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With the recent hiring freezes and surge in tech layoffs, many of my clients are now faced with conducting a job search on their own – some of them for the first time, as recruiter hiring faces a similar slowdown.

And most of them face the challenge of networking and building connections in a post-pandemic, remote environment.

If you’ve been laid off recently, take heart, things WILL get better. Take the time to process this change in your employment status. Breathe. Better yet, take the day off – sit on the beach or go on a hike. Now’s the time to reflect on your career, your strengths, passions, and aspirations.

  • Which industries/ companies appeal to you?
  • What do you want to know?
  • What are you most curious about?
  • How will you reach out to friends, colleagues – and potential new connections – to help you get there?

As we adapt to a hybrid workplace, how and where we connect with each other has changed significantly. How can you stretch your networking muscles so you can be just as effective online or offline?

If you’re like most people, the idea of “networking” can bring anxiety and dread. Most of us, myself included, don’t exactly look forward to attending events where we don’t know anyone and attempt to connect with a roomful of strangers.

According to a study conducted by the SC Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University, even experienced industry professionals and MBA students struggle with networking and creating new connections. In another study at Cornell University, what stops people from networking is the feeling of inauthenticity while having the intent of networking professionally.

But effective networking is crucial to a thriving career – whether you’re seeking advancement at your current company or are in job search mode.

What if networking were viewed as a means of building genuine connections over a period of time – with the intention of helping and supporting the careers of colleagues and other professionals?

I love this quote by Michele Jennae, author of The Connect Worker  where she says, “Networking is not just about connecting people. It’s about connecting people with ideas and people with opportunities.”

To get started, what if you could approach networking intentionally, and in a more holistic way:

  • What would you like to get out of this networking event/ meetup? What are your goals?
  • What information are you seeking?
  • What insights do YOU have to offer?
  • Based on what you’ve just learned about someone you’ve met, who in your network can you introduce them to?
  • What opportunities or projects have you recently come across that they would be a good fit for?

Once you have a networking event or coffee chat scheduled, how do you prepare in advance, to set yourself up for success?

  • Be focused – know your goals and target outcome from the meetup.
  • Create a short, 2-3 sentence positioning statement that consists of:
    • What value you bring
    • Your skills, strengths, and passions
    • What you aspire to do
  • Prepare your audio logo – a 15-second verbal introduction of who you are, and what problem you’re trying to solve. This should make you standout or have a hook. Be creative!
    • For example, mine would say something like, “Hi, I’m Marge Ang and I’m an executive coach who enjoys helping people build and sustain careers they love, and navigate our fast-changing, uncertain world.”
    • You may want to create one for each purpose or type of event, based on your goals.
  • What’s your networking plan?
    • How will you position yourself and what you’re seeking?
    • What are the profiles of people you’d like to meet?
    • If you’re attending an event, study the speakers/attendee bios and create your ‘target’ list of people to meet.
  • Strengthen your LinkedIn profile ahead of the event so it aligns with your positioning statement of who you are and what you’d like to do. Your profile should be aspirational and express where you’re headed.
  • If you have a personal website that showcases your professional portfolio, great! Stay organized and make sure it’s ready to be shared.

Looking ahead in this blog series, I will offer more networking tips so you can show up focused, relaxed, and enjoy making some new, genuine connections.

Here’s a preview:

  • Part Two: At the Event – How to Stay Focused and Stand Out
  • Part Three: Post-Event – How to Follow Up and Stay Top-of-Mind?
  • Part Four: Online Networking – Brand Building and Making Social Media Work For YOU

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