Networking for the portfolio careerist

Networking is a scary word for many. I know a lot of people love it but plenty also hate the idea of ‘selling’ themselves to new contacts. I hate to break it you, but it’s a must-have skill for the portfolio careerist. Here’s why.

Keeping your portfolio alive and buzzing (the way you wanted it when you started out on this path) depends entirely on sustaining existing relationships and cultivating new ones at every opportunity. This doesn’t have to be the horrible, hard-sell, business-card touting nightmare you might imagine. It can be as simple as just keeping an open mind and a can-do, ‘say yes to opportunities’ attitude. Meeting lots of interesting, like-minded people and showing an interest in what they do really isn’t so so hard once you get going.

There are networking events to get involved in, relevant seminars and conferences to attend. Building new contacts through freelancing websites is also a great way I’ve found of generating new leads and diversifying my client base. Building business relationships takes time, so be prepared to find the right balance between actually getting on with existing projects and creating opportunities for new work by letting people know what you can offer.

Social media is of course a hugely valuable tool for the portfolio careerist. As a former social media sceptic I can now honestly say I’m a convert. Blogging, Linked in, Twitter and the Behance network have all proved valuable tools for growing my portfolio career. An online presence does matter these days whether we like it or not. As a direct result of my own online presence, I was delighted recently to be contacted by the author of a new book about portfolio careers. He invited me to contribute a guest blog on my experiences on his website. I’ve learnt through necessity that social media can be a powerful tool for maintaining existing relationships (of all sorts, social and business) and creating new ones.

There is definitely a balance to be struck between real life and online networking. I find the most rewarding is when the two intersect. For example, building my profile on freelance websites has allowed me to find new contacts that I’ve gone on to meet with face to face and am now working with on an on-going basis. There is also a strong community out there of professional people who are successfully running their own freelance and portfolio careers who it’s good to collaborate and share with. Take for instance Linden Lea, a talent network I’m proud to be an associate of, which, by bringing together a range of complementary expertise, can offer a powerful proposition to potential clients.

Networking can in fact be an exciting and rewarding part of your portfolio career. It’s really not all about narcissistic self-promotion, it’s about collaboration and building mutually beneficial relationships as part of a wider community.