Professional Networking
Network, they say...feels like everyone's opinion that networking fixes all your problems. And this is actually true in some cases, but in others, it makes your life more miserable. What is your first association with the word networking? I bet you are thinking about a job hunt right now. And honestly, you would not be wrong at all. A simple search online will show that most people start networking when they struggle to find a job. And the trick here is that people only network when they need a job, whereas the most productive approach is to network all the time. But I agree that it is only possible sometimes. You might have lost your job unexpectedly and had other priorities besides growing your professional network. You may be a newcomer to a country and/or move from another province/state or city. Regardless of your story, you still need to know how to network in the modern world.
Since we are talking about professional networking, we must ensure that your LinkedIn profile is up to par. There are a lot of resources online that can help with this. And then the most exciting and complicated part begins. With whom should you connect to land your next job?
The most obvious answer is to network with recruiters. Well, yes and no. First of all, reaching out to recruiters is a vast topic that definitely can be discussed separately. Secondly, working with recruiters is not really networking; it is just business relationships. They have a client who needs an employee, and on the opposite side of this spectrum, they have you, a potential candidate who might fit the required role. This is simple and straightforward, and you can and should treat every interaction with a recruiter like an interview. In most cases, it is better to keep it professional and keep your personal information and life private. As soon a recruiter finds you a job and gets his/him bonus, all interactions usually stop until you are on a job hunt next time.
And this is why I mentioned that this kind of networking differs from building good old, lasting professional relationships. Instead, you should seek mutually beneficial relationships for both of you, mentorship if you would like to think this way. However, the question remains, how to find and build these relationships? Well, for most people, the first and the most obvious choice would be the #1 professional social network – LinkedIn. Ok, now you have around 900mln people you could reach out to, so what is next?
First Steps
You need to start your search but clearly understanding what you are looking for. Professional development, recommendation letter or a straight-up job offer? Some things might sound selfish, but this is the reality nowadays; people rarely reach out to you on social media (including LinkedIn) just for chit-chat.
Professional networking is a straightforward category to cover since this is the one requiring the least effort from you. You can quickly join professional clubs and groups online without attending their meetups. There are thousands of groups on LinkedIn, meaning there is a good chance you will find something suitable. Also, suppose you have a professional license/certification (Peng, CET, PMP and so on). In that case, there are usually in-person and online chapters. And this is why I told you that minimum effort is required from your side; you are just one step away from being connected with your professional peers. You can keep getting new information, learning tricks and sharing helpful information at this stage. What if you want to take it to the next level and establish professional relationships with a certain individual?
Considering that you are already part of the same group/club makes it simple and straightforward. But hold on a second, what exactly do you need to tell that person in the first place and to come across like a creep or just a desperate human being? Again, it is pretty simple, and you can start by simply sending a message similar to this one:
Hi Jessica,
I'm impressed by how quickly you advanced from a Junior Engineer to a Project Manager at IBM over the past six years!
Are there one or two things you did that you feel contributed most to this success? I hope to follow this career path myself, so anything you can share would be a big help.
So you send a message to your potential mentor, and you wait. You wait a few hours, a few days and maybe weeks, but what is next? Congratulations, if you did not receive any response over that time, you need to move forward and look for luck in another place, i.e. with another person. Remember, it is always better to message a person who is active online, posts content, writes posts and shares some helpful information online. It also means that these people spend enough time on LinkedIn to see your message.
What's next?
And in most cases, the reason why an active person line did not return your message is that he/her is not interested in talking to you. This is that simple, and there is nothing wrong with it. Because, in this case, you know that you safely move on and reach out to another person. It is the same concept as in Research and Development – negative news or lack of news is still news, and you need to use it to your advantage.
Now, when you finally find someone who wants to talk to you, you might have a few options. If you reside in the same city, the best option would be to meet in person for a coffee chat. This is by far the best way to establish good (well, hopefully) relationships from the get-go. Although our lives moved into the digital realm (especially after the 2020 pandemic), the first in-person interaction still far outweighs other options. And after that, if you two still want to continue your interaction, it can be done online. But now, let's talk more about the actual coffee chat and the rules around them.
The best option is to setup it up at a place familiar to you. Since it is your first interaction and you initiate it, you will be more nervous than another person. Therefore, it is in your interest to reduce unnecessary stress by picking up a place you are familiar with. In this case, you don't worry about the commute there, parking arrangements and funky menu items. A quiet place like a restaurant or a coffee shop is usually the best option, even though some prefer bars. Regardless of the meeting place, please be punctual and polite.
What to talk about during a coffee chat? Well, about the things you wanted to discuss when you reached your peer in the first place. A small chit-chat about your past, current situation, and future goals. Remember to ask your meet about the same topics, since you are looking for his/her opinion as somebody whose opinion you respect and listen to. Remember to listen to your peer and even make some notes if required. Trust me, it won't look weird at all. And, of course, send a thank you email afterwards and comment on some further if you discussed them. And not the rest is to you, specifically on how to evolve these relationships. This part is similar to any other relationship in your life.
Most importantly, you should be genuine and be interested in another person. Don't try to use people for your benefit, for instance, for getting into a company or for referrals. At the end of the day, this negativity and selfishness will return to you one day and remember that it is a small world after all. Moreover, you don't know to what extent that person's network spreads and whom you will come across in future.