How to Build a Professional Network
Highlights
Learning how to build a professional network is a necessary skill in today’s job climate.
Use your network to find a role via LinkedIn, in-person industry events, professional organizations, volunteering, and making direct contact.
Don’t underestimate the importance of following up with new contacts.
Pay it forward!
Some of the most lucrative doors you’ll ever walk through are ones that others have opened for you. If you’re considering a new career or are just ready to land your next role, learning how to build a professional network should be at the top of your skills development checklist.
The benefits of a strong network can’t be overstated, especially when you’re on the hunt for a new role. Given that many job openings are never formally posted, more job seekers are finding greater success in talking to friends, colleagues, and acquaintances to land their next opportunity.
Let’s explore some steps you can start taking today to build a professional network and find work as a consultant.
Improve Your LinkedIn Profile
Most job hunting happens online today. Gone are the days of visiting an office in person and submitting a paper application, so your online presence serves as your first impression when you’re looking for new job opportunities.
An impressive and engaging LinkedIn profile is a great first step to boosting your online presence. LinkedIn is not only a tool to connect with your current and past employers, coworkers and other professionals but one where job seekers and recruiters both utilize this growing network for job opportunities.
LinkedIn has many ways to connect with others. Here’s a checklist for creating a LinkedIn profile worthy of a top-notch job seeker.
Follow companies you are interested in working for. Use LinkedIn’s tools to boost your profile’s visibility to recruiters and potential employers around the world.
Include a professional profile photo. Choose one that highlights your great personality.
Set your profile to “Open to Work.” You want recruiting teams and employers to see that you are interested in hearing about new opportunities.
Use your profile summary as a cover letter. The summary is the second-most visible part of your profile, so use it to talk about yourself, your career goals, and the types of roles in which you are interested.
List your previous employment on your profile. Include all of your professional skills. Recruiters are able to search LinkedIn for specific skills their clients are looking for in a candidate. For pro tips on using keywords to help your profile get visibility, see <link to Resume article>
Connect with people you know personally and professionally. Follow hashtags relevant to your interests and career goals and engage with those connections by liking/commenting/resharing their posts. Networking and referrals are some of your best options for getting your resume in front of the people hiring for your dream job.
Regularly post professionally on your profile using up to 3 relevant hashtags. (Examples include #jobsearch, #careergoals, #programmanager). LinkedIn can serve as a live professional portfolio where employers can view your talented work. The more active you are within the site, the likelier it is that employers will see your potential.
In addition to LinkedIn, you can use other social media platforms to let people know that you are looking for your next position and would appreciate referrals.
Attend Industry Events
Virtual networking events or job fairs continue to be popular, especially for remote roles. Attend industry-related virtual events where you’re likely to make contacts with both hiring managers and people who are currently working in your professional area.
While most job hunts happen online, it’s important not to neglect the physical world when networking. In-person Meetups, industry trade shows and professional conferences are making a comeback across the globe that can provide face-to-face time with prospective employers.
Tangentially related, attending seminars, workshops or lectures doesn’t have to cost a lot of money and is another great place to meet like minded professionals while continuing your education. Some product companies offer free summits and expos and offer networking during the event. Finally, many industry and professional organizations put out a call for speakers for their events. Even some Meetups need speakers. Once you’ve found organizations that align with your career goals, look for opportunities to share your expertise. This helps you build your brand as an expert in your area.
Join Professional Organizations
Joining professional organizations can give you more insight into job roles and industries in which you want to work so you can develop the right skills and tailor your resume in ways that resonate with employers.
These organizations put you in the company of other professionals that may coach, mentor and help introduce you to hiring managers or recruiters. You may also gain access to exclusive resources that can help you find opportunities, like private job boards. With these resources and the right contacts, you’ll be in a better position to know early about and apply for roles that might not be on other job seekers’ radars. I found a great list of organizations for women and diverse candidates here. Check it out.
Volunteer to Expand Your Network
Growing your network means making it a point to meet new people. You never know who in your network will lead you to your next opportunity, so just focus on making connections and seeing what comes from them.
Volunteering for special teams, projects, or committees will let you interact with people you might not have otherwise met or worked with. These might be associated with non-profits, a school, or business minded civic organizations, like Rotary. The people you meet will learn more about your skills and work ethic and feel more confident in recommending you to others if the opportunity arises.
Reach Out to People You Admire
If there’s a dream company you want to work for or a leader who inspires you, there’s no harm in reaching out directly and asking for advice. In fact, doing so might put you at an advantage — you’re already familiar with the person or company and can show how your skills could be valuable to them.
There’s also the fact that you’re not scrambling to find a recruiter’s name or stressing over how to address your icebreaker email. You already know who you’re talking to and can tailor your message accordingly, helping you to stand out in the inbox.
Requesting informational interviews is one way to reach out to people who currently hold a role you’re interested in. These informal meetings, whether in-person or virtual, are with people who can offer career path advice and help you learn about a company or industry. There are lots of great informational interview questions online.
How to Build a Professional Network: Next Steps
Knowing how to build a professional network is the first step; maintaining your connections is a must-do second step. Connections can “expire” if you’re not actively engaging with your contacts. They might forget about you — remember, they’re probably meeting lots of new people too — or they might think you’ve lost interest in them.
Once you make a new connection, it’s best practice to follow up with them regularly. This helps build a relationship. If you demonstrate that you value the connection and are open to learning, collaborating or helping them, you are more likely to be top of mind should opportunities arise. Reaching out to connections with useful articles or information or introducing other contacts can also help you keep your new connections alive.
A note about paying it forward - rare is the person who lands a new role without the help and support of others. Once you have successfully landed a new job and signed your offer letter, be willing to assist others who are still looking. Pass along the lessons you have learned during your job search and connect others to people in your network. You will utilize your professional network again and again in the future and it is not only strategic but worthwhile to maintain it after you’ve built it. Remember, we are all in this together!
Whether you’ve been laid off or are ready for a change, a career in consulting canput your best skills to use, even without a large professional network. See our open consulting jobs and take the next step in your career. We can’t wait to hear from you!
