Top 5 Networking Tips For Job Seekers In 2024

This world moves with links, with contacts, and with relationships that a person makes on different courses of time and at different walks of life. You must have heard an extremely popular phrase from almost all the successful people around the globe, which is, “It is not about what you know, it is about who you know”. This context works extremely well in the world of job seekers, who can cash their contacts so as to get an out-of-the-way interview call or any other undue favor. It is extremely important nowadays to establish some excellent networking contacts which can help you not only in getting your first job but also enabling you to get regular career advancement opportunities. Through this article, Prepmycareer aims to give you five worthy tips as to how you can establish contacts and develop professional relationships which will help you throughout the course of your professional career.

Where To Start From?

How quickly you will be able to develop your professional contacts depends upon your level of intimacy, politeness, and communication that you can use to influence and impress others. The best place to start finding your contacts could be:

1) Your Alumni Group

In case you have graduated recently, the best place to start finding your contact is your own alumni group. An alumni group consists of your classmates, friends, teachers, mentors, and peers, who you have associated and spent time during your academic years. This group is the most preferred way of searching for networks and worthwhile contacts as the bonds and relationships you develop in your adolescent age, prevail and continue for long periods of time.

2) Join A NGO As A Volunteer

Networking is all about socializing. When you tend to serve for a noble cause and join any group that is engaged in extending social services, you tend to make contacts with some valuable and influential people, such as social workers, politicians, government officials, etc. Working for social causes bring people together more closely and quickly as compared to any other aspect. Hence, if you are interested in serving the masses along with making and developing some helpful social contacts, join any Non-governmental organization as a volunteer, which is nearest to your home.

3) Your Church/Mosque/Temple Friends

Everyone believes in God and worships accordingly. Visiting churches, temples and mosques regularly tend to create social connections with other worshippers. Who knows that the person praying beside you is the Human Resource Manager at a Multinational organization or might be the CEO of a unicorn startup. Hence, opportunities never come for granted, rather these have to be created and capitalized upon. Hence, if you are a regular worshipper, make a point to regularly converse with other fellow worshippers.

4) Your Gym Friends

In this modern world, everyone likes fitness and loves to look lean, fit, and adorable. This has led to the evolution of gyms and fitness centers at a rapid pace in the recent past. If you visit any gym or any similar institution, we request you to maintain a socializing attitude with all your fellow fitness enthusiasts. There are high chances that you might find a hiring manager or an influential third-party recruiter in your gym mates.

5) Your Neighbours

We all live in a locality and meet our neighbors since our childhood. For this option, you can also take the help of your parents. If you come across news that any of your neighbors have attained any influential position, be the first one to reach his or her house and greet with a box of sweets and chocolates. This would enable you not only to share the happiness but also give you a solid chance of getting any favor.

6) Your Relatives

Relatives are the last on our list in terms of making contacts and getting some help. However, we do not tend to disrespect them at any cost. If you believe, you have got relatives that are really helpful and have some influential contacts, just reach out to them for help and share your desires. Your relatives might use their own contacts so that you are able to meet the right person or any influential person, having further contacts and links.

Two Types Of Networking

Networking could be of two types, which are:

Informal Networking

Under this type of networking, you reach out to your social contacts, which are mentioned above so as to get favors, advice, and help. This way is best suited for beginners or amateurs who are at the very start of their careers. You might not get direct help from your social contacts, but you would surely be able to meet influential people, through their own personal contacts.

Formal Networking

Under this type of networking, you tend to attend parties, meetings, and events that are business-specific and strictly corporate. This is more of an aggressive and direct way of networking, wherein you make corporate and professional contacts. These contacts might be a bit difficult to make and require a high level of impressive communication as well as interpersonal skills. However, once you are able to develop such contacts, you are bound to receive some help. If you are looking for an entry-level job, you can even get an opportunity to try your hands at a middle-level job. Such is the power and worth of such contacts.

Five Tips For Effective Networking

1) Networking Is A Continuous Process

Human is a social animal, who loves to chat, communicate and interact with fellow human beings. With interaction and socialization comes networking, however the direction must be specific and goals must be clear. A person, no matter at what stage of career, he or she is, must strive to enhance their social contacts and expand the network of professionals.

2) Networking Requires Patience

Hardly, it would be the case when you met a person, a night before, and you got a promotion or a job because of him or her. It is absolutely wrong to have such unrealistic expectations as well as hopes because that would only add to your misery and disappointment. Networking requires a great deal of patience and a person doing it, must not expect results on an immediate basis, rather keep working on strengthening your social connections as well as contacts, and one day you will surely reap the benefits.

3) Prefer An In-Person Meet

With the advent of technology, it is now possible to interact with the entire world using social media applications, specific websites or concentrated groups. There are chances that you will be to make and establish a few connections through your online activities too, but the charm, strength and grace of a connection formed and made after having an in-person or physical meet is unmatchable. When you meet a person face to face, you tend to share not only your views, imaginations and charisma but also the aura, which leads to the creation of a bond that lasts for a longer period of time.

4) Improve Your Communication Skills

This world is made up of several people having different qualities, attitudes and perceptions. In case you are an introvert, there are high chances that you have a small as well as ineffective network of people. In order to improve your present position and reap the benefits of an effective networking, you have to change your attitude from being an introvert to an extrovert and also improve upon your communication as well as inter-personal skills. These skills could be improved by taking part in regular debate competitions, engaging oneself in public speaking courses and taking an active interest in improving the flow of speech.

5) Remain In Touch

All your efforts of making a social connection might go in vain, if you are not able to follow up or remain in touch with your newly made social connection. Hence, it is highly recommended from our side that you always be in touch with your social contact, by making regular telephonic conversations, emails or even through social media applications. However, this must be done in a limit, so that your connection, does not feel awkward or irritated.

References

1. https://dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.1145/3411764.3445774
2. https://econtent.hogrefe.com/doi/full/10.1027/1866-5888/a000269