if you're like me the thought of networking may bring to mind attending large conferences or events where you meet complete strangers who try to sell you their products services or offerings or maybe you just picture yourself at a job fair handing out copies of your resume and hoping you'll get a call back yes this is one version of networking but it's definitely not the only way to effectively network i'm sinead and coming up in this video we've got seven strategies that can help you naturally build and strengthen your network these tips are going to be
fun and easy so you definitely don't want to miss out and if you're on the introverted side you'll want to stick around until the end because we're sharing some really great tips just for you all right let's get to it so you might be thinking do i really need to network in short the answer is yes employee referrals continue to be employers top source of hires delivering more than 30 of all hires overall in 2016 and 45 of internal hires so it's worth your time to start building connections let's start by looking at the ways
that you can grow your network even if in-person meetings are less common strategy number one set a goal to invite one new colleague to meet whether virtually or in person for a coffee or lunch once a month following this strategy means that you're meeting 12 new people per year that's amazing now let's do some quick math to see what the potential impact can be if you meet 12 new people a year and they each had a network of 500 people that introduces you to a network of potentially 6 000 new contacts 6 000 people that
could potentially assist you in your career growth and opportunities did you catch me say 6 000 yes and sure some of those contacts may be within your current workplace but it also opens up lots of other warm leads or people you can now be introduced to if and when the time is right strategy number two join a committee or professional organization here you will have meetings and regular projects with groups of people people that are most likely working in other teams this group can expand your network beyond your regular scope of colleagues however this typically
requires you to take initiative so be brave branch out and meet new friends with new perspectives along the way and here's a pro tip if you are already in a personal or professional organization but have been participating only as a member it may be time to step up your efforts and be more involved or even take on a leadership role and dare to take it one step further by checking in your area for events with host speakers or social minglers that you might like it can't be worth your time to aim to go to an
event both virtual or in person about once a month just to keep the momentum going for building and growing your network all right now before we move on to our next strategy be sure to give this video a big thumbs up subscribe to our channel and hit that notification bell while you're at it so that you never miss out on our weekly career tips strategy number three take a class to meet new people outside of your current friend group meeting new people can be hard but it becomes so much more enjoyable if you meet people
with similar interests it can be fun to explore hobbies like improv classes that help you to be spontaneous and react on the fly without judging yourself too much sewing which helps you to learn a new way to make clothes curtains tablecloths and it may extend you to meeting other local artists and makers and be more involved in your community cooking which can bring out new skills to try food from around the world and entertain your friends gaming that allows you to have fun while shifting your focus some games could include outdoor sports while others could
be more analytical or social gaming brings people together in a fun way while possibly satisfying your competitive side meeting people in situations that you find enjoyable can take the pressure off of feeling like you're networking in fact it just feels like you're making friends establishing a connection on a personal level helps to build a strong foundation so that if and when you start to look for new opportunities you have someone that could vouch for you and for your character now we have a great story on networking which you can check out right up here but
just know that even when you don't even realize it you are always networking and it doesn't have to feel icky it can be fun all right let's move on to strategy number four meet your neighbors i am totally guilty of not knowing my neighbors so maybe i'll go say hi after this video but a small hello does make such a big difference you could try joining a neighborhood book club organizing a small block party or if you own a home try becoming a part of your homeowners association or your hoa you're bound to meet neighbors
who potentially have opportunities within their professional network the consistency of these types of efforts usually leads to several new connections and friendships it can be harder to make friends as you get older so investing in people over time tends to give you quality over quantity connections and it's possible that many of the new people you meet could lead you to your next job ideally you want to expose yourself to new experiences that interest you so that you are having fun challenging yourself and meeting new people win win win this should feel good not disingenuous or
inauthentic so what about networking with your current connections instead of being overwhelmed by how many networking events that you are supposed to attend or professional conferences yeah consider ways you could strengthen your connections rather than forcing them let's look at some genuine ways you can reach out to people that you already know this includes your friends family distant relatives coaches mentors advisors community leaders and more yeah that is a lot of people our network is always larger than we think try reaching out to your connections based on your comfort level and what you feel best
matches your career goals the idea here is to ask questions build stronger connections and work on keeping in touch versus only reaching out when you need something that is why these next three strategies are built around your existing network strategy number five establish a check-in give them a call a video call set up a meeting send a text to simply thank them for the role that they played in your life ask them how things are going if they taught you something that still resonates with you today this could be a great thing to share with
them and depending upon how comfortable you are a little face time can do you some good so try reaching out via video messenger like a facetime or zoom call to get a read for how the conversation is going on the phone we can hear the tone of voice but we can't see body language or make eye contact plus this is great practice for other formal situations like virtual interviews strategy number six drop a message in their inbox if it's been some time since you spoke begin by sending an email or social direct message in this
message you can check in to see how life is going for them and give them an update on yours too now if you've lost touch over the years this could be a great opportunity to let them know what you've been up to it can also be a great opportunity to share how their guidance has helped you along your path so a sample message could be hi katie it's been a while since we last spoke this last year has flown by lately i've been working as a software engineer at an amazing hr tech company because of
the guidance you provided i've been able to act as an informal liaison between the product and customer support teams i'd love to catch up to see how this year has been for you would you have some time next week for a 30-minute call if you're worried about reaching out directly to someone that you know about a role don't stress about it it can be beneficial for them to refer you for a position within their company many companies offer referral bonuses which are monetary incentives to employees that recommend someone for an open role that ultimately leads
to a higher so if you're reaching out to a contact about an actual role they may be willing to refer you because they would gain from your hire too now if you really want to get someone's attention strategy number seven send a handwritten note now it may seem really old school yes but if you have someone's home address it might be nice to mail a postcard especially if you're living in a new city or write them a letter with a thinking of you and or thank you message now you can also send a gift for
birthdays or special events in their life most of us don't get personal mail anymore so sending something tangible to open could be a really nice way to stand out plus who doesn't love receiving mail that isn't a bill connections should be mutually beneficial and genuine so expressing thanks or an interest in catching up shows that this outreach isn't just self-serving now all of these strategies can help build and strengthen your network but what if you're more on the introverted side if you feel hesitant reaching out to people unprompted we have some tips for you here's
our bonus tip consider the groups that you're already participating in where can you make an effort to get to know someone more one-on-one if you've always wanted to be part of a group but haven't found one in your area like a biography book club for example why not start one this helps you demonstrate your leadership skills event planning and can help others to make connections as well once you start inviting people that you know they will also invite some people that they know which equals new contacts for you if you're wondering what to say to
people that are new you may like our video about 10 tips to help you network like a pro now if you feel like it's a struggle for you and it's really hard to reach out and invite someone new to meet for coffee again just revisit what you may already be involved in and see if there's a way to level up versus starting from scratch all right let's quickly recap the strategies for growing your network effortlessly set a goal to invite one new colleague to meet join a committee or professional organization take a class to meet
new people outside of your current friend group meet your neighbors establish a check-in drop a message in their inbox send a handwritten note and our bonus tip consider the groups that you're already participating in if you found this video helpful please hit that like button down below and of course be sure to subscribe to our channel for weekly career tips and if you end up meeting new people and want to revisit how to build those trustworthy connections you can check out our playlist or our video on building relationships in the workplace i'm sinead thank you
all so much for watching and i'll see you next time
