Make It Work For You
- Be Considerate. Respect their time and be polite and positive to make it a pleasant experience for them.
- Be Authentic. Misleading someone about interests and goals will only hurt you in the long run.
- Be Professional. Strike a professional, but conversational tone so they feel proud to connect you to people in their network.
- Ask For Referrals. Ask, “Do you know anyone who is knowledgeable about (field) who you could introduce me to?”
Maintain And Build
- Make connecting a priority. Schedule time to reach out and strengthen relationships with your current connections and create new ones.
- Make connecting routine. Networking is part of being a professional, not just part of a job search. Incorporate it into your life to maximize its impact in the short and long term.
- Manage what you learn. Develop strategies to track and access the insight and information you learn about the field and your connections.
- Nurture your network. Stay in touch with your connections at reasonable intervals, prioritizing those you value most. Help others when you can. Maintaining your network is as important as building it.
More Strategies to Expand Your Network:
- Join professional and trade associations.
- Attend industry and professional conferences.
- Read industry journals to identify leaders in the field to reach out to.
- Develop a strong LinkedIn profile and join the UNL Alumni LinkedIn Group and professional groups.