Professional Networking

Networking can be a mysterious and sometimes off-putting task for people. And it can be essential for your professional success. Here we'll walk through a step-by-step strategy to grow your professional network in a new field. Hopefully the clarity of step-by-step instructions will help you feel more comfortable and capable with the process. These steps assume the context of initiating and building a network with the intent that your contacts can help you land your first job, and subsequent jobs, in a new field. Of course the basic steps can be adapted to serve other needs. It should be noted, that entrance into some fields doesn't require much if any networking. Paths through military service, or trade internships, for example, can put you on networking-free path to a new career. Similarly, many programs of study help make connections into your first job, with minimal or no networking required. That said, even in those fields, you will likely find that building a professional network is advantageous, even if not essential for landing your first job.

Before we jump in to methodology, there are two important points to have in mind. First, building and utilizing your network is a long-term project. Depending on where you're starting, plan to begin no less than 6 months before you intend to apply for jobs (or otherwise leverage the relationships you're making). Second, lots of people want to help you succeed. Most people love the opportunity to help someone out, especially by doing something as easy as sharing their experience and insights. Alright, now let's get started.

Find your first professional contacts. Once you know some people in the field that you’re hoping to join, expanding your network isn’t too difficult. But if you're not yet in the field, getting those first few contacts can be challenging. You have a few options:

1. Ask people you know for introductions - Even if your current network seems pretty far away from the people you're hoping to meet, often they can help get you closer to the right people. Let people know the kind of person you’re hoping to meet. This doesn’t need to be too specific. It might take you a few steps of working through introductions to get connected with someone in the right position. A good place to start is just by asking your friends and family who they could introduce you to. Another option is to post it on social media (Facebook, Twitter, NextDoor, etc.) and see what comes back. Something like: “I’m interested in / working on starting a career change to become an accountant (or nurse, web designer, plumber, etc.) and would love to get to meet someone working in the field to learn more about it. Who knows someone you could connect me with?” If you’re in some kind of program of study to get into a field, your school will likely have ways to help you meet professionals too. Fortunately, assuming you’ve followed the advice to select a field that employs a lot of people for your new career, many people will know somebody who they can introduce you to.

2. If necessary, meet some new people, then ask them for introductions - Depending on your circumstances, it may be useful to work on meeting new people who you can later ask for help with introductions. For example, if you've recently moved to a new city where you hope to work, your friends and family back home may not be able to help (although you never know. It's still worth asking!). In this case, consider how you can meet people who might eventually be willing to introduce you to their network. Of course best case would be if you can meet people who are already in or near the field you're hoping to enter, but that's not necessary to begin. First priority is simply to engage with people who you might eventually ask, casually, for a little help. The trick to making your first new acquaintances is to go to places and events where: a) people have a reason to talk with each other, and b) you're likely to see the same people over and over again. Look for meetup groups that seem interesting and well attended. Take a class. Join a club, community group or religious organization. Volunteer. If you'll be working a low barrier job to get you by for a while, choose one that might let you meet people. For example, a barista or bar tender will meet coworkers as well as regular customers. In any case, if you don't have friends and family around you, let your new acquaintances know that. Often they'll be more likely to engage with you and invite you into their circles. Once you have at least a little familiarity and report, let them know you're hoping to learn more about your chosen field (not that you're looking for a job, which comes off differently). Circle back to number 1 above, and open the opportunity for them to volunteer any introductions they could make.

3. Cold call - If getting an introduction through someone you know doesn’t work out, cold calling is another option, although you should expect it to be challenging. Generally people are more inclined to help someone they know, even superficially, rather than a total stranger. People working in professions that serve the general public are pretty easy to find because they often have public facing information, like on a website. If you need to find people working for larger companies or organizations, searching through LinkedIn can be useful. In some cases it might be useful to work through professional organizations, unions, meetups or other places people in the field congregate. Without an introduction it can be hard to get someone’s attention. So plan on trying to connect with several different people before you get a response. Be humble and keep the request simple: “I’m really interested in / studying to get into the field of ______. I don’t know anyone in the field yet and was hoping to find someone who could give me 15 minutes of their time to answer a few questions and help point me in the right direction.” Another approach is to work through an organization's HR / Recruiting people. They are often more accessible to the public than other professionals might be. Depending on the circumstances, a recruiter might be a good first contact, or they might be able to put you in touch with someone they work with who is closer to the work you're hoping to do eventually. Cold calling can be difficult, but is a workable option if you’ve come up dry looking for introductions.

Develop and extend your network - So you’ve found a couple people in or near your target field who are willing to have a conversation with you. The next objective is to develop those relationships and use them for introductions to create new ones. Here are the steps for each new contact you make who is in or near your chosen field:

1. Ask to set up an in-person meeting (if possible) - In person meetings are best for building a relationship, but settle for a phone or video call if that’s the best you can do. The stated purpose of the meeting is simply to ask for their perspective so you can learn from them about working in their field.

2. Show off your soft skills when you meet - Be deliberate about what impression you want to give them about the type of person you are. Go back to your top soft skills and plan how you can demonstrate them. At minimum be humble and appreciative, and acknowledge the value of the time and perspective they’re sharing with you. If it feels appropriate, try to get to know them personally at least a little bit. Creating even the start of a personal connection will help increase the value of the relationship.

