Cultivating Healthy Networking

Networking can complement any career search. Executive recruiters like me are routinely networking with peers and colleagues to get referrals for a spot-on candidate. Candidates looking for the next right job can reach out to their peers and colleagues for possible new job opportunities.

According to a LinkedIn** survey, Networking can open the doors to new business and career opportunities:

• 80% of professionals consider professional networking to be important to career success. 
  
• 35% of surveyed professionals say that a casual conversation on LinkedIn Messaging has led to a new opportunity.
  
• 61% of professionals agree that regular online interaction with their professional network can lead the way into possible job opportunities.
  

Networking, while valuable, can feel awkward. More than one-third of people struggle with knowing what to say when connecting or reconnecting. Here are a few tips to help you get started:

Start Small. Think about the work professionals, friends and family that you feel close to. This small circle can extend to friends you’ve made volunteering and/or at a house of worship/spirituality. You can take a small step by reaching out to the people you’re close to.

Expand The Circle. Within your small circle of trusted friends/advisors, ask them for a new contact — one that can help you in your job search. For instance: if your dream job is to work in marketing at XYZ Company, and you know that your friend has a friend currently working at XYZ Company, you can ask for an introduction. 

Engage in Learning. As you start networking conversations with a new contact, look to learn. Learn about them, their work. Ask: tell me more: why do you love working at XYZ Company? What challenges do you see? Focus the discussion on learning as much as you can, and being genuinely interested in actively listening to what you can learn about your new contact. 

The Ask: It’s Okay To Ask. It’s okay to ask a new contact about whether they know about new opportunities at XYZ Company. It’s okay to ask who to send your resume to, and whether it’s okay to use their name. Whatever you ask, remember that it’s on you, not them, to take the ball and run with it. Be careful, use discernment, and don’t ask for too much. For instance, asking your new contact to “have agency” and do the heavy lifting by setting up an interview for you, and/or to make that call to HR can be too high of an ask. Keep the work on getting the interview in your lane, not theirs.

Cultivate New and Older/Established Relationships. Once you establish a new networking relationship, continue to build and cultivate it. Imagine the new relationship is like a garden. What elements can you pour into a garden that needs to keep growing? You can care for and keep a garden healthy by amending the soil, watering it (but not too much!), and pulling out the weeds. Extending this metaphor — you can cultivate a new contact by “amending the soil” and watering the relationship. Think through what you can share with the contact to help them out, that would be meaningful? A new job? Competitor news? Keep the focus on them, not you. And don’t overwhelm the new contact with too much outreach — those can become like weeds in their inbox.

Wishing you a blooming, weed-free garden of happy and healthy Networking!

**SOURCE: LinkedIn Corporate Communications, “Eighty-percent of professionals consider networking important to career success: (Jun 22, 2017)