Ask a Recruiter: Appreciating Projects on Behance?

Welcome to our Ask a Recruiter Series, where our Creative Talent Representatives answer your burning questions related to job hunting, resume submission, portfolios, and more.

This month, meet Rachel Martinic, one of our fabulous Recruiters working for our Indy office. She's a pro when it comes to almost all the verticals.

Q: Should I ask people to “appreciate project” on my Behance portfolio?

A: Asking friends and co-workers for opinions on your work can be a nerve-wracking idea. What if their response is less than glowing? On the flip side, what if their feedback helps you improve your work?

For those creative professionals with a Behance portfolio, they’ve made it simple to share your work and ask others to “appreciate your projects.” While some Designers and Illustrators use Behance as a tool to upload their work samples in a straightforward format and share their link with potential employers, others use it as a tool to actively promote their work, gain exposure, and connect with other creative professionals.

Behance is a social media platform, after all.

The wizards behind Behance showcase certain portfolios in their “Best of” and “Curated Gallery” sections. If you’re craving the broad-reaching visibility that being featured in these sections can offer, you’re going to want to pump up your sharing game. 

While there’s an algorithm to being featured, the Behance team has stated that they look for projects that are “generating traction in the community.” Users whose projects have been “appreciated” and “viewed” most have a better shot of being featured. So now the question to consider is, “How do I convey a genuine request for feedback rather than just asking for ‘appreciations’ to promote myself?”

Here are some ideas:

1. DO: Use Behance’s “Promote” feature to share your projects on other social media platforms (Facebook, Linkedin, Pinterest) along with a sincere note that you’d like to hear what your friends think of your latest work.
2. DO: Actively peruse other portfolios on Behance and “appreciate projects” of others (and message them with positive feedback!). Perhaps they’ll check out your work in return.
3. DON’T: Message friends, co-workers, strangers ordering them to “appreciate” your work. This direct approach comes off as insincere.

If your goal in using Behance is to expose your work to potential employers and other creative professionals, generating views and appreciations is a good idea! While it might take a LOT of activity to gain exposure in their “Best of” or “Gallery” sections, networking in my opinion is always a great plan! Check this article out if you are unsure about whether or not to have a Behance online portfolio altogether. 

Rachel Martinic is a Recruiter for Artisan's Indianapolis office. She started at the Chicago HQ 14 years ago and got hooked on helping creative talent find jobs they love! Since then, she's helped launch a new office, ran a few half marathons, had 2 children and climbs the Lake Michigan dunes with her family.

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