A Roadmap to Successful Networking…(25/07/18)

One of the most common questions amongst our community is ‘how do I network effectively?’ We can often work in isolation as academics so the thought of having to sell yourself can feel daunting and dare I say…can also feel somewhat demeaning too. After all, shouldn’t your exciting research and personal accolades speak for themselves?

WRONG! Effective networking will give your career a boost, whether you’re aspiring to progress in or outside academia. When done well it will help you achieve huge things. Effective networking can help you to:

• Inside academia: Undertake new projects with collaborators, get your research published more easily, find research funding and identify new job opportunities

• Outside academia: Learn about non-academic careers, provide info about skillsets and training needed for new professions, and identify new job opportunities

Whilst working in academia you will most probably have the opportunity to attend conferences. These are fantastic opportunities to find people in your research niche, learn more about an individual’s work and provide a chance to meet contacts face-to-face (F2F). If you’re considering non-academic careers, the stalls and promotional stands also provide an opportunity to interact with individuals working in the commercial or non-for-profit (non-academic) sectors too.

However, it’s no longer necessary to wait to attend conferences a few times a year (or less) to network. You can now grow your and nurture your network on a weekly basis, electronically. Doing this effectively, will give you the edge in your professional development.

So how do you ensure that you establish and maintain meaningful, long-lasting professional relationships with those who matter? Here I present a simple 5-step approach for building an effective and productive professional network. I like to refer to it as my tried and tested roadmap to successful networking:

Step 1 – Formulate your aim 

Think about this before reaching out to any potential new contacts. You need a crystal-clear reason as to why you’re networking. Perhaps you need a collaborator who has the technical expertise to help you answer a specific research question or you’re interested to learn more about a particular profession from those currently working in that sector. This clarification will help you be specific in the next two steps, so it will be easy for the contact to know how they can help out you or not.

Step 2 – Identify connections

Once you’ve galvanised your reason(s) for networking, you’re ready to identify individuals with the potential to help. Aside from having the right skillset, connections, experience and influence to help you, there are a few other factors that can be used identify potential contacts.

Although you don’t want to limit yourself to these necessarily, it can be helpful to select individuals (at least to start with) that are geographically close or that share a point of reference with you, to help build rapport.

For example, reaching out to an individual that works in your home town, shares a research interest, studied at the same institution or shares a personal interest will provide an easy ‘ice breaker’. Professional connections are better, but personal ones will at least give you a hook. 

Step 3 – Reach out and connect 

Once you’re ready to build your network and start reaching out to others, introduce yourself and articulate your reason for contacting them. Avoid making any demands at this point. Rather just highlight what you’re interested in and that you’re reaching out to them because they share in this interest. Highlight the common ground.

Try to use a friendly formal tone when first making contact. Be professional, but also human – try to inject a bit of personality where you can.

If you don’t receive a response at first don’t give up. Be proactive and reach out again (typically I would try at least another two times, a month apart). Emails get buried, so you might also want to reach out through different routes; e.g. social media sites.

Step 4 – Meet up 

LinkIng in with someone or emailing them once, doesn’t make them a valuable contact. If you’d like to learn more from them, develop a collaboration, explore job opportunities and perhaps even look for a referral, then you’ll need to take the relationship to the next level, by asking for a meeting.

This shouldn’t happen until you’ve conversed with a contact for a while and established how responsive, and interested they are in offering you support. This can be through emails, social media chatting, forum interactions or commenting on blogs/posts etc. Fruitful liaisons through such mediums will enable you to build a relationship to the point where you could ask to speak to them directly.

Ideally you want to meet them F2F, but if this is not possible, a phone call or video chat will do. Crucial point – If you invite them out for a coffee/lunch make sure you pay! People remember courtesy and will be willing to repay it.

Step 5 – Cultivate the relationship 

Once you’ve spoken to someone, it shouldn’t end there. You should aim to build a group of productive contacts that you can potentially call upon for advice and support throughout your career.

To develop a productive network you have to cultivate the professional relationships. Do this with regular check-ins – once every 3-6 months. Keep a list of those contacts that are most helpful and note the ‘reconnect’ dates in your diary. Be mindful that everyone is ‘busy’ (including yourself) so keep your correspondence short – it shouldn’t take you more than 10 mins to write.

The formula is simple:

(i)                  Say hello

(ii)                Make a nod to something you’ve noticed that the contact has done since your last correspondence (LinkedIn is your friend here – a new publication, podcast, promotion, presentation etc). You only need one, so if you find multiple options keep some back for the future. If you can’t find anything, link them to something helpful that you’ve found – add value to them, demonstrate that you don’t just view them as a resource

(iii)              Give a BRIEF update of where you’re at. Highlight notable achievements and successes, and refer to your next move

(iv)              Leave them with ONE follow-up item. Never attempt >1. People won’t be keen to deal with multiple requests. Pick something they can do that could help support you in your next move

These 5 steps will help you connect with people you don’t yet know and build a productive network. With this roadmap it won’t be a painful process and you should enjoy building productive connections and benefiting from all that it has to offer.

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