in the door.

So, it got me thinking. Just how successful is networking? Like for the talk, some part must make it successful than classic methods like hard work or just submitting to everywhere. So that’s what I want to figure out today. Just how successful is networking the current job market?

How Bad is The Design Job Market?

Want an accurate picture of the graphic design industry? This image from SpongeBob fits it perfectly. In fact, only 20% believe the overall hiring landscape is improving. That’s it. The other 80%, including myself, are worried about how the design would is. So, in this terrifying world, how do you get your foot in the door.

Why People Use Networking

Well, there’s a couple why networking is a big contender for finding jobs. For starters, you can meet people who already work in jobs you like. They can give you advice and tell you what those jobs are really like. Another benefit is that when some jobs are not even posted online. If you know the right people, you might hear about these chances first before people ever know.

Networking also helps you build confidence. The more you talk to new people, the easier it gets to share your ideas and skills. It can even benefit in the long run, allowing to prepare for interviews more easily and understand others who may need help too.

The Findings

So what did I find? Well, networking is actually proven to be super successful. Don’t believe me? Here’s what I find in 3 different areas.

1. College Students

College students have a lot of advantages going in the job market. The stakes are high. However, college students aren’t that in danger. In fact, 25% of recent college graduates got their job through personal referrals AKA networking. This also compared to the 22% that got their jobs through simple hard work. That’s pretty good.

2. Designers

While there is no exact number of how many designers got their job through networking, many have stated that networking at least played some role in their life. Many designers on LinkedIn especially post their experiences and how networking has essentially been implemented into their lives. Some use networking as a way to jobs, but also as a way to get in contact with other designers and have them recommend you to others people as well.

3. Overall People

But if you need a final conformation. Just look at the facts for everyone. Roughly 54% of all workers have found that they got their job specifically through a connection. This is across all fields, not just design. That’s huge. That means whether starting or not, people have been able to rise through their ranks because they knew someone.

Despite how intimating this all may seem, I do recommend that all people at least try to network with others. Heck, y’all can network with me if you all want. It can be difficult for many people who are starting off to reach out. But the more you do, the more confident you get. You know your skill, all you got to do now is find our people.