Experts suggest that there is a definitive correlation between building a strong professional network and career success. Self-promotion is still important even during a pandemic. Although your opportunities may be limited now regarding traditional networking events, you can still interact remotely to gain everything from valuable industry insight and social connections to personal affirmation and access to career opportunities. Here is how to network while working remotely.
Kindly Reach Out to People
Whether it’s a text message, an email or even a phone call, now is a good time to check in with your list of personal contacts. Reach out to old friends and colleagues to learn about new career opportunities. Show kindness and empathy regarding their current situations. Remember, networking isn’t all about making transactions. It’s also about the value of friendship and gestures of goodwill.
Attend Virtual Workshops
Meet new people remotely through virtual discussion groups and workshops. Virtual seminars are growing in popularity and now being offered at most colleges and universities across the country. Or there are a variety of professional networking sites that can help boost your career. For instance, here are some of the top LinkedIn groups for IT professionals:
● Information Security Careers Network
● Information Technology Professionals
● Software & Technology
● Technology Leadership
Update Your Social Profiles
The art of networking is easier now than ever thanks to social media. It is important to make sure that you are using social media in the right way by keeping it professional. You want to focus on building quality contacts over quantity by connecting with high-level networkers such as decision makers, executives, and gatekeepers in your industry. Don’t hesitate to share authoritative articles that have already been published, but you can really keep other users engaged by creating and sharing original content.
Host a Virtual Get-Together
If you are experiencing Zoom fatigue like many others are right now, try hosting your own virtual networking event. First, consider how many people you want to invite. To ensure everyone gets a chance to connect, limit the guestlist to eight people or less. Schedule a 90-minute session to allow plenty of time for meaningful discussions to take place. Ask open-ended questions to promote a structured conversation. You can even incorporate a theme such as casino night, or improv activities to overcome the mundaneness of traditional meetings.
The point that is important to remember is that networking is not something that you should sacrifice right now. You can still maintain strong personal and professional relationships even during a pandemic by using these tips to network while working remotely.
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