How to start networking (when you don’t know who to network with!)

In my last blogpost, I wrote about the importance of networking to a successful job search. However, job hunters often ask me, “How do I network?” Or they tell me, “I don’t have a network to network with!” 

If you feel similarly, there are three things you need to understand to get in the right mindset for networking: 

• Everyone has a network!

• It’s daunting for everyone—at least a little bit.

• People genuinely want to help, if they’re able.

In other words, you’re not alone in this process. When you’re feeling unsure of your networking strategy, read and reread the above bullets. I’ve never worked with anyone who wasn’t able to build a helpful professional network. 

Read on to learn the key groups to consider when creating your networking list, and the first outreach steps you should take. 

1. Former colleagues. You might not want to let your current colleagues know you are looking for a new job, but you can certainly let former colleagues know. Think about your past places of employment and make a list of people you worked alongside, including those you supervised, direct peers, and your bosses. Next, look them up on LinkedIn to see where they are now. Reach out with an email or LinkedIn request letting them know you are in the market for a new role and ask if they can help. To make it a little easier for them, you can take a look at the careers site of the company they work in and refer to a particular open role, if there is one that fits your skill set.

2. Friends and Family. We often keep friends and work separate. And most of the time, this makes sense. However, when you are thinking of making a career move, consider your friends and family as another opportunity for networking. They can’t always vouch for you professionally, but they can share that you are a trustworthy and loyal person they have known for a long time.

3. College Alum. This is a rich networking source, even for those who graduated many years ago. College or university is where you made fast friends and had formative experiences you share with those you have stayed in touch with, and even those you haven’t. Reach out to college friends to let them know you are in the market for work, and reconnect with college acquaintances on LinkedIn. 

You can go one step further and contact people who went to the same college as you, but whom you don’t know personally. Many colleges have alumni pages on LinkedIn that you can follow, or you can search LinkedIn using your college name and titles (e.g. graphic designer or human resources) to find alum who are in your field. Finally, if you find a college alum who is working at one of your dream companies, don’t be afraid to reach out. People generally love to help fellow college alum and this could lead to your next big opportunity.

4. Fellow parents. For those of us with kids, the wider school community is also a promising option for networking. Build relationships with parents in your child’s school, and spend time getting to know these people. This can mean getting involved in parent organizations or accepting invitations to parent-led gatherings or guest speaker series. Keep your focus on establishing authentic relationships, but don’t hesitate to share your line of work and let people know you are looking for a new position. You never know where a new opportunity will come from! 

When you take the time to really think about who you know from all aspects of your life, you’ll soon have a significant networking list to get you started. And this is only from within your immediate circle or one circle removed. There is also a whole world of people you do not know that you can network with (but more on that in a future article). 

Let’s review those bullets one last time because they’re important!

• Everyone has an existing network they can use to start their job hunt.

• Networking is a little daunting for everyone.

• People in your network genuinely want to help, if they can.

Finally, it’s helpful to remind yourself that getting ghosted by a person or two in your network is the worst thing that can happen. Meanwhile, connecting with a job you love is the best thing that can happen—and it eventually will if you keep reaching out and moving your job search forward.

Happy Networking!