You open LinkedIn, scroll through your feed, and think:

“I should message that hiring manager. Maybe just comment first. Maybe tomorrow.”

Then tomorrow becomes next week. Next week becomes never.

Sound familiar?

You say you want referrals.

You say you want to build your network.

But the truth? You’re waiting to feel ready. Less awkward. More confident.

And in the meantime, you keep applying cold and getting ghosted.

Here’s what’s really going on:

Reaching out feels risky. Vulnerable. Like you’re asking for a favor.

Worse—what if you sound desperate? Or worse, incompetent?

So you stay safe. You keep your head down.

And you lie to yourself with a seductive story:

“If my work is good enough, someone will notice.”

“If I just apply to more jobs, something will land.”

“If I wait until my portfolio is better, then I’ll start networking.”

That story costs you interviews, opportunities, and momentum.

Because here’s the hard truth:

You don’t get hired for potential that’s hidden. You get hired when the right people see you, remember you, and trust you.

And trust doesn’t happen through one-click applies.

It happens through conversations. Through follow-ups. Through showing up with value, again and again.

You’re not bugging people. You’re building relationships.

You’re not looking incompetent. You’re showing initiative.

Networking isn’t a talent. It’s a system.

I’m not talking about sleazy DMs or forced LinkedIn spamming.

I’m talking one coffee chat a week.

A clear pitch. A warm follow-up. A rhythm that compounds.

Because when you show up consistently, you stop being a stranger—and start being the obvious choice.

And here’s what nobody tells you:

Most designers fail at networking not because they lack time or skills…

But because they wait for permission to be seen.

So ask yourself:

Are you still hiding behind your resume?

Or are you ready to be remembered?

Your network isn’t something you build later. It’s the bridge to your next role.

— Joseph

P.S.

If you want a simple, high-trust networking system that helps you land 5+ strategic referrals in weeks—not months—reply “UXCP” and I’ll send you the full plan.

(10 slots this round. Intake closes May 31, or once it’s full.)