3 Valuable Networking Tips for Job Seekers and Entrepreneurs

Here’s the thing.  Networking is critical.  Knowing the right people and the “human connection” may mean getting a job that you might not normally be able to get or simply learning information about your area of interest that you wouldn’t be able to get elsewhere.  I’ve found that businesses are incredibly impressed when you put yourself out there and approach them rather than going about the “normal” way of job-seeking. 

And even as a small business owner, I network on a regular basis to learn more about my industry, make valuable contacts that I can use to benefit my clients further and meet potential clients.  The majority of the clients that we have were acquired based on referrals from clients or people that we’ve met at networking events.  Here are some tips that I’ve learned over the years:

Use your friends, family and acquaintances.  Not in a bad way, of course.  But think about who might know people in industries that you’re interested in.  Don’t be afraid to call or email people that you don’t know.  What’s the worst that could happen?  You might not hear back from them.  On the other hand, you could learn valuable information or get a job or internship.  Huffington Post, a valuable business source, has some tips about networking.  This article touches on the incredibly valuable “elevator pitch” and the importance of a business card. 

Go to networking events.  Keep up-to-date on events going on in the city that you’re in using Twitter, Google and Facebook and attend the ones that are related to what you’re interested in pursuing as a career.  They can be intimidating but are amazing ways to build contacts, especially because business owners will be very impressed to see that you’re there. 

Entrepreneur is one of the websites that we follow the most and they’ve published a fantastic article on the subject.  The article has some great tips about how to act, what to say and how to follow up afterwards.  And make sure to follow up!  Inc, another fantastic business resource, also put out an article with some tips about finding the right places to network and people to network with.

Use social media.  Social media is one of the most valuable tools for networking because it’s the easiest way to connect with people you might not know and also be found by companies you might be interested in.  Businesses use social media as a source of marketing and branding, so just about any business you might be interested in can be found on social media.  LinkedIn, Twitter and Google+ are  incredibly useful. 

Social Media Examiner is a great social media resource and has fantastic tips for creating profiles and utilizing social media in the best way possible.  We look to their blog posts and webinars all the time for continual updates and information about social media.  One article they posted is called, “How to Grow Your Business Network with Social Media“.  One of the things that it mentions is the value of groups on LinkedIn.  Getting involved in a group that is related to your interest on that site, along with Google+, and participating in interesting conversations is a great way to get noticed.  

And if you’re struggling with things to post on social media, a great way to do this is Google Alerts. You can set up alerts for topics that you’re interested in and get emails every day with the latest posts about those topics.  You can then comment on those posts or share them on social media with applicable hashtags to increase your networking.

Honestly, experience is THE most valuable thing when it comes to the professional world.  When my company is hiring employees, we rely on recommendations from people that we trust and experience more than a college degree.  And networking is absolutely the first step to getting there.