How can you build a network to support your career change?

1 Identify your goals

Before you start reaching out to people, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve with your career change. What are your motivations, interests, skills, and values? What are the gaps in your knowledge or experience that you need to fill? What are the challenges or opportunities that you anticipate? Having a clear vision of your goals will help you communicate them to others, and also identify the people who can help you reach them.

2 Research your target industry

One of the best ways to build a network is to learn as much as you can about the industry you want to enter. This will help you understand the trends, challenges, opportunities, and expectations of your new field. You can research your target industry by reading articles, blogs, podcasts, newsletters, reports, or books related to it. You can also follow relevant hashtags, groups, or influencers on social media platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook. This will help you stay updated, and also find potential contacts who share your interests or goals.

3 Connect with relevant people

Once you have a good understanding of your target industry, connecting with people related to it is the next step. You can ask your existing contacts, such as friends and family, for introductions to help establish trust and credibility. Attending events like webinars, workshops, conferences, meetups, or networking sessions is another great way to meet people and exchange ideas. Joining online communities like forums or groups will help you demonstrate your value and interest, while sending cold emails or messages to people you admire or want to learn from can be an effective way to reach out. Don't forget to personalize your message and explain why you are contacting them and what you hope to gain from the interaction.

5 Leverage your network

Your network can be a great asset for your career change, but you need to use it wisely. You can use it to acquire new skills, knowledge, or perspectives that are pertinent to your target industry. Ask your contacts for recommendations, suggestions, or tips on how to acquire or improve them. Additionally, you can ask for leads, referrals, or introductions to potential employers, clients, or partners that are in line with your goals. Further, you can ask your contacts to endorse, recommend, or vouch for you on platforms like LinkedIn, or to share your work, portfolio, or accomplishments with their networks - this will help you boost your visibility, credibility, and reputation in your target industry.

6 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?