Updated October 7th, 2022

How to Network

Networking is an ongoing process, every person you encounter can be a potential network, so networking can be planned or unplanned. Sometimes the person you meet may become important for your network in future. You may benefit significantly from the networks you develop during organized networking events but in most cases, the people you meet by chance encounters may be the ones you establish longer lasting relationships with. Networks are also dynamic. There are a few times when specific individuals drop out of your professional network. This is definitely part of career growth because some individuals may not remain relevant throughout your career. But you have to ensure you have met addiitonal people so you dont have more drops outs with no replacements. The following are a few tips to consider when establishing a professional network:

Everyone is a potential network

There was a time I was asked to provide references for a job application and my new employer specifically asked me to provide names of students I had taught in the past. It had been about three years since I had taught at the University, having taken a break to work as a consultant. I had to think about students I had interacted with that would be able to provide a coherent story about me if my employer called them. So I remmebered one student who we had emailed back and forth about an term paper and I had provided her with lots of very detailed feedback that had enabled her to perform very well in her term paper. I knew that she had gone ahead to enroll into a masters program but I had not kept in touch with her beyond that. So I emailed her and explained my situation to her. Two weeks later I was offered the job and my employer specifically referenced the excellent reference that the student provided. I wrote back to the student to appreciate her reference and to date, we are still good professional networks. It is difficult for you to decide which individuals to keep close, but the most important thing is to ensure you maintain a good relationship with the people you meet. The reality is, even if you are not in close conatct with someone, they will still be supportive to you if you have always retained a positive relaitonship with them.

Spontaneity is as important as planning

We appreciate that there are individuals you will encounter and will set up meetings with, you will discuss your career goals, they will take on mentorship roles, and they will remain reliable professional networks. We also appreciate that you will attend conferences, or you will be on the train or a flight, and you will encounter individuals randomly that will be of importance to your career growth. You should maintain an open mind towards professional relationships. Depending on your career, you might find one type of networks more important than the other. A professional photographer will rely a lot on random encounters as compared to a University professor, who might meet all the professional netowrks through their work assignments.

Identify how you can be useful:

Professional networks are relationships that can also benefit from mutual respect and support. When you have a meeting with your networks, always close by saying something like, “If you need anything, please reach out to me through email and will be glad to support you in any way." Your positivity will generate positivity from others, and your negative energy might receive negative energy in return.

Keep professional networks 'professional'

When I was in grad school, my university had a code of conduct as a guideline for student-professor (supervisor) relationships. A similar guideline is necessary to ensure some boundaries are kept between professional networks. A professional network is not a personal friend you discus overly personal issues and its always great to keep personal issues separate from your professional interactions.

Follow up, stay in touch

You need to stay in touch with the people in your professional network. This is usually easier if you are working with them at the office, or as project teams. But you need to ensure you keep them aware of what is going on in your professional life. This might just be achieved throgh social media, such as Linkedin updates, just try to ensure they are able to speak something positive about your professional qualities if required to.