What do you do if you want to expand your professional network in late career?

Reaching out to former colleagues, classmates, and associates can be a sensible move when looking to grow your network later on. A modest gesture, such as a note to reconnect, can spark dormant relationships and potentially lead to new introductions or opportunities in the engineering field. Maintaining a solid professional network is critical for remaining current with industry advancements and capitalising on new opportunities.

How do you turn your 20 years of professional experience into a valuable expertise that can benefit others? - Starting by mentoring within your company and also outside to peers and younger generations. Both ways can learn from each other for sure. - Advising in your areas of expertise - Sharing your journey, and expertise as a guest speaker at local conferences - Attending Alumni events to network and leverage your experience - Partnering with complimentary peers in your network to leverage a joint experience

Attending conferences, and events such as workshops, pitching competitions, or local associations gathering are great opportunities to make new connections. Before attending the event, my key advice is to do your homework, which means: - Check if there is an attendee list to see who will be attending the event. - List the ones who are interested in meeting in person. - Reach out to them before the event to get the word out there and create already the connection, this step will make it easier for the in-person event - Post on LinkedIn that you will be attending the event and invite your network to DM you if they'd live to meet you there as well - Get your pitch elevator ready - What would you like to be known for? What is your hook?

If you are one of those high potential leader but has not been given the right role to fully unleash your potential. Take up leadership roles voluntarily in a professional platform or chamber of commerce and give your best selflessly. You will end up receiving great mentorship, network, revived confidence and lots of patience to maneuver different personalities in a Board. This experience will also teach you to appreciate servant leadership and the satisfaction of giving back can be very addictive. Your members and affiliate partners watch your actions, it builds credibility in the industry. Eventually getting the right opportunity is not a difficult any more. I have been there, speaking from experience.

100% agree! Offering your time as a volunteer leader is a great way to gain new leadership skills and expand your network. Being myself involved in the Board of Directors in non-profit associations brings new perspectives from a diverse group of women leaders all committed and driven by the mission of the association. Why join now? - It can help bring exposure and opportunities you never thought of - It's important to share this great news with your network on LinkedIn and in your resume - It helps expand your scope to new areas and skills - It's rewarding to give back to communities - It gives you more freedom to organize events that help expand the opportunities for networking - It becomes a passion project

It's never too late to learn and in our career, it's all about continuous learning to grow. As an example, the marketing I learned 20 years ago and now has evolved considerably with GDPR, AI, automation, digital... You have to continuously learn by embracing new technologies and getting new certifications to stay up to date. In addition to "traditional" learning, connecting with experts in the areas you're interested in, attending conferences, getting a mentor, shadowing a professional in a skill you want to learn, and taking on a new project are all great ways to learn. I'll end up with networking with peers in a frequent basis is another to learn about other practices and grow.

Take a volunteer role as a younger persons sponsor or mentor yourself. Also seek other mentors to do your new self assigned role better. The group of mentors you connect with will have experience and power to help your network grow too

Look for networking opportunities where leaders come together and just bond or leaders join communities that contribute to a cause. This puts people together based on their interests.