Last weekend I went to a meetup for alumni and students of my old animation school: Animation Mentor.

It was awesome.

It was so great to see people again, and meet some animators for the first time.

Yes – we geeked out about which animation we really liked. Whether to spend more time doing improv or art classes. What movies we were really looking forward to seeing. Who’s working for which project.

Basically talking shop.

But it reinforced to me the importance of maintaining your network of professional contacts.

I’m not naturally the sort of guy who is good at staying connected to people once I leave that particular circle of influence – but it’s so important.

The Manager Tools website has a great podcast on keeping in touch with your network, and explains it in a practical way that isn’t daunting.

One of their key points is to make contact with your buddies even when you don’t need anything from them.

Or should I say: ESPECIALLY when you don’t need anything from them.

No-one wants to receive an email or a phone call from a long-lost pal who is really only calling because they need a job or a favor.

Keeping your contacts warm means that you never have to make a “cold call”.

Plus – animators are some of the most fun people to hang around with!

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