At its core, Remitly works to build and maintain connections between people, so we understand the power of a strong network. Having strong contacts is important in all aspects of life, but it becomes even more important when it comes to career networking.
Often, it’s relationships and personal connections that lead to interviews, job offers, and promotions. Everyone knows networking is important, but how can you do it effectively? Follow this guide on successful career networking.
Why Career Networking is Necessary
A lot of people baulk at the mention of “networking.” It reminds them of awkward social gatherings and the pressure to sell yourself or your skills like a product. However, it’s important to positively frame networking as something integral to our humanity. Like friendships, networking is about building and nurturing relationships over time. The only difference is that these relationships are in a professional context.
Regardless of your industry, networking is an invaluable skill. By maintaining a strong professional network, you’ll be the first to know about job opportunities. You’ll also be at the front of people’s minds if someone in your network is looking to hire or contract out work. In addition to job growth, your professional network can be a source of advice, collaboration, and mentorship. Plus, polishing your networking skills can boost your confidence.
Recent data reveals that hiring managers and recruiters in the UK only spend between 6-8 seconds looking at your CV. If you want to get hired, you need a strong network.
Building Your Network
In the UK, 98% of large organisations use automated systems to scan your CV. If you want to know with certainty that your job application is being read by a human, you need a connection. Use our networking strategies to start connecting with professionals in your industry.
Connect with the right people
Your professional network should be filled with people who create or know about opportunities. It should also be filled with people who would vouch for you, throw your hat into the ring, and get you a seat at the table. If you’re unsure where to start building your network, consider the following groups:
- Friends and family. Anyone with whom you have a close personal relationship will also help support your professional goals. Don’t be shy about keeping your friends and family updated about your career progress.
- Classmates and professors/teachers. These contacts can be especially valuable if you attended university, as many of these people will be in the same industry as you.
- Current and former colleagues. Just because you left a company doesn’t mean you should leave the contacts behind. Keep in touch with the people you’ve worked with in the past. Spend some time and energy developing relationships with the people you work with now.
- Recruiters. Connecting with recruiters who specialize in your field can be a great way to stay up-to-date about industry news and developments.
Foster authentic relationships
One of the goals of career networking is ensuring that you’re at the front of mind when opportunities arise. In order to do this, you have to go beyond the elevator pitch and build connections that matter. Here are a few best practices:
- When you meet someone, get their full name and get it right. Make sure you spell their name correctly and know how to pronounce it. If you have any doubts, ask for them to repeat their name right upon meeting. It’s less awkward to do it at this point than later on.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for a point of contact. Meeting people is great, but how will you reach out to them in the future? Many people freely share their social media profiles, like LinkedIn. You can also ask, “Is this the best way to reach you?” to see if someone might prefer sharing their email or phone number without being pushy.
- Use events and holidays to maintain contact. Just as you would with personal friends and family, you can reach out to your professional network at holidays and special events, like birthdays.
- Create opportunities to connect and share experiences with your network. If you’re attending an industry event, participating in some volunteer effort or just want some company on your coffee break, consider inviting someone from your professional network.
Leverage technology
Over 60% of the entire UK population is on LinkedIn. Keeping in touch these days is easier than ever. Technology and social media create simple, fast, and free ways for us to connect. It’s still up to us to use them effectively. Keep your online presence professional, public, and up-to-date to foster a vibrant network. Here are some of our favourite online networking tools:
- The contacts app on your phone. Try to capture as much information as possible about your connections. Keeping a tidy and up-to-date contacts list is key to one-on-one connection.
- LinkedIn. This is the go-to site for professional networking. Having a complete profile is crucial. You can also spruce up your profile by adding examples of your work and asking contacts for recommendations.
- Blinq. These days, everyone stores their contacts digitally. Bliq is a digital business card that your contacts can access via a personalized QR code. This eliminates the step of hoping that someone copies your contact from a paper business card into their phone.
- Meetup. If you’re looking to attend in-person events, Meetup is for you. You can find industry-specific or interest-based gatherings of like-minded people in your area.
Give and Take: Leveraging Your Network
Ultimately, the reason you’re developing a professional network is to advance in your career. To do this, you have to set specific career goals. Once you have clear goals, you can leverage your professional network to help you achieve them by finding new opportunities, collaborating, or receiving support and accountability. Some examples of tangible career goals are as follows:
- Complete a professional certificate or degree
- Receive and implement feedback
- Improve performance metrics
- Increase your salary or income
- Apply for a promotion
- Create a website
Once you have identified some of your objectives, you should look within your network to see if there is someone who can mentor you. A mentor is someone who has been through the experiences you are currently facing and can guide you through them. At times, mentors can be the strongest connections in your professional network.
- Look for connections within your industry whose career trajectory you admire and identify with.
- Ask these connections to meet as personally as possible. This can be in-person and one-on-one or via video call.
- Have questions prepared before your meeting. If someone is willing to meet with you, show respect for their time by coming prepared with tangible goals and questions about how to achieve them.
Remember that networking is a two-way street. As you develop your professional network, try to give back to your connections by keeping them in mind. If you see an opportunity that seems like a good fit for one of your contacts, make sure to pass it on to them. Sharing opportunities with your contacts will make them more likely to keep you in mind, as well.
Overcoming Common Challenges
It’s common to feel your stomach flip when someone mentions networking. Although it’s a great way to find new opportunities, it can be daunting for people starting out their career or people with more introverted personalities. If you have a fear of networking, there are a few things you can do to make the experience easier to handle:
- Practice making small talk. Have some questions ready to go when you’re interacting with new connections. Educational backgrounds and professional passions are safe topics.
- Attend social events. Find meetups and gatherings that bring together people from your industry. You can also attend interest-based or volunteer-focused meetups. Bringing a friend or coworker with whom you already have an established connection can make these situations easier.
- Focus on building connections through common interests. By engaging genuinely with other people, you’ll feel more comfortable and confident.
Networking on the Net
If you’re moving to the UK, there are a lot of virtual networking resources that you can partake in even before you enter the country. Building your network in advance could be a great way to ensure your success in a new place.
- IWant2Network is a premium networking platform with a subscription fee for UK-based entrepreneurs and professionals.
- Busy Women Networking is an online event for UK-based female business owners that falls between 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. every second Tuesday of the month.
- Business Breaktime is an online community for small business owners. It is free to use, but you must create a profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it usually take for applicants in the UK job market to receive an offer?
When you’re applying for a new job, it’s important to be patient. Based on recent statistics, the average time it takes for UK employers to present a job offer after an application is submitted is 28 days. Leveraging your network can make receiving a job offer or hearing about opportunities in your industry easier.
How fierce is the competition in the UK job market?
The job market in the UK is dynamic and varied. There are a lot of different opportunities across different industries. Currently, 12.7 million Brits are job hunting every day. With so many people on the lookout for the best opportunities, having strong connections can help you stay ahead of the curve.