How to Promote Yourself and Your Work to the Right People

Learn to sell your talent to the right people, in the right space

Once you have put together a portfolio that best demonstrates who you are as an artist, you need to do two things: 1) get your work and your art in front of the right people 2) convince them that you are the right person for the job.

Today, we are sharing five basic industry tips that will land you your dream job:

Know who you are selling yourself to

First, you need to show that you are worth hiring or commissioning. Once you can communicate this idea, you need to decide who you are going to communicate to.

Max Visibility vs. Targeting

You can do both. Think about adverts for shows: they are designed to be seen by a large number of people, and they also are a great way to define the show’s visual identity. The problem is that they are also seen by a lot of people who have zero interest in what’s being advertised. Alternatively, if you take a look at how Google and Facebook ads work, you will see that they allow you to segment people into groups so that your ad will only be seen by potential clients who are likely to be interested in what you’re selling.

Begin by trying to maximize the number of people who see your work and use every platform at your disposal–from online portfolios (like Art Starion and Domestika) to hashtags and trending topics on Instagram and Twitter. You should also participate in competitions and festivals, as they are a great way to stand out among a large pool of talent.

Direct Marketing

It’s important to have a clear focus when promoting your work and trying to maximize visibility. Be active and present in the places where you are going to find people who have the power to hire you. LinkedIn, for example, is the perfect platform for uploading professional posts of your work, showing off your studies, and presenting yourself as an active member of the community.

Another good option is to directly contact the studio for whom you’d like to work and submit a personalized project: make a portfolio just for them, show interest, and be proactive.

Build lasting relationships

Build relationships with other professionals in your industry. This will not only mean that more people will recommend you for jobs, but that people will get to know your work in a much more personal context. It’s important to always demonstrate a positive attitude–this is just as important as showing off your skills and knowledge.

Know your goal

Show that you are passionate about the company you want to work for. If you’re going to apply for a job at Disney, watch all of their films, learn about the people behind each of their projects, and above all, have lots of references that explain why you are drawn to them. This is an industry about passion, so if a company is able to see honesty and enthusiasm in you and your work, they are more likely to take you on. The more passionate you are in your work, the more you’ll catch the eye of recruiters.

This is a translation of an article by Jean Fraisse (@jbfraisse), a concept artist who is currently the art director of Mexican studio, Huevocartoon. He teaches three Domestika about character design, illustration and concept art, in which you will learn animation, creating scenery, and tackle some video games projects. You can follow him on Canvas, his YouTube channel for art, concept art and illustration.

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