Building Your Professional Network
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Today, it’s difficult to survive professionally without a network: you activate it when you need it; it’s up to you to return the favor when the time comes. For the members of your network to be able to answer “present” when you contact them, cultivate and maintain these relationships daily.
Having a network: why bother?
In a job search, a network can prove crucial for exploring the hidden market, which represents about 70% of all filled positions.
A “tip” about an upcoming recruitment or a recommendation from someone already in place in the company are precious assets. Having a good network is all the more useful when recruitment is done by cooptation: companies often use it to reduce their costs. However, don’t imagine that the person who will receive you knows the company’s future recruitments for the current year. This is even truer if they don’t work at headquarters but in a subsidiary or branch.
Define your objectives
Before embarking on building a network, it’s good to ask yourself what you’re going to look for in it. Determine your objective: climbing the ladder, offering your expertise, going abroad, changing companies… You can then target the right people who will provide you with the desired information or opportunities. Things work better in a network when you know what to ask for! Finally, “Networking” is above all about avoiding painting a bleak picture of your situation to your contact. Are you employed? Share your wishes for advancement instead of talking about your strained relationship with your manager. Are you actively searching? Ask your contact for their professional opinion and expertise on their industry or your professional project. If your approach is positive, your networking interview will be as well.
List and sort your contacts
This long-term work can begin on the school benches! Your selection may include people you’ve met during your school and student life and of course your professional contacts: colleagues, clients, suppliers, service providers, etc. Don’t neglect people you’ve met during your leisure activities, in cultural or sports associations! Go off the beaten track and be curious when you’re in the presence of people other than those in your professional environment. On the other hand, avoid your close friends or family: the mixing of personal and professional spheres can hinder the person you contact, who sees it as a disguised form of “favoritism”.
Make “friends” online
Make your skills known on virtual social networks like Facebook or other more “professional” networks by registering and regularly updating your profile. The principle of these networks is to multiply your contacts thanks to the contacts of your contacts. Take an active approach to searching and making contact. Join existing discussion groups on these networks or create your own! To encourage other members to contact you, carefully complete your profile: background, skills, specialties, etc. Add a photo: profiles with a photo are four times more viewed. Don’t hesitate to insert links to your digital work: blogs, articles, expertise, reviews… Finally, ask your contacts to write a testimonial on your profile.
Maintain your network
Building your network has taken time and energy: don’t let it deteriorate through neglect! Make sure to update it, make it evolve and enrich it continuously. Be active by contacting your contacts at regular intervals. Contact your contacts once a year, at the time of New Year’s wishes: an excellent way to reconnect. Set aside some time in your schedule to strengthen the bond, make appointments, send emails or make phone calls. Also schedule weekday lunches, because conviviality is not a vain word in exchanges, even if they remain professional.
…and watch your “cyber-reputation”
The proliferation of social networks, the use of all these new internet tools, by both individuals and professionals, should lead you to some caution. Thus, so that your digital identity does not betray you, here are some tips to follow to properly manage your cyber-reputation.
Posted on March 11, 2011
