Better Networking Practices to Help You Land a Job

This is not your parents’ job market. Long gone are the days when going to college, earning a degree, and scouring the classified ads meant landing your dream job. But, you probably knew that already. Now, even the job market of the early-mid 2000s doesn’t exist anymore. That’s the one where you scoured online job boards instead of newspapers.

Sure, there were a lot more options than the old fashioned classified ads in whatever city you were living in. This was the internet: the land of promise. You could live in California and stumble across a gig in New York, and if you had a good resume, you just may be able to land that job.

The concept of “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know” has been around for what seems like since the dawn of time and today it’s become more relevant than ever. This is mostly due to the hoards of qualified people that graduate from college each year, eager to start working in their field. The truth of the matter is, there just aren’t enough “good” jobs out there for everyone.

The only way to stand out is to finetune your networking practices.

First and foremost, be intentional

Intentionality is the key to moving forward, feeling satisfied, and feeling generally at peace with your life. How can you achieve everything that you want if you aren’t clear about what it is that you actually want to achieve?

Apply the same idea to your better networking practices. This type of networking is called strategic networking and it’s similar to creating a mission statement for yourself. It will be difficult to see results if you approach networking and building new professional connections in a haphazard way.

It may seem silly, but take the time to write down what you hope to gain from networking. Do you simply want to grow your professional circle? Are you looking to leverage a new connection at work? Are you simply looking for a new job? Being clear about what you want to gain from your new connections will help you find what you’re looking for.

Using your social capital to network

This is what social capital is all about! If you’re not familiar with the concept, we have several blogs on the topic, such as what it is, how to use it responsibly, and why it’s so important to curate your inner circle.

The tl;dr version is this: all relationships start with a neutral balance. When there is a positive interaction, the balance goes up, and when there is a negative interaction, the balance goes down. I’m not talking about monetizing your relationships. I’m talking about helping the people that you have in your life with the hopes that they will one day help you.

One way to use your social capital to network is to reach out to your inner circle and let them know that you’re in the market for a new job, you’re looking for a new business partner, or you’re simply interested in expanding your professional network. You never know who they may know, or who their sister may know, or if they have another friend in a similar position that would make for the perfect new connection!

One of the key concepts of social capital is putting yourself out there. You never know unless you try.

Be aware of the way that you come across

When you start networking, you’re also going to want to be intentional about the way that you come across. This doesn’t mean that you should put on an act and try to be someone that you’re not, quite the opposite, actually. Be yourself. The person in front of you will likely be able to tell if you’re not.

If you’re an extrovert, don’t try to hide it. If you’re an introvert, embrace that as well. There is room for both personality types in the workforce.

Another important aspect of networking is that you show an interest in the person that you’re connecting with. This isn’t the “you show,” and all humans appreciate it when other humans actually listen to what they are saying. It also shows that you have an interest in learning, which is a great quality to have at work. It also demonstrates another level of intentionality and authenticity.

Networking without leaving the comfort of your own home

You don’t necessarily need to go to networking events or meetups to meet new people or nurture the connections that you already have. In fact, if you’re using your social capital to network, you’ll likely be able to get away with sending emails, texts, or doing video chats. You can also take advantage of social media platforms like LinkedIn to carve out new connections.

Don’t forget the importance of checking in on connections that you already have as they may have made their own new connections since the last time you spoke that you could potentially benefit from. Even something as simple as liking or commenting on something they posted on LinkedIn is a good way to stay in touch. Just remember to be authentic here, too.

Use the same tactic with someone that you’ve never met before. This can be a good way to make a new connection as well. If you enjoy an article that you’ve read recently, try to reach out to the author. They’ll likely enjoy the recognition and it could lead to a future opportunity.

Authenticity and intentionality is the way to go if you want to build better networking practices. Don’t forget to reach out to your inner circle for help, too. Networking is all about finding people who can help you help yourself, and vice versa!

Originally published at https://expeeriences.com on October 14, 2020.