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Where should I start connecting and networking with other people?
I have looked into careers and have heard the term "networking" being used but where should I really start? #networking
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10 answers
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Jeannette’s Answer
EVERYWHERE! I tell my teams to treat EVERY interaction with everyone you encounter as if it's a potential job interview. For example, one time I was babysitting for a family who was vacationing at the hotel I was working at. The father turned out to be the Sr Vice President of a company and offered me a job! I went from working in hotels to working in sales and was very successful in a career that I didn't even know I was interested in.
You never know where your next job will come from.... Always put your best foot forward!
You never know where your next job will come from.... Always put your best foot forward!
Updated
Fred’s Answer
It depends on where you are in your career. If you are a student, look at clubs at your school. And networking doesn't just mean meeting people in your field. Find groups that are interesting to you - sports, business, science, nature...anything.
Sometimes, there can be groups in the larger community. For example, I was a member of a Java Users Group for a while that met monthly to talk about programming topics. There are other professional organizations that might exist in your area.
Find a good website that is on-pointe for your interests. I am still an active member of www.coderanch.com, which has a bunch of forums on programming topics. Become an active participant there, and meet others with similar interests.
Finally, LinkedIn is a good place to network. Don't just spam everyone you see with connection requests...sign up, enter your interests, and watch your feed for a little while. If someone posts something interesting, comment on it. See who talks about things you care about, and follow them. Connect with your school or work peers. Make some posts yourself.
I'm sure there are other things you can do, but these are a good start.
Sometimes, there can be groups in the larger community. For example, I was a member of a Java Users Group for a while that met monthly to talk about programming topics. There are other professional organizations that might exist in your area.
Find a good website that is on-pointe for your interests. I am still an active member of www.coderanch.com, which has a bunch of forums on programming topics. Become an active participant there, and meet others with similar interests.
Finally, LinkedIn is a good place to network. Don't just spam everyone you see with connection requests...sign up, enter your interests, and watch your feed for a little while. If someone posts something interesting, comment on it. See who talks about things you care about, and follow them. Connect with your school or work peers. Make some posts yourself.
I'm sure there are other things you can do, but these are a good start.
Updated
Greg’s Answer
Another good option to extend your professional network is the Meetup.com app. Look for professional meetup groups that specialize in your field of interest like coding, web design, applications, etc. I'm member of several local and national technical Meetups that host lots of seminars, presentations, birds-of-a-feather social events, and talks by industry professionals. Usually the meetings have been in-person at a place of business hosted by one or more sponsors, but many are now virtual since COVID. Food (pizza) and drink is also usually provided at the in-person events. I've made several friends and network contacts at these technical meetups. Hope that helps and good luck to you.
Join a Meetup.com professional group that matches your career interests.
Greg recommends the following next steps:
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Meghna’s Answer
To grow your professional network, LinkedIn is a great start. Make sure you keep your LinkedIn profile up to date with relevant information and based on your interest, reach out to folks who can help you grow professionally.
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Elizabeth’s Answer
Yes, I believe networking at its core is just talking to other people and being genuinely interested in what they do or what they have to say. When you connect with someone whether it be at school, home, in your community or on a job you have the opportunity to create an impression with that person. Is that impression going to be one they remember you and your unique personality or a negative interaction?
If you have 30 seconds to talk to someone DO IT! You will find that the more people you meet and get to know and learn about will allow you broaden your horizons and open you to more opportunities if you truly listen and are genuine.
That goes for waiting in a line, working a job, walking to the park, at church, in your community, ANYWHERE! Take time to network and get to know someone new and have it in your hip pocket to know an idea of what you want to do and keep those nuggets for future use.
If you have 30 seconds to talk to someone DO IT! You will find that the more people you meet and get to know and learn about will allow you broaden your horizons and open you to more opportunities if you truly listen and are genuine.
That goes for waiting in a line, working a job, walking to the park, at church, in your community, ANYWHERE! Take time to network and get to know someone new and have it in your hip pocket to know an idea of what you want to do and keep those nuggets for future use.
Updated
Kelly’s Answer
Millennial here—those would built their Twitter and Instagram followers were at a larger advantage for building followers/networks which translated into job opportunities via networks down the road. Find your community on social. You are at an advantage now, so do not feel weird about reaching out to more established people for advice—people feel good when they are being helpful/needed.
Be active, nurture those relationships on and offline.
Hope that helps!
