Whether or not you’re searching for new job opportunities, you should still be networking and developing professional relationships in your field. Building connections is the very best way to advance an established career – even for talented people with an amazing track record of achievement.
If you’re searching for a job, networking is even more critical. Career experts report that a clear majority of job searchers find work through their personal networks. So how do you build a strong network and maintain those connections? We’ve put together a list of some of the most critical networking tips. Read on for suggestions that will help everyone – including job seekers, recruiters and professionals that are happy with their current position!
1) Carry business cards. This tip is a networking classic, but still incredibly important even in the digital age. You never know when you’ll meet someone that you’d like to follow up with to build a professional relationship. Update the classic business card with links to your online portfolio, email address and information to help a contact find you on Linkedin. You can also modernize your cards by including social media profile links – but only if your online profiles are polished and professional.
2) Always follow-up. Whether you’re reaching out to a new acquaintance, or circling back to an established colleague, be prompt and courteous about replying to emails, fulfilling requests and staying in touch. We all know we should be following up an interview with a “thank you,” but did you realize that many additional (informal) opportunities are lost simply because people fail to do what they said they would do after a conversation? Don’t forget to send those links to articles you discussed, give the help you’ve promised and write that letter of recommendation quickly to send it out on time. When you aren’t prompt, you send a negative message that you might not have intended. Failing to follow-up communicates a disinterest and lack of consideration, or you just come off as flakey and disorganized.
3) Become a “joiner.” You have to get out into the world – both online, and in person – to make an impression. Consider joining professional organizations, programming workshops and developer meet-ups. Even if you just go to listen, showing up a few times gets your face out there and might connect you with another person in your field. You can also join online coding communities, such as GitHub. You never know what type of possibilities will come out of these communities.
4) Don’t be afraid to develop a personal pitch. It’s totally normal (and even desirable) for people to come up with a 15 to 30-second long self-story that describes their best qualities and is useful for introductions during networking events. If you spend a little time thinking ahead about your strengths before you meet up with a professional group, attend a company party or at a larger group business meeting, you’ve got an edge at coming across as polished, confident and professional when you first meet people.
5) Develop a strategy. Maybe your current networking plan is to target just friends, family and alumni organizations. That’s fine to begin with, but you’ll likely find that you need to branch out. Start by setting goals for how many people you’ll call, how you’ll research connections to build a new network, and categorize how challenging it will be to forge the new connections (based on your research). Bonus tip: You can build a strategy just by scoping out the new graphing feature on Facebook to find friends of friends that might have connections in your professional field.
Finally, be sure your networking strategy includes Market Street Talent! We specialize in forging those connections between the right companies and the best candidates. Have a look at our job listings and send us your resume. We’re happy to hear from you!