How do you use your diary to schedule networking opportunities?

1 Identify your networking purpose

Before you start filling your diary with events, meetings, and calls, you need to have a clear idea of why you want to network and what you hope to achieve. Do you want to learn new skills, find a mentor, explore new opportunities, or raise your profile? Depending on your purpose, you'll need to target different types of people, platforms, and activities. For example, if you want to learn new skills, you might look for online courses, webinars, or podcasts that feature experts in your field. If you want to find a mentor, you might reach out to someone you admire or join a mentoring program. If you want to explore new opportunities, you might attend industry events, join professional associations, or follow relevant hashtags on social media.

2 Plan your networking activities

Once you have your networking purpose in mind, you can start planning your networking activities and adding them to your diary. You can use a variety of sources to find networking opportunities, such as online directories, newsletters, blogs, podcasts, forums, or recommendations from your colleagues, friends, or contacts. You can also create your own networking opportunities by initiating conversations, sending emails, or making phone calls. The key is to be proactive and consistent. You should aim to have at least one networking activity per week, depending on your schedule and availability. You can also use your diary to set reminders, follow-ups, and feedback for each activity.

3 Prepare your networking materials

To make the most of your networking opportunities, you need to prepare your networking materials in advance and keep them updated. These include your resume, portfolio, business cards, elevator pitch, and online profiles. You should tailor your materials to suit your networking purpose and audience. For example, if you're networking to find a mentor, you might highlight your achievements, goals, and challenges. If you're networking to explore new opportunities, you might showcase your skills, experience, and value proposition. You should also have some questions, stories, or insights ready to share with your potential contacts.

4 Manage your networking time

Networking can be rewarding, but it can also be time-consuming and exhausting. That's why you need to manage your networking time wisely and avoid overcommitting yourself. You can use your diary to balance your networking activities with your other work and personal obligations. You can also use your diary to prioritize your networking activities based on their importance, urgency, and relevance. For example, you might give more time and attention to a meeting with a potential employer than to a casual chat with a former colleague. You should also allocate some time before and after each activity to prepare and reflect.

5 Track your networking progress

Networking is not a one-time event, but a continuous process. To make sure you're getting the results you want from your networking efforts, you need to track your networking progress and evaluate your performance. You can use your diary to record your networking outcomes, such as new contacts, referrals, leads, opportunities, or feedback. You can also use your diary to measure your networking goals, such as the number of people you've reached out to, the quality of your interactions, or the value of your relationships. By tracking your progress, you can identify your strengths and weaknesses, celebrate your achievements, and adjust your strategy if needed.

6 Nurture your networking relationships

Networking is not only about making new contacts, but also about maintaining and strengthening existing ones. To build trust, rapport, and loyalty with your contacts, you need to nurture your networking relationships over time. You can use your diary to stay in touch with your contacts regularly and show interest, appreciation, and support. You can also use your diary to provide value, share information, offer help, or make introductions. By nurturing your relationships, you can create a network of allies, advocates, and friends who can help you grow professionally and personally.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?