The 7 Golden Rules of Networking
Networking can be intimidating, but if you’re prepared, the process can be enjoyable and allow you to grow out of your comfort zone.
So, how do you network? What does networking entail? Where do you start? We’ve got some answers. With these five tips, you’ll be a networking pro in no time.
Perfect Your Elevator Pitch
A strong elevator pitch is key to getting in connection with individuals who can help you make the right decision for your career. With an elevator pitch, you are essentially proving to a potential employer why YOU would be of value to them. Your elevator pitch should be the length of an elevator ride with your dream employer, which should be no longer than 30-60 seconds. It should be a persuasive summary of who you are, what you do, and share your qualifications, skills, and passions.
The more you practice your elevator pitch, the more confident you’ll become in talking about yourself. Practice your pitch by recording yourself on video or audio, and playing it back. Pretend your friend, siblings, or even parents are a potential employer — ask them for feedback and see where you can clean up the rough edges.
Also make sure to refine your elevator pitch over time. It’ll change depending on who you’re with. Knowing how to adjust your pitch according to your environment and the people you’re talking to is a key skill in building professional relationships.
Know Your Audience
There’s a difference between having a casual coffee chat over Zoom and discussing a potential job opportunity with an executive at a company. Knowing how to adjust in these different situations will make you more appealing to potential employers.
If you’re having a casual chat, you can get to know each other on a personal level as well - talk about things you may have in common, or how your personal experiences have led you to the point you’re at now.
If you are entering a formal networking event, stick to the protocols of professionalism, follow their lead and keep the conversation to the point of career goals and opportunities.
Connect with People in Your Circle
We don’t always think of asking friends or family members for career advice, but they’re a great starting point. More often than not, people in your circle have a connection who will be willing to help you, but you have to ask first.
I also suggest tapping into your school alumni associations, or even academic counselors while you are still in school. Alumni associations and academic advisors often have connections in your field of interest, including recruiters that companies hire to scout out potential employees. Alumni groups and advisors have your best interest at heart, and if you’ve built relationships with them, they’ll know your strengths, weaknesses and your goals on a personal level.
By connecting with those around you, you can ease into networking and become top of mind for them as someone who is eager to pursue their professional dreams.
Failing to Prepare is Preparing to Fail
If you’re attending a career fair or networking event, do your homework beforehand. Make note of who will be at the event, and do your research on the companies or individuals you want to talk to. Look over their LinkedIn pages, company pages, and any publications they have been featured in. When you approach them, mention something you read or learned about the company or individual, but make sure it fits within the conversation.
Researching potential employers and companies shows people you’re networking with that you care. By preparing ahead of time, you’re showing a potential employer how well you’re willing to go to be a part of their team. Do your best to represent yourself properly, and don’t be afraid to talk yourself up.
Ask questions
Never, ever enter any networking opportunity without questions. The person you’re talking to will always ask you if you have questions. If you say no, you may come off a little uninterested. Show interest in them by asking follow up questions based on the conversation. Better yet, come to the networking event with a few questions prepared. Ask them open-ended questions to keep the conversation interesting, and flowing. Give your input, but allow them to speak as much as they would like.
Have a clear “ask” in mind
Explicitly say why you’re reaching out to this person, where you’re at in your career and why you think they would be of help to you. If you’re inviting someone you admire for a coffee chat, detail what you want to discuss with them in the initial email. Be clear about if you’re asking their advice about the field you’re interested in if you would like them to connect you to someone else or if you’d like them to review your portfolio.
If you’re attending a large networking event, perfect your elevator pitch and come to the event with clear questions for each company you’ll be pitching yourself to. It’s important to stand out at events because recruiters see hundreds of potential employees.
Prove to them that you’ve done your homework, and that you know what you’re talking about. Ask questions specific to each company, and leave with a new connection or a possible lead. Give them your resume or business card and end on a positive note with a goal of connecting again to move the process forward. You should leave the networking opportunity with something that you didn’t have before — whether it be a connection, career opportunity, lead or a step in the right direction towards reaching your professional goals.
Follow up
Never ever forget to thank and follow up with the people you network with. From personal experience, I can honestly tell you that it helps you stand out. Every time I’ve sent a thank you note or email, the recipient is pleasantly surprised.
Don’t delay these thank you’s. Remember names, and convey how the person you connected with helped you move forward with the process. If you had a coffee chat, email them later that same day thanking them while mentioning your favorite topic you discussed. Reflect on your time with this individual to show your appreciation of their time and advice. If you met a potential employer at a networking event, mention that you spoke with them today about a potential job opportunity.
An old fashioned “thank you” never goes out of style.
The more you push yourself to network, the easier it becomes. You’ll perfect your elevator pitch, and it’ll become second to nature. You’ll find yourself naturally wanting to network, and it won’t even feel like networking anymore.
My last piece of advice is to not only contact people when you are desperately looking for a job. This comes off quite transactional and ingenuine. Continue to keep in contact with people throughout your career journey, in the beginning of the job search process, and even after you’ve acquired your dream position. You never know what can happen, as we’ve seen this last year. Be yourself, trust your gut and don’t be shy in asking for guidance.
Photo by August de Richelieu from Pexels
