How To Network

Learning to network is crucial to getting a job and progressing in your career. However, networking tends to get a bad reputation. Networking is not about using people to get ahead, it is about building professional relationships. If strong relationships are built it can aid you in your career by offering industry and professional information, information about job openings, assistance with the job placement process, and other network contacts.

So how do you network? First, you need to meet people. The easiest way to meet people is to start off by talking to friends and family members and asking them if they know anyone in your industry. Another way to find contacts is through networking events, LinkedIn, and meeting people in your daily life.

Once you have contact information you should set up a phone call or meet them somewhere to talk. You will want to ask them questions about their job, industry, and experiences as this information can be helpful to you and people typically like to talk about themselves. The contact will typically ask about you. Make sure you are prepared to give a brief description of where you’ve been, what you’re doing, and what you want to do. It’s okay if you don’t know what you want to do especially if you tell them you are exploring different industries. If you have more questions or would like a different perspective you can ask them if they know anyone else who could give you more information on a specific topic. This is a great way to gain more network contacts.

After the initial contact it is important to follow up with them from time to time so they are thinking about you. One easy way is to add them on LinkedIn. If the first conversation went well then I would reach out again and ask them more questions you have about their job, industry, or experiences. Another way to maintain relationships is to email your contacts an update when something big happens such as you got an internship, a new job, or are going back to school. Once a relationship is built you can ask if they know of any job or internship opportunities but never directly ask for a job or internship. Directly asking for a job or internship is a good way to lose network contacts and ruin your reputation.

Networking doesn’t come natural to most people. But the key to building a great network is to be networking every day. Some of my best contacts are college friends as they know me very well from working long hours together on projects or homework. Other places I have met contacts are on a plane, networking events, LinkedIn, church, family, friends, work, through other network contacts, and cold calling/emailing. Remember you are building a relationship so treat them professionally.

Tips:

·         Keep track of all your network contacts. I like to use an Excel workbook with their name, email, phone number, job, and a few notes such as how I met them.

·         Take notes when you first talk to a new contact. These notes can remind you about the person and what you talked about the last time.