Starting a new career can be scary and uncertain. You might not even know how to start your new career or where to find new employment. The first, and best place, to start is to turn to your network. Use the people you already know to find your next career by asking them for contacts, references, or even just guidance. Our guide will teach you exactly how to use your network to start your next career.
How to network
These are the three best ways to network in the modern economy.
1. Make a list of everyone in your network
Audit your contact list, including your friends, family, and even casual acquaintances. Think about everyone you currently know and can contact, including former colleagues and even people you go to the gym with. You should even include people you know through someone else, like your dad’s business partner or your uncle’s lawyer.
You want to be as thorough as possible doing this because you want to maximize your network. The more people you’re able to list, the better it is. That being said, don’t mistakenly list people who’re too distant from you, like a friend’s uncle’s cousin you’ve never met.
For example, if you want to change your career to becoming a family lawyer from a corporate one, don’t expect to join a leading family law firm through your network if you don’t even know any family lawyers. You need a good understanding of what your network can provide and a better understanding of what you want specifically.
2. Understand what you want before you start
You need to decide what you want before using your network. Being completely open to new possibilities might seem like a good idea, but it’ll also leave you uncertain. Instead, you need some idea of what you want. You also need to base your idea on what your network can realistically provide.
3. Connect with your network
Audit your contact list, including your friends, family, and even casual acquaintances. Think about everyone you currently know and can contact, including former colleagues and even people you go to the gym with. You should even include people you know through someone else, like your dad’s business partner or your uncle’s lawyer.
You want to be as thorough as possible doing this because you want to maximize your network. The more people you’re able to list, the better it is. That being said, don’t mistakenly list people who’re too distant from you, like a friend’s uncle’s cousin you’ve never met.
Best sources of networking
These are the 3 best places to network.
1. Reach out to your references
Your references probably mainly include your alma mater and previous employers. You might feel embarrassed to reach out to them, but it’s the logical thing to do. Call or text them about your employment situation and let them know you’re looking for opportunities.
Assuming you have good relations with your references, they’ll at least be willing to help you find a job and provide you with advice. Tell them about your specific career goals and desires, and how they can help you achieve them. Focus especially on whether they know anyone in their networks who’s looking for someone with your skills.
Worst case, even if they can’t help you find a job, they can still keep your resume-that alone could yield long-term benefits.
2. Use LinkedIn
LinkedIn is the world’s premier recruitment tool that a majority of hiring managers use at least occasionally. Naturally, that makes LinkedIn one of the best places to network and obtain new contacts. Being active on LinkedIn is even a great way to signal your professionalism and interest in your career to hiring managers you encounter offline, too.
The best way to network on LinkedIn is to connect with people from your industry and inbox them. Don’t send any long paragraphs. Instead, just provide a short introduction and explain your employment goals. Even if someone doesn’t reply right away, they’ll likely think about you in the future.
Building a good LinkedIn network may take time, but it’s completely worth it. You’ll definitely experience its long-term benefits after you’ve added and spoken to enough people on the platform. For example, if you connect with 20 people every day on average, you’ll make around 600 connections a month.
One good LinkedIn strategy is to connect with multiple people from a company you want to work for. Doing so increases your visibility and increases either their chances of approaching you themselves or choosing you if you apply to their company.
4. Job Fairs and Networking Events
Job fairs practically exist to provide people like you with networking opportunities. Hiring managers and business leaders gather in hiring managers to connect with potential employees and find new talent. You’re likely to find a large number of people in your industry at a job fair, too.
So, attend every job fair you can and sell yourself to the businesses attending there. You can do that by demonstrating good communication skills. You just have to show that you’re a good choice for the company.
Depending on your industry, you may even find job and networking events exclusively for your industry. These events are even better since they let you network with the most relevant people. Have your CV on hand when you attend such an event and meet with as many people as possible.
In conclusion, your network is an excellent way to find your next career. The best way to use your network is to add useful people through social media and job fairs and ask them for help. You should approach everyone in your network, only starting with the most relevant, and, most importantly, know what you want.