3. Ask for something small they can help you with - Plan ahead how they can help you in some small but meaningful way. For example, plan some questions to ask about the field, their work history, current role, etc. so that they can share their perspective and guidance with you. Maybe ask what advice they have for someone just starting out. You want to have a conversation, not a Q&A interview, but having some questions ready shows that you're prepared and interested in what you can learn from them. Remember that people generally feel good when they get to help someone else (especially someone who is appreciative). It’ll help make sure they feel like their time with you was well spent, and it will begin to get them invested in your success.

4. Note some things you can follow up about - It’s probably useful to take some general notes about things you talked about so that it’s easy to pick up the conversation again later. Specifically, make sure you keep track of at least a few things that you talked about that you can follow up with them on later. Maybe they gave you a bit of advice about something coming up, or pointed you toward a resource of some kind. Keep track so that you can refer back to these items to reconnect with them again later. You want to plan ahead to have a natural-feeling way to engage them again.

5. Ask for more introductions - One of the most important things to get out of your conversation is an introduction to another person in the field so that you can keep expanding your network of contacts. Avoid asking for an introduction in a way that might seem like you’re indiscriminately trying to make connections, or that the conversation you’re having with your current contact isn’t good enough somehow. One good way to make this happen is to include some questions in the conversation that inquire about different perspectives. Maybe, for example, you ask about the differences between the major employers in the field and then ask your contact if they know anyone who works for one of the other employers who could tell you more about working there. Or maybe they know someone with a different specialization that could be interesting for you to meet. If you’re able to (gracefully) get introductions to at least two people from each contact you make, your network will grow exponentially. Getting introductions from your existing contacts is key, but if it is going to feel forced or uncomfortable to ask while you're talking, a second-best option is to circle back to ask later.

6. Send a thank you - Remember, they’ll feel good and more invested in your success if they feel appreciated. No need to go over the top, but a sincere acknowledgement if their help is a good idea. You can also use the thank you note for anything that might need immediate follow up. For example, if they told you they’d introduce you to someone, or provide you with some other information that hasn’t yet happened, including a note about it with your thanks (“I’ll look forward to hearing from you about…”) is a gentle way to make sure it doesn’t get dropped.

7. Follow up again later - It’ll likely be some number of months between when you first met your new contact and when you’ll be letting them know that you’re looking for a job. You want to maintain and develop the relationship over that time. One good way to do this is to keep them updated periodically. Maybe you connect back about something you talked about (“I wanted to let you know your advice about ____ really came in handy…”) or let them know you’ve met with someone they’ve introduced you to (“Thanks again for putting me in touch with _____. We had a great conversation about…) Depending on how you’re feeling about your relationship, you can also follow up with more questions they might be able to help you with or to see if there’s anyone else they might introduce you to. In general these follow ups should be short and have a positive tone. You want your contact to take the time to read them and to feel good when they do.

8. Repeat with the new contacts you made - Repeat these steps with each new contact you get introduced to. Some relationships will work better than others, but each contact you make is an opportunity to strengthen your network.

Making use of your relationships - It's best if you've been cultivating these relationships for a little while before you start your job hunt. As you get closer to actually being ready to look for work, you can begin taking advantage of the professional connections you’ve developed. Here are some ways how:

1. Let them know you’re looking for a job - Reach out to the people in your network to let them know you’re about to start looking for a job. Give them some idea about what you’re looking for. Maybe ask if they have any advice about how best to approach your job hunt. Also invite them to pass your name along if they know anyone who might be hiring. In some fields it makes sense to give them an electronic copy of your resume to share. Some people get bashful when they start asking around about jobs. Remember that when someone is trying to hire a new employee, a good candidate is the solution to their problem. In some cases, your contacts can even get cash bonuses for recommending you for open positions in their company. Getting people into the right fit for a job is a win-win.

2. Ask for their help with something related to your search - In addition to getting help connecting with jobs, your contacts might be able to help in other ways too. For example, if they can give you insights about different companies, departments, hiring managers, etc. they might help you focus your job search. Even deciphering job listings can sometimes be made easier with the help of someone who knows the profession well. Similarly, they might be able to help you fine tune your resume to be more effective.

3. Get some pointers on preparing for interviews - How to prepare for interviews will vary depending on the context. Insiders can help you get a better idea what to expect and what kind of preparation you need in order to be successful.

4. Make sure they know if you apply for jobs in their company - Best case, when your contacts know you're looking for a job, they'll help shepherd your resume through the right channels. Even if not though, they might still put in a good word to a recruiter or hiring manager if they know you've applied. Sometimes this can be the difference between getting screened out early and having a shot at an interview.

Once you've made it into your first job in your new field, networking continues to be important, but tends to be a bit easier. Every colleague you work with has the potential to be a valuable contact down the road. Make sure you're showing yourself to be someone they'll want to help out or work with again in the future. And once you have a fairly robust network of people who know you and your work, don't be shy about asking for their help (and further introductions!) as you move through your career.