Fine tune your networking skills with these 5 easy tips

Posted on Wednesday, October 26th, 2016

2000px-hello_my_name_is_sticker-svgNetworking is building relationships to develop professional and social contacts. Through networking, you have the ability to; find unadvertised jobs, seek advice and information, or find a mentor. Most organizations value students who put an effort to build their professional network.

But there are a lot of questions related to networking, some of which include:

  • How do I find networking events?
  • What do you do when you get there?
  • What are some conversation starters?
  • Do I use social media for networking?

It is important to know that other people network for the same reason as you; they want something out of it. You have to consider their perspective while networking by contributing equally. For example, a college graduate networks to find a job while an industry professional may network to find a potential employee. Here are a few tips for networking success:

  1. Be organized

The first step in building a network is re-connecting with your pre-existing contacts. Start by listing your family, friends, neighbors, professors, colleagues, coworkers, or anyone else you feel can help you in building your professional network. The next step would be reaching out to these contacts through emails, social websites, text messages; it depends on the contact and your relationship with them. Remember, it is important to take advantage of every opportunity, you don’t know who might be able to help you in building an extensive network.

  1. Be active on social media

Socialize using social media platforms

LinkedIn and Twitter are great tools for job search success. If you are not on these social platforms, then start using them. Check out our previous blog posts on LinkedIn (hyperlink) and social media etiquette (hyperlink) for tips on how to get started. If you have existing accounts on these social networks, try to make them look more professional. Start by:

  • Adding a professional photo.
  • Complete your profile including summary, work experience and skills
  • Request and add contacts
  • Follow industry pages, news sites, large companies and bloggers
  • Join groups including alumni, industry groups, companies, and organizations
  • Make contacts with organizations

Being able to utilize social media for networking is a valuable tool. 70% of jobs aren’t even posted anywhere, and are instead filled through networking, and 80% of jobs overall are filled through networking.

Create content for your social networks

It is crucial to share and write posts related to your industry so that is proves that you are willing to contribute to the industry by creating valuable content. If you feel that writing is not your forte, then you could start publishing industry-related YouTube videos or podcasts. Here are a few tips to create content for social media:

  • Write about industry-specific good news which you have read or learned recently. Positive news will have a positive impact on your social networks, and your prospective employers will see you in a positive light.
  • Keep your language and tone simple, use subheads, breakup points, use a pyramid structure so that your readers can easily understand and process it.
  • Write your personal stories related to the industry. It will make you seem more knowledgeable within your industry.

  1. Attend networking events

Start attending networking events within your areas of interest or prospective industry. You can professional events on sites like Meetup, join groups on LinkedIn whose members are other industry professionals, or even ask your professors. Try to attend at least one event every couple of weeks and meet new people. Prepare a checklist before going to events and talking to professionals and research who will be attending.

  • Preparing a few ice breakers to start a conversation (like local or international news)
  • You can also use some classic conversation starters like “Hi, I don’t know too many people here, so I wanted to introduce myself. I’m [name] and I work or study at [company].”
  • Discuss opportunities for internships with professionals and organizations
  • Follow up on email with these professionals after the meeting or conversation
  1. Invest in business cards

Printed business cards make you stand apart when meeting prospective employers. Not only will your employer have your contact information in their pocket, it will create a professional impression of you. You can order and design your own business card at the Algonquin College Print Shop.


Comments

Comments are closed.