Virtual Networking
Networking as we know it has changed over the last few years. The pandemic rocked our worlds and minimized in-person events. While we are back to in-person events, we’ve adapted many ways to networking virtually. Here are some tips on staying connected with other professionals virtually.
1) Join or start a mentoring group
Either become a mentor or find a place to get a mentor. Weekly virtual calls with a theme or topic is a great way to stay abreast of your industry. This will help you stay connected with a small group of professionals. I recommended a group of 4-6 to allow everyone to participate in the conversation. We are all home more now and apart from other professionals. You may be missing out on new trends or changes that you hear about during casual conversations in the kitchen or swinging by someone’s office.
2) Start a coffee and zoom group
Similar to the mentoring group, you could start a coffee and Zoom group with other professionals to catch up on industry knowledge. Everyone could be tasked with coming to the group with one new interesting article or finding. This way, everyone will learn something new. If you create the group with people outside of your organization, the group’s findings can be something that you take back to your colleagues to impress them with your current knowledge.
3) Reach out via Linkedin
Is there a professional that you want to meet? Maybe you would have tried to connect during an in-person networking event. With in-person events being cancelled, you need to keep connected virtually. Feel free to send them a short message on Linkedin. Ask if you can chat for 5-15 minutes on the phone or Zoom. Usually, this is small ask and the person should be able to fit you into their schedule. Make sure you have your questions ready so you don’t take up too much of their time. You could even tell the person ahead of time some of the questions are interested in asking. If they are too busy for a call, you could ask if you could email them and ask a few questions. Keep it short so that you can reach out again in the future. They will be more likely to respond again if it was easy for them to interact with you.
4) Post on Linkedin
Show your industry knowledge by sharing and posting relevant content on Linkedin. It’s a way for you to stay on people’s minds. If you are looking for a job or new opportunities, it will highlight your interests and talents. Join groups that are related to your professional interest to see what other’s are posting. Evaluate other’s posts to make sure your content meets industry standards. Now you can show off your knowledge and any areas of expertise. People may not be hiring right now but when they do start up again, you want to be first on their list of candidates.
Employ one or more of these virtual networking ideas to stay connected, grow your network, and keep up with trends in your industry.
