👐 UX Career Tip #9: Give back before asking
Call it Karma, or being a good human, but giving before taking can do magic.
When reaching out for help, it's easy to jump straight to the point. But you shouldn't.
In most cases, people you reach out to for help are busy and are overwhelmed by multiple similar requests asking for their attention. The last thing you want to do is become "just another" cold message asking to review their portfolio or resume.
Put yourself in the shoes of that person. Try to understand them.
I've always recommended the approach: help first, then ask for help.
Think how you can make that person's life easier.
Maybe, they need an advice on some topic. Maybe, they are learning something and struggle with a question and you can share a useful resource or an article on that topic (just google it =). Maybe, they have an interest in a company or teechnology and you can make an introduction to a person that you truly think would be beneficial for them. Maybe, you can comment on their article or post and re-share with your network. Maybe, they have a newsletter and you could recommend it to your friends who would be interested in that kind of content.
Be creative, but keep in mind that whatever you do should bring value to that person.
PS going even deeper, I'd recommend applying this approach during your whole life journey, even if there is no immediate help you are seeking. Just keep doing good for people and the world will be a better place. I am not a religious person, but my personal moral manifesto includes a concept similar to Karma 😉