Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared on FlexJobs.com.
Building a professional network takes time and practice. Honing your networking skills will help you build a network that will support your career for years to come.
Not only is networking a key strategy to help you land your next job or change careers, but it is also a great practice to adopt throughout your career.
And while networking can feel overwhelming at times, leaning into your emotional intelligence to help build relationships with people is a key tool that will help you with your efforts.
Having the right strategy and tools in place will allow you to successfully attend networking events while executing a solid networking strategy that will grow your professional network and help you build meaningful connections and relationships along the way.
Types of Networking Events
Finding networking events takes some research. First, knowing what a networking event is will help you plan and research which type of event you want to attend.
Consider the following options if you’re asking yourself, “What is a networking event?”
- Business networking events: Events such as conferences or trade shows where you may be interacting with people who are connected to your business but not working in the same position as you
- Local networking events: Events happening near you where local professionals, business leaders, and community members connect and build relationships
- Professional networking events: Events with others in the same profession as you or with those who have similar professional affiliations
The goal of networking is to make introductions and build relationships. You want to make sure the events you choose will grow your network and get you in front of the right people.
For instance, if you’re networking as a freelancer, you’ll want to target networking events that will help you maintain steady job prospects — and income.
How to Find Networking Events
After determining the type of networking events available to you and which events you want to attend, you’ll want to figure out what specific events are out there.
1. Start Early
In reality, networking for job search success starts well before you’re looking for a job. Building relationships with your network is something that you should always be working on.
Reaching out to your network connections periodically will help keep you top of mind so that when you start your job search, your connections will be in a better position to assist you.
2. Talk to Friends and Family
Your friends and family have their own networks and may be able to help you brainstorm ideas. They may also be able to point you in the direction of local or professional networking events based on their own networks.
Leaning into your personal network can help you feel more comfortable with networking and may even lead to some ideas you hadn’t considered!
3. Look at Different Networking Sites
Platforms like Eventbrite and LinkedIn are great for finding professional networking events and making connections.
You can also check in with your alumni network. Your alumni group can direct you to various networking events and may offer networking advice and resources, such as advice on how to put together an elevator pitch.
Furthermore, explore local organizations. The best way to find local networking events is to search locally.
Meetup is one resource, and your local chamber of commerce is another organization that will have an updated calendar of local and business networking events you could attend.
How to Prepare for Networking Events
Preparation is key when it comes to networking events.
Not only will proper preparation help you understand who will be at the event, it will also give you confidence to start making connections and having important conversations.
1. Research Who Will Be There
No matter whether you’re attending a business networking event, a professional networking event, a virtual networking event, or a local networking event, understanding your audience is important.
Many networking events happen at least annually, so you may be able to research past events to find out who and how many people attended.
If not, think about the occasion for the event — what it is and how it fits into your plan for connecting with others.
2. Have an Objective
Writing down one or two objectives for the networking event will help you stay on track when the event starts. For many people, networking events can bring out nervousness, so having a clear idea of how many people you’d like to speak with is a good idea.
Your objective might be as simple as making three new connections.
3. Prepare Your Elevator Pitch
Going into any networking event, you want to have a brief statement prepared. An elevator pitch tells people who you are and the value you provide. A solid pitch is a key step to a lasting professional relationship.
4. Dress for Success
Whether you are networking in person or networking as a virtual worker and will be on camera, being intentional about your dress for networking events will help you get in the right mindset.
Some networking events have a specific dress code, but for those that don’t, think about what you can wear that is both comfortable and professional.
Casual clothes may be OK, but be careful about being too casual, as others may not take you seriously.
5. Think About Conversation Starters
Spending some time thinking about how to approach a networking conversation beforehand will help you be more confident in your interactions during the event.
Have in mind ahead of time some questions you could ask or a compliment you could share, which can go a long way toward making a lasting impression.
6. Listen and Ask Follow-Up Questions
Sometimes, listening more than you speak is better. Interacting with others to make sure people feel heard and that they are a part of a genuine conversation makes them feel good about themselves.
Active listening and asking engaging questions will also make your interaction with them more memorable.
7. Find a Mentor
Working alongside and having conversations with someone who is currently doing the work you want to do can provide you with key information about the roles you are looking for.
A career mentor may be able to help you identify any certifications that are required for the roles you’re after, as well as companies that may be hiring for the job you are interested in. They may also be able to share how they were able to get to the job they have.
Knowledge is power, and having someone in your network with the information you need to help you secure a new job is always beneficial.
8. Consider Bringing Business Cards
Having your name and contact information on a business card that you can share with the people you meet at networking events may seem obvious, but it can be overlooked.
Plan ahead, and bring more business cards than you think you’ll need to ensure you don’t run out.
How to Maintain Your New Network Connections
After networking events and conversations, it’s important to have a plan of action for follow-up in order to maintain your connections and build relationships.
When you follow up with your network, you’ll be more likely to remain top of mind and better equipped to build on the first conversation you had.
Here are some tips for success in maintaining your network connections.
1. Set Goals
Networking isn’t something that comes naturally to many people. As a result, it is an activity that often moves to the bottom of a to-do list. However, networking can lead to great job opportunities.
To ensure your commitment to networking, set daily and weekly goals. Write down a goal for how many people you’d like to reach out to each day or week, and block off time on your calendar to do the outreach.
With a goal and a plan, your networking efforts will be much more likely to produce results.
2. Establish a Follow-Up Plan
After you meet a new connection, set a specific date and time that you plan to follow up and add it to your calendar. The intentional act of adding an appointment to your calendar will help you prioritize following up.
While there is no hard rule on when to follow up after meeting someone, a good rule of thumb is within about one week.
Beyond your initial follow-up, adding additional time to reach out weeks later will remind you to continue to build on your new connection.
3. Be Genuine and Authentic
Any written or verbal communication should be true to who you are. People can see through fakeness and generally recognize insincere messaging.
To demonstrate your sincerity, maintain a positive and enthusiastic energy, and reach out to your network with confidence. After all, the hard part is over — you’ve already established a connection.
4. Keep Your Tone Professional and Friendly
Networking is a professional activity, and communication should be professionally appropriate. Being respectful and polite is the goal, but having a friendly tone is more than acceptable and will help strike a conversational balance.
5. Send an Email
Emailing your new connection is an easy way to follow up, and engaging your connections via email gives both of you the opportunity to write and respond when most convenient.
Keep your emails relatively brief. Thank your connections for their time, and mention that you are looking forward to keeping in touch to open the door for future conversations.
6. Offer Your Help and Support
Networking is a two-way relationship, and being willing to help someone else is always a good idea. During interactions with your network connections, ask open-ended questions, such as, “How can I help you?”
Asking this question will help you identify potential opportunities to help your new connection and avoid overusing your network connections.
Plus, showing your willingness to help your network ensures a reciprocal relationship — and that is when networking works best!
