On Valentines’ Day we celebrate and cherish our most important, long-term relationships.

It’s also a perfect time to reflect on our long-term business relationships.

There are few steady, long-term jobs in the animation and visual effects industry. Most of the time we are hired on a project basis. Every project brings together a new combination of familiar faces and strangers. People come together to form a team to create a film, videogame, television show or other project. Besides the project, relationships and sometimes friendships are also created.

Think back on your last few projects. Chances are there are people you’ve worked with before. Chances are even better there are others you’d like to work with again.

The people we prefer to work with share our professional values, our work ethic. The assistant who anticipates every need, the supervisor who stands up for the team, the artist at the next desk who’s never too busy to lend a hand when a co-worker needs help are some examples of people we want to work with. They’re the ones we call on when we’re facing an impending deadline or a challenging task or a brutal schedule. We know we can depend on them to be professional, honor their commitments, and deliver. Just think how it feels to sign on to a project and find out you’ll be working with some one you

respect and know you can depend upon. Reliable coworkers provide a feeling of security, continuity and fellowship that makes every job more enjoyable and every task less daunting.

On every project, you’ll meet new people and might be reunited with others you have worked with before. When the project is finished the team disbands and individual members go their separate ways. You’ve seen these people in action and know that you’d like to work with some of them again. It’s up to you to stay in touch.

So this Valentine’s Day, and throughout the year, remember to acknowledge these long-term partners in your career. Make the effort to nurture these long-term relationships. Send a birthday card, meet for lunch, attend an art show together. Take the opportunity to tell them how much you appreciate them and how fun it is to know them.

We can’t always choose our co-workers, but when we can, there’s a short list we draw from again and again. So when an employer or colleague asks you to recommend somebody for a certain job, remember those who have made previous projects easier through their dedication, talent and professionalism. That’s the best way to ensure that those cherished long-term relationships will continue to enhance your career.

People you meet at work can have a significant impact on your life. My most precious long-term relationship began at work. Lance Thompson, my career coach and husband, has enhanced my career and my life and has contributed greatly to this article and many others. I appreciate all he has done and continues to do for me, making every day of the year Valentine’s Day.

Pamela Kleibrink Thompson is a recruiter/hiring strategist and career coach. Her most recent recruiting clients include Paramount’s feature film Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow and Toybox, a Canadian visual effects company. She speaks regularly on career issues at colleges and universities.