Where/with whom should you network?
When you’re making a career networking plan, the most obvious answer is that you should network with co-workers or former colleagues. But what about those you have yet to meet professionally? The best way to meet them is to seek out at least one organization in your profession (or in the profession you’re trying to get into if you’re trying to change career direction). You can join as a member or simply attend functions as a guest. However, when you decide to join, don’t just join. You’ll have a richer experience and increase the potential connections you can make by getting involved. For example, volunteer to be on or lead a committee. Become known to other members who will be more inclined to engage with you as they get to know you.
It’s also a good idea to find and join at least one organization or group outside of your profession based on your personal interests, such as a hobby, a cause you care about, or something that benefits your family. It’s much easier to make connections with people who share mutual interests and passions. In fact, this is the kind of networking that doesn’t really feel like networking at all. It’s more like making friends, which is one of the main reasons to network in the first place (more about the reasons for networking below).
Bonus Job Search Networking Tip: If you’re looking for a new job, consider a third networking option – other job seekers. If you know of friends or colleagues who are job hunting like you are, you can get together and form a small support group. You’ll stay better focused, and it helps to know others understand what you’re going through because a job search has its ups and downs. And if you’re unemployed, you might miss being around co-workers in the workplace and will appreciate the social contact. Most importantly, you’ll have additional eyes out there watching for job leads and information.
What is your reason?
Your reason for wanting to network might be to get information from people or get introductions to others. Maybe it’s to get help solving something or so you can ask for a job or sell something to someone. These are the usual reasons, but they shouldn’t be your first reason. Your number one reason should be to make friends. Why? Because a relationship is like a bank account. You can’t take anything out unless you put something in.
So, you want to make building mutually beneficial relationships THE number one reason for why you’re networking. Once you’ve made friends, then you can network with them. Go in with the idea that first you’re going to make friends, and secondarily you’ll occasionally exchange crucial information that could lead to something useful.
Additionally, you may want to consider what motivates you. Maybe you’re naturally drawn to the idea of making social connections, so making friends is all it takes to motivate you to get out there and network. However, if your personality leans more toward introversion, you might be cautious about spending your social energy with people you don’t know very well. For you, it would be wise to identify a different internal motivation. For example, if you love to learn, attending an event in which you can both network and learn something new could be what it takes to motivate you to show up and enjoy yourself. (For more on this plus a few extra tips, check out the article, Networking With Ease: Tips for Introverts AND Extroverts.)
How do you network?
Be Generous & Give Value – In her book, The Secrets of Savvy Networking, Susan RoAne explains that good networkers are visionaries and “do things for people for no apparent reason or immediate return.” Of course, that’s good all-around advice for being a good person, but it’s of paramount importance in networking.
Since networking is a reciprocal process, you need to figure out what you can give back when you decide that it’s time to ask for something. Can’t think of what you have of value? Well, if you’re meeting someone for the first time, a simple way to “give value” is to offer to keep your eyes open for resources they need. You could say something like this: “I’ve been networking and meeting all kinds of great people. If there is a resource or someone you would like me to refer, please don’t hesitate to let me know.”
Follow Up – After you’ve met someone you’d like to keep in touch with as part of your network, it’s a good idea to follow up. What do you do if they don’t respond? Marny Lifshen, co-author of Some Assembly Required: A Networking Guide for Women gives the following advice: “There are a variety of reasons that people will not return your call. Be persistent and keep trying to reach them but do not do so at 24-hour intervals. Two or three days is just about the right amount of time. After three unreturned calls, wait two weeks and try again. If you still get no response, you may need to accept that the person is not interested in talking to you.”
If, however, people do spend time talking with you, sharing information, or giving any sort of helping hand, it’s good networking etiquette to check back in with them from time to time with an update. Did they give you a suggestion, some information, or an introduction that led somewhere? Be sure to let them know, and, of course, be sure to thank them.
Bonus Job Search Networking Tip: Adopt a career networking perspective that goes well beyond your job search. If you’ve really enjoyed talking with the people you’ve interviewed with, add them to your networking plan/list – whether you continued in the hiring process afterward or not. At minimum, you can follow up by inviting them to connect with you on LinkedIn.
Make a Plan (optional) – For some people networking comes naturally, and they just dive in and do it. For others, getting started is out of their comfort zone. Either way, maybe you’ll find it easier to get started by making a plan? If so, then here’s one way you might get organized: Take your list of network contacts and rank them according to their importance to your objectives. Then break the list up into weekly cycles. For example, you could set a goal to connect with 25 people this week (5 per day), 25 next week, etc. Then cycle around to them again later once you’ve gotten through the list of contacts you deem most valuable.
You might also find it helpful to have an introduction statement (aka elevator pitch) that you can use when you meet new people. For an excellent 3-step process with examples and tips on how to craft your introduction statement, check out What is an elevator pitch and why do I need one? from Princeton University’s Center for Career Development.