The Importance of Networking Outside of Your Company
If you’re an introvert by nature, the term networking might scare you. Regardless if you’re comfortable with the concept, networking is an essential part of the career journey. While networking in your current company may accelerate the rate at which you’re promoted, connecting with people outside your company can help create a strong professional network when the time comes to search for new opportunities. Research shows that 85% of jobs are found through networking and 70% of jobs are never publicly published. Most of these un-posted positions are either filled by internal candidates in the workplace or through a recruiter.
What is networking?
In short, networking is meeting new people that may become personal and/or professional contacts. Cultivating relationships with your network can help you when you're looking for a job. Taking advantage of a networking opportunity is beneficial when looking for a mentor, or when you’re just looking for advice or additional points of view from others in your industry. Any way you look at it, networking is extremely important to your career. What you might not realize is that you’re constantly networking with others in your professional life. Any time you send an email, a slack message, engage with a LinkedIn post or meet up with a co-worker to catch up, you’re participating in the continuous act of networking with those around you. It's important to pay attention and be deliberate with how you engage your network on a professional and personal level.
Creating New Contacts and Making New Connections:
The first step of networking is creating new contacts and building connections, but this can be challenging for many people. If you’re an introvert, you may be shuddering at the concept of meeting new people, but it doesn’t have to be intimidating. Thanks to online platforms like LinkedIn, we’re able to get to know people and network much more easily. This can often be done from the comfort of our own homes with a reach far beyond how we might network with others in our local communities.
When making new connections, consider how you can add value to create a mutually beneficial and meaningful relationship. If you’re trying to make connections in a transactional nature, chances are others will see through this and may be turned off by your self-serving goals. Our CEO, Shauna Swerland explains, “Networking for networking‘s sake can be cheesy and inauthentic versus taking a true interest in others and valuing relationships.” Instead, start networking with the intention of building lasting relationships with others who share mutual interests or career paths.
Whether this means connecting with co-workers in your company or meeting people outside of your network, building up your professional circle will always benefit you. Take the time to cultivate those relationships, follow up with someone after an event, or check in to see how things are going. Any time you can show someone that you care, you’ll help build that connection and that relationship.
How to Meet People and Connect with Others in Your Industry:
A great rule of thumb is to stay connected to those around you and follow up when meeting someone new. Swerland continues “We all have our own personal and professional networks and it is important to keep those alive by staying in touch with people and doing what we can to help others. My personal philosophy is that it is important to stay in touch with people when you don’t need them rather than only reaching out when you need them for a favor. I like to add people on LinkedIn when I meet them and try to make a mental note of the conversation that we had.”
People make career moves, and if you stay connected with those around you, you’ll ensure that you have a solid network behind you when you start your job search. This can make a big impact on your career development. On the flip side, you might be able to help others (whether that means a colleague or a personal connection) during their job search and make an introduction. Any time a trusted contact makes a career move, you in turn expand your professional network, and vice versa.
Three Tips to Help You Meet Others in Your Industry:
1. Join and engage with LinkedIn Groups:
Joining LinkedIn groups can help you network outside of your company, and may also be a great way to meet others with mutual interests such as a shared alma mater. Engaging with LinkedIn groups can lead to new job opportunities, new insight on industry trends, or even a new friendship. If you do establish rapport with other group members, don’t be afraid to send a connection request with a short message!
2. Check out local networking events or virtual events:
For example, if you’re in HR, consider doing a quick Google search for professionals in your area. Searching for “HR professional networking event Seattle” can lead to events with PIHRA or other related organizations. If you search for “Software Engineer Meetup Seattle”, there are a slew of virtual and in-person events that come up.
3. Don’t be afraid to reach out and give praise:
If you read an interesting article online, see a compelling LinkedIn post, or listen to a thought provoking podcast, reach out and establish a connection with the creator. You never know what this new connection may lead to!
Why Networking Outside Your Company is Crucial to Your Career:
As humans, building a diverse network helps us open our minds to other people’s perspectives, identities, and experiences in order to help us grow and gain a broader understanding of the world. This can help us deepen our empathy and understanding of other people’s actions.
When it comes to networking and establishing professional relationships, building relationships outside your company is extremely important because at some point or another, you’ll likely find yourself exploring different career options. One of the benefits of networking outside of your company is that you can get insight on new opportunities, but additionally, you can gain insight on varying company cultures, expectations, and how work life balance is treated as a whole. Building relationships with others outside of your company can help provide stronger insight on industry best practices and the market landscape.
In addition to broadening your understanding of your industry, internal referrals can make a huge impact during your job search!
Five Networking Strategies to Try Today to Stay Connected with Those Around You:
1. Grow your skills
Consider using platforms like LinkedIn Learning to help you brush up on your networking skills. Participating in online courses may seem tedious, but there are some great courses out there revolving around professional networking, creating personal connections, and building professional relationships that you can complete in under an hour!
2. Use your existing network and build upon it
If you’re applying for a job and know someone who is connected to your company of interest, ask them to make an introduction. Leveraging your network is one of the best ways to get you in contact with the right people that can help propel your career forward. A mutual contact will help build and sustain the connection.
3. Cultivate your current relationships
Swerland notes “Relationships are everything and fuel our business. Keeping your network fresh and current is important even if you’re employed. It’s actually the best time to build your network.”
If you have a great conversation with someone, follow up afterward and be sure to make the message thoughtful. Circle back to something in the conversation whether that is asking about a child’s soccer practice or checking in to see how a big meeting went.
4. Attend industry events
Just like we talked about above, networking is important, and attending industry events or becoming part of an industry association can help you develop your professional network. While attending industry events with a colleague or friend may seem less daunting, going on your own can push you to meet more interesting people. If you’re comfortable chatting with someone you know, you may be less likely to venture out of your bubble to start new conversations.
5. Volunteer
In addition to meeting new people and building your network, a study done by Deloitte noted that 82% of the respondents said they are more likely to choose a candidate with volunteering experience listed on their resume. Give back to your community, build your network outside of your company, and increase your chances of landing a job! Volunteering is a win/win situation for everyone involved!