The days of talking shop at happy-hour or connecting with industry leaders at business lunches may be on hold for now, but just because 5’o’clock somewhere happens to be your living room (Every. Single. Evening.) doesn’t mean you can’t still network from the comfort of your couch. Now, more than ever, networking is one of your greatest tools to maintain connections and make career moves. It may just look a little different right now.
With in-person meetings off the table, and far less opportunities to run into someone who you could add to your network, it’s important to work on maintaining the connections you’ve already made and build your own brand.
Stay in Touch
Social media like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter are always great resources to stay up to date on what people in your network are working on, how they are staying productive right now, or even how they are taking care of themselves mentally and physically during the pandemic. Staying in touch with people in your network doesn’t necessarily have to be for monetary gain, especially right now. Chances are that your network is feeling the same stress, uncertainty, and frustration that you’re feeling too. So, connect with them, check in, see if you can help them in any way.
If, for example, you know someone working in finance and come across an article that they might find interesting, send it their way. It not only shows them that you’re thinking of them but it is also a great way to maintain casual communication which could lead to something bigger in the future.
Additionally, take any opportunity you can to connect with new people. While meeting new people right now will most likely be done virtually, that doesn’t mean your connection with them is less valuable than if you had met in person. The larger your network is and the more active it is, really makes a difference between finding projects and waiting for projects to find you.
Build Your Brand
While networking revolves around meeting new people, it is also a personal process that allows you to build your personal brand and show it off to industry professionals. Because social media is the main way to network now, it is important to always maintain a professional profile across all platforms. You never know who may come across your profile.
Though updating your resume and profile on sites like LinkedIn is essential, another key factor in networking online is communicating with your network publicly. Like their posts, comment on interesting articles, write your own article and post it to LinkedIn. This is a great way to stay connected and show your support. It may even lead to more engaging conversations outside of the comments section.
Take a Step Back
If you’ve been networking for a while and finding the process to be frustrating and unhelpful, take a step back and evaluate why you are networking in the first place. What do you hope to gain from networking? How can you improve your skills? Ask yourself these questions and make sure you have clear answers so that you can hit the ground running. By having a specific goal in mind, you can approach networking in a more productive way and focus on making the right connections, not just making as many connections as possible.
One part of networking that is often overlooked is skills building. As you network, figure out what skills your connections have and work on building them yourself. You can learn skills by taking online courses, getting certifications, practicing, and reading articles. Do as much as you can to ensure you are well-rounded in your field and as you network, show off those skills.
How You Network Matters
While most of us are all stuck inside right now, juggling work and home life responsibilities, many people don’t have extra time to spare talking with you about their career. It’s important to be mindful of your network’s time and go about connecting with them keeping that in mind.
When you’re determining who to reach out to, whether that be a current connection or a new one, evaluate the best way to reach them. That could mean sending a quick email, messaging them on social, media, giving them a phone call, or even sending a letter. By catering the way you network to each specific person, you are more likely to make a good impression and receive valuable information.
Humans are social creatures and if this pandemic has shown us anything, it is that even the most introverted of us craves social connection in some form or another. More often than not, connections will be happy to talk with you but you can not wait for them to reach out first. So, don’t be afraid to make the first move.
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