I’m not surprised to hear that your notes are being met with crickets, because they’re attached to job applications, and so are likely being treated as part of the application rather than a separate attempt to network. I don’t know what you’re writing in these notes, whether it’s a “please keep me in mind” kind of message or more of a “can we chat sometime”, but any message will be intrinsically tied to your job application because that’s the context it’s being received in. And if they’re choosing not to contact you about the role, they’re unlikely to reach out just to connect because it could easily be perceived as part of the hiring process.

You can absolutely network by sending notes to people online though! Not all networking needs to be done at in-person events (though that’s maybe the best way to meet people). Sending somebody an email or message over LinkedIn asking to chat about what they do - in person or online - is pretty conventional. Just reach out to these people individually, rather than through hiring channels. Ideally this is something you’re doing regularly, not just when there’s a job available. The real advantage of having network connections is having people think of you when they start the hiring process, so they’re more likely to reach out to you first. You want to make those connections before a job comes into the picture.

That message could look like, “I’m really curious to hear what it’s like to work at [company], to see if it might be a good fit for me in the future. Would you mind chatting with me for 30 minutes online this week?” Ideally you send a message like this to somebody in the role you’d like to eventually get, or somebody at the senior level of the team. You don’t need to reach out to HR or other managers, creative directors or senior creatives are best positioned to advise you regarding what they need at the company.

Or if you’re a little earlier in your career (and genuinely want the guidance), you can reach out to a senior person and ask for a portfolio review: “I really admire the work your team does, would you be available to review my portfolio and give me some guidance on getting a job at a place like [company]?” If you suggest doing these meetings in person, it’s polite to offer to buy your contact a coffee or similar small thing to thank them for their time.

As to your “schmoozing ability” note - I find it’s more helpful to think of networking as simply “getting to know people”. A lot of people think networking is a specific song and dance that can be kind’ve slimy, but anybody who acts that way isn’t usually well received - nobody likes that guy. Networking is usually just people gathering to talk about a shared interest or goal related to their work (if it wasn’t work-based, I think it’d just be hanging out?).

If you do go to design events and want to meet other people, it can be helpful to just focus on chatting about the event at hand (“What brought you here? What did you think of the speaker?”), or ask people about their jobs. Topics relevant to where you are and what you’re doing at that moment, that everybody has answers to (and you don’t only have to talk about design or work). Having a human connection is what keeps you in somebody’s mind for later, so showing interest in others and sharing a little about yourself is really what your goal should be with networking. The benefits of being known - standing out in a pool of candidates - comes naturally from there.

A very polished resume that speaks to your achievements in your roles rather than just your responsibilities, and a polished portfolio showing examples of the specific kind of work they’re hiring for are important too. But presumably most of the applications you’re up against are also well polished (all the more reason to make sure yours is sharp), and those documents aren’t seen until they’re seen - meaning, from the exterior of the “pile” (the email inbox or what have you) your application looks the same. This is why people talk about how important networking is - because a personal contact in addition to your application is really the only way to direct attention towards yourself.