Got asked the question "why are furries so powerful?" And my answer at the time was that furries get each other hired, and the tech and art sides of the fandom support each other.
Upon thinking about it more, the reason it's possible to network with furries is that by openly being in the fandom, you're selecting for a higher degree of openness to experience (the core personality trait) in your associates, and that trait is worth trying to bring in to jobsites and friend groups.
Like, a furry is not going to embarrass you by going "Eww what is *That*??" and reacting in horror to a new experience.
They already know how to go "I'm not sure that's for me, but I'm glad you're having fun" at all kinds of things.