For many people, building a network that serves them and their career goals and aspirations is no easy feat. It’s very important to build your network if you have hopes of career growth and development.
There is a famous quote by Porter Gale – “Your network is your net worth.” However the one that stands out for me is “Networking is an investment in your business. It takes time and when done correctly can yield great results for years to come,” by Diane Helbig.
So, how do you build your network?
Join an Online Community
Lately, there are many online learning communities available thanks to the advancement of technology. This means that these can be a substitute for in-person communities. These online learning communities luckily can be found on various platforms. Personally, I am part of over 18 communities on LinkedIn, and about eight Whatsapp groups where different people share their expertise and we all get to learn from one another.
By working and connecting with professionals, you can broaden your network to include diverse perspectives and connections.
Maintain an Active Online Presence
An essential part of networking in a digital enabled world is maintaining an active online presence. Not only is it another channel for communicating your personal brand, but it enables people to find, follow, and even contact you.
Ideas for maintaining an online presence:
- Having an updated LinkedIn profile – Here, recruiters can find you.
- Curating public social media accounts – Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, are all very important, for some businesses, even TikTok.
- Communicate – Your social media accounts should be active. However, be wary of what you are posting, your future employer is watching.
Attend Events
Building your network requires putting yourself out there and not just staying online or in the comfort of your home. So, whenever it’s possible, attend events. Whether virtual or in-person, they’re an effective way to meet people who may also want to connect with you. Now, also the events you attend matter, I suggest you start with conferences in your career line, networking events, talks, masterclasses, among others.
Stay in Touch
This is not a very common practice in Uganda, however after meeting someone you want to stay connected with, put in the effort to do so. Stay in touch either via social media or email, make sure you stay in touch.
Here are some ideas on how to stay in touch with connections:
- Attending their events and inviting them to yours.
- Sending articles or opportunities you think they’d be a good fit for.
- Asking them questions about shared industries or interests
Follow up
Apart from staying in touch for future possible leads, it’s important to follow up on the current ones. When at an event and someone tells you to call them for a possible future deal, don’t hesitate, make that call as soon as possible or send in that email ASAP.
With those few tips, I pray you get the right connections for you to build a meaningful career network – happy hunting!