Be active, nurture those relationships on and offline.
Hope that helps!
Updated
Kevin’s Answer
Networking can mean so many things! In my opinion, networking is just a fancy business word for getting to know new people.
If you're in college, I think the best way to network is to join clubs, participate in campus activities, and push yourself a little outside of your comfort zone. You would be amazed at the opportunities that come about both personally and professionally from socializing more with people not in your core group.
You don't need to have a specific goal to start networking. I would make your goal, "meeting new people"! There have been countless examples throughout my career when I formed a relationship unexpectedly and it had a profound impact on me both personally and professionally
I love this course from Jordan Harbinger. It gives you different ideas about how to continuously build a network!https://courses.jordanharbinger.com/courses/6-minute-networking
If you're in college, I think the best way to network is to join clubs, participate in campus activities, and push yourself a little outside of your comfort zone. You would be amazed at the opportunities that come about both personally and professionally from socializing more with people not in your core group.
You don't need to have a specific goal to start networking. I would make your goal, "meeting new people"! There have been countless examples throughout my career when I formed a relationship unexpectedly and it had a profound impact on me both personally and professionally
Kevin recommends the following next steps:
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Kevin’s Answer
Another great way to start networking once you've joined groups, LinkedIn, social media groups, MeetUp groups, etc. is to start reaching out to established people in the field of interest and asking them for informational interviews. Note: this isn't an opportunity to sell yourself to a "future employer", it's a chance for you to hear from someone who has done what you're planning to do. You want to find out how they did it? What did they study? What was challenging about their experience? What are things they learned or innovations they have witnessed?
The informational interview is a great way to tap into a wealth of resources and through the process, you are also creating a bit of name recognition with people in the industry...especially if you are impeccable with your approach, impressively prepared for the interviews, have extensive knowledge of the field as a beginner from researching, and you are eager to learn about them and their contribution to their field.
The informational interview is a great way to tap into a wealth of resources and through the process, you are also creating a bit of name recognition with people in the industry...especially if you are impeccable with your approach, impressively prepared for the interviews, have extensive knowledge of the field as a beginner from researching, and you are eager to learn about them and their contribution to their field.
Updated
Kelly’s Answer
Millennial here—those would built their Twitter and Instagram followers were at a larger advantage for building followers/networks which translated into job opportunities via networks down the road. Find your community on social. You are at an advantage now, so do not feel weird about reaching out to more established people for advice—people feel good when they are being helpful/needed. Peers your age too will come in handy down the road and are great for moral support.
Be active, nurture those relationships on and offline.
Hope that helps!
Be active, nurture those relationships on and offline.
Hope that helps!
Bob Moore
Supply Chain, Energy. Oil & Gas, Leadership, Management, Careers Overseas
51
Answers
Updated
Bob’s Answer
If you are finishing of college or school then your 'networks' will be limited to family, friends, school/college friends, teams and other groups that you may be a member of - and you can include Facebook, Instagram and other platforms.
The goal of using these networks from a career perspective is to identify those in the network that can help you; directly/indirectly, to find the job/career that you want. If you know what you are looking for in a job/career this will help you focus on the key persons or groups who can help you - advocate for you. If your are still not clear on what you want to do then you can spread a wider net to identify ideas and opportunities.
To take this up a notch you need to be systematic on how you are working your networks and capturing related opportunities - and this will vary depending on how organized you are - but by now you will understand that the more people and groups you talk to the more ideas/opportunities you will identify.
You can extend your networks by attending conferences and career fairs - the goal again is to mix and meet with people that want to help you
You can automate this process through systems like LinkedIn - indeed as you start working and building out your professional network(s) LinkedIn is the tool of choice.
Hope this helps
The goal of using these networks from a career perspective is to identify those in the network that can help you; directly/indirectly, to find the job/career that you want. If you know what you are looking for in a job/career this will help you focus on the key persons or groups who can help you - advocate for you. If your are still not clear on what you want to do then you can spread a wider net to identify ideas and opportunities.
To take this up a notch you need to be systematic on how you are working your networks and capturing related opportunities - and this will vary depending on how organized you are - but by now you will understand that the more people and groups you talk to the more ideas/opportunities you will identify.
You can extend your networks by attending conferences and career fairs - the goal again is to mix and meet with people that want to help you
You can automate this process through systems like LinkedIn - indeed as you start working and building out your professional network(s) LinkedIn is the tool of choice.
Hope this helps