Networking: Embracing relationships & conversations within your professional journey

January 2024

If you were like me, when someone mentions Networking or suggests it as an activity to engage in, your initial response may not be positive or receptive. As an introvert, I always felt super uncomfortable at the thought of networking, much less actually doing it. Many clients of mine, especially those in job-seeking modes, have that same feeling. They may see networking as inauthentic, pushy, embarrassing, or intimidating. So they avoid or procrastinate doing it.

But networking is actually the activity we should be spending the MOST time on when in job search mode because in today’s market, it holds the greatest percentage of impact in landing a new opportunity. It’s not an option of whether or not you need to network; this is a critical part of the process. And while it’s a non-negotiable when looking for your next job, it’s also important to embrace networking as common practice within your professional journey at any stage. It helps with continuous learning and professional development, skill building, and growing a community of like-minded individuals who can support and inspire you.

One of the biggest hurdles regarding networking is our view and mindset towards it. This month’s newsletter focuses on a few things that helped me in that process. It doesn’t mean the discomfort won’t be there. But do it anyway. Get started. Tap into your resilience and keep at it. And notice what happens.

Here are some perspectives that helped to shift my own mindset about networking:

Networking is simply making Connections and having Conversations.

One of the reasons I used to respond negatively to the idea of networking is because I had this view that it required me to attend a bunch of events, strike up conversations with strangers, and talk a lot about myself. Each of those things terrified me. Yes, this model can be true of some networking. But there are so many other ways to network too, and they all count.

When I started to think of networking instead as a means to reconnect with people, connect with new contacts with whom I share something in common, and build stronger relationships with individuals whom I’ve admired, the activity didn’t feel so heavy. Having one common experience, skill, or interest was enough to engage in a conversation, even if it was to catch up on what I and the other person had been doing since we last spoke (which in some cases for me was 20+ years!). I didn’t even have to talk nearly as much about myself as I thought. Sure, it was important to put myself out there to share a bit of my story and what I was doing, but I could also ask a bunch of questions to learn more about the other person, and that model worked much better for me.

I also started to see that I didn’t need to limit conversations within my industry or profession to “give myself credit” for the networking. When I was in job-search mode, I made time to talk with recruiters, employees at target companies, and professional organizations. But I also talked with friends, family, neighbors, former colleagues, my alma mater, and people whom I came into contact with in the natural course of my day. Diversify this a bit to reach more types of people. When you open yourself up to sharing parts of your story with anyone, it can open up unexpected opportunities. It’s just a conversation.

Networking calls flow more easily when you let go of expectations.

Networking calls are about the relationship and not an outcome. When I first starting setting up these types of calls, they held the energy of expectations that I would leave the call with a job lead or something else that advanced me further on MY agenda. But that’s not the purpose of these calls. That can give the conversation a vibe of desperation and need. Instead, shift the intent of these calls to gathering insight, advice, and recommendations from the other person and look to cultivate genuine relationships. Be curious – And listen. Don’t be focused so much on an end goal – See where the conversation takes you.

Things like industry trends, companies to explore, career options that leverage your skills and experience, or suggestions of other professionals or groups to connect with might come up, but allow the conversation to progress naturally. I found myself opening up to sharing more of my journey, challenges, interests, and passions. I sought the knowledge, advice, and experiences of the other individual, without expectation, and things flowed so much better. I took the time to understand THEIR stories, interests, and goals. And I even started to enjoy connecting and reconnecting, in a way I didn’t expect.

Networking IS what opens up the most opportunities.

So many studies have been done on this, and while the percentages may differ a little, it’s accepted that networking holds the highest percentage of landing a new opportunity. Talking with people is always going to get you further in the process faster. People generally want to help other people, and they’ll let you know if they can help.

Once I embraced this, I starting making it a part of my regular practice. I gained better traction and more opportunities presented themselves. It might take some time, but it works.

The more you network, the easier it becomes.

Getting started can be one of the hardest parts. Emails and LinkedIn messages were easiest for me to use as the initial attempt to contact people, but the goal of the outreach is to schedule a call. You want to have the opportunity to chat. Know that you may not hear back from a good percentage of people right away. Stay at it and follow up. Try to connect 2-3 times. People get busy. They may have had every intention to respond but got caught up with other things.

If it helps, leverage AI tools like ChatGPT as a starting point on some of your outreach and follow up. Include a calendar link to sign up for times directly on your calendar (e.g. through Calendly or another free platform) to add convenience to scheduling. And keep a log to help you keep track of things. Organization and consistency are key.

Replace resisting networking with embracing it, and enjoy all the new information and possibilities it provides. If you need help getting started, let me know. I’m here and happy to have a conversation at any time.