If there is one skill that you need to learn in order to open doors to new opportunities and get ahead in your career, it’s networking.
Networking done right not only potentially creates lifelong friendships but also helps you tremendously when you’re looking to level up in life. By learning to network, you’re not only making yourself known, but you’re also investing in yourself. In fact, with proper networking, you’d be surprised how often new potential customers will reach out to you because someone mentioned your name in a conversation!
However, networking isn’t something that can be learned in a day. It takes a lot of patience, time, and practice. The good thing is, it’s not really that hard once you get into the rhythm of things. Most people agree that the hardest part is the start when you have to reach out to people. If you’re someone who has trouble networking, fret not—here’s a beginner’s guide on how to network properly and effectively in just 4 easy steps.
1. Expand Your Career Network by Talking to Friends and Family
One of the best ways to expand your network is through friends and family. When you’re chatting or catching up with each other, you’re bound to ask each other how life is going. This is when you can start telling them about your new career, what you’re learning right now, what you’re doing in general, etc.
By keeping your friends and family updated on your professional life, they’ll more than likely recommend your services to their friends and family when the conversation comes up. In fact, you’d be surprised at how often people will reach out to you because of recommendations.
So always remember to keep those around you up to date on what you’re up to in life, and don’t forget to remind them to recommend your services to anyone who needs them!
2. Use Social Media as a Powerful Tool for Professional Networking
Social media is another excellent way to start networking with new people.
- You can connect with people from around the world who are relevant to your career.
- You can go on anytime and anywhere, as long as you have an internet connection and a social media account.
- You can engage with industry leaders through social media by following, commenting, and sharing their content.
Your best option is on LinkedIn, as this platform is specifically designed for professionals to network with each other. With a quick search, you can find and message talented and friendly individuals in your field. Send them a quick friend request and say “hi,” you’ll never know where the conversation might lead you.
Aside from LinkedIn, Indeed and Glassdoor are also great networking options.
Make sure you’re promoting yourself and your services on the platform by posting content relevant to your work. This will help you gain exposure and increase your credibility while giving you a higher chance of relevant people reaching out.
Related: 10 Tips for The Ultimate Linkedin Profile
3. Build Professional Connections by Making Networking Friendly
When it comes to networking, you should be professional but not to the point where it feels like a job interview. Instead, it should feel more like a professional friendship. That means you shouldn’t go around asking people to hire you. Instead, have a professional but friendly talk as you would with a colleague. Your conversations could be about things such as work-related topics and sharing insight.
It’s good to remember that the other party is thinking the same thing: they want to create a long lasting relationship where you can help each other out by recommending the right people to each other.
With this mindset, networking becomes more of a relationship-building skill that benefits everyone. When the time is right, you can recommend customers to the people you’ve networked with and vice versa.
4. Why Staying in Touch is Key to Building Long-Lasting Professional Relationships
Building a strong network is one thing, but maintaining it is just as important. Staying in touch with your connections keeps you top of mind and shows that you value the relationship.
Don’t hesitate to send a quick message from time to time—check in, share an interesting article, or congratulate them on a recent success. These small gestures go a long way in keeping the relationship warm and open for future opportunities.
Additionally, be genuine and thoughtful in your messages. People appreciate authenticity, and taking a moment to show you care about what’s going on in their lives can make a big difference. Networking is as much about supporting others as it is about gaining support.
If you’ve worked with someone in the past, send a quick note every now and then to catch up and let them know what you’re up to. You never know… that simple gesture could be the reason your name comes up next time an opportunity arises.
Learning how to network means learning how to open new doors of opportunity for your career. It’s an easy skill to learn, but difficult to master. However, given enough time, it’ll become second nature to you.
It might be nerve-wracking in the beginning, but once you’ve gotten the hang of it, you’ll realize that it’s really not that hard, and it’s incredibly worth it.
If you want to learn more valuable skills and indispensable knowledge, check out our range of certifications and diplomas at Academy of Learning Career College!