Who Has The Hiring Power?
Who Has The Hiring Power?
“The odds of hitting your target go up dramatically when you aim at it.”
-Mal Pancoast
Now that you have figured out the role (or roles) you’d like to fill and have a solid portfolio ready to present to professionals, you are ready to start your networking journey!
The question now remains, where do you begin? Who do you connect with? Do you just start firing off messages to artists who are employed at the studios or businesses you want to work at?
While connecting with fellow artists and individuals in various roles within your industry is undoubtedly valuable, it's essential to recognize that your artist friends may not always have the authority to make hiring decisions. Their influence can help bring your work to the attention of an Art Director, for instance, and potentially assist you in securing work. However, the ultimate decision often rests in the hands of those who hold positions with hiring power.
It's worth noting that companies, studios, and creative projects can vary significantly in their organizational structures and hierarchies. In the case of smaller enterprises, the person responsible for hiring may wear multiple hats, making their identification a bit more challenging. However, in my experience within the animation industry, I've discovered that establishing meaningful relationships with individuals in three key roles has yielded significant success:
The Art Director
The Producer, and
The Leads (such as Lead Character Designers and Lead Prop Designers, etc.)
This targeted approach ensures that your networking efforts align with the pathways of influence, ultimately enhancing your chances of securing work in your desired field.
For those of you that are artists in industries other than animation, the same principle applies. Search out the roles in your industry with hiring power such as gallery owners or managers, or creative directors at publishing houses. Do the research to find out exactly what roles hire in your field, and make an effort to find and connect with those people.
Start by sending these people invitations to connect on LinkedIn and befriend them on Instagram as well. If they are not easy to find, I recommend doing some research on company websites to find out who holds these positions as well as keeping an ongoing Google Doc or note on your phone with the companies you are interested in, along with the names and roles of the people who are in these hiring positions.
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