Networking

[Enda Goodwin]

Networking is an important part of navigating your career. You need people to turn to for information, ideas, contacts, and support. Utilizing your current network and building on it will help you reach your goals sooner.

Talking to people who currently work or have worked in jobs and careers that interest you can give you valuable information, such as:

• The inside story on what it takes to be successful
• What the future holds for your profession
• Upsides and downsides of selected job titles
• Validation of your career choice
• The best industries for you to pursue
   

If you don’t consider yourself an extrovert, don’t worry! Anyone can network successfully. All it takes is preparation, planning, and time.
 

Build Your Online Social Network

With social networks, you have an opportunity to exponentially increase your visibility and interactions with peers, colleagues, and prospective employers by taking advantage of links and connections that make you known and findable. Passive and active job seekers can use social media channels to establish new relationships, give themselves credibility, share information, and engage in meaningful interactions that help to establish rapport and trust. These efforts drive access to people, information, and opportunities that help advance careers.

In a recent survey, LHH asked recruiters what methods they use to source and evaluate candidates. Overwhelmingly they named LinkedIn as the most-used tool for referrals, posting jobs, and searching for talent through tags and hashtags. Glassdoor, Facebook, and Twitter also scored high for most recruiters, so it is crucial for you to be active and authentic in your social networks.

If you haven’t already, follow the organizations you’re interested in on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
 

Influencers

Influencers have established credibility in their industry and usually have a large group of followers. Make the influencer’s network YOUR network and tap into their unique knowledge. Pay attention to the comments of those followers too. You never know what opportunities and connections could be right in front of you, and you’ll gain information that will help you stay up on industry trends.

Creating this foundation will get you in the networking mindset and prepare you for upcoming conversations and interviews.