What do you do if you're an executive in a career transition and need to network effectively?

In guiding executives through career transitions, the initial step is always to assess their goals thoroughly. This involves delving into their career aspirations, values, strengths, and areas for development. Coaches help executives clarify their objectives, whether it's advancing in their current industry, pivoting to a new sector, or pursuing entrepreneurship. By understanding their desired outcomes, coaches can support clients with their preferred networking strategies to align with their specific career goals. Networking is a long term investment of time and it starts with the intention of adding value to the community.

Based on quite a few years of experience as a personal and business coach, I met owners and executives who questioned if and why they should accept help through coaching. Some felt like they were failing as a leader if they admitted they needed help. How would others interpret that? How would that affect their leadership style? But, where do you get to bounce off your ideas, goals, your needed skills like networking, communication and negotiation? Who can you trust and confide with? How do you know you need improvement? Who will tell you not only about things as they are, but what you can do to about it right away? This is where a coach can play that role and many other roles such as clarifying your why you do what you do, then align to it.

I look at career transition and networking as different areas despite the later might help the former. Career transition is first felt by individual at the “self” level as a need to grow or urge to prove or to attain next level. The need stems from reasons which includes financial & psychological too. On the other hand, networking is a continuous process, and drivers for networking could be to learn from others, understand trends, look at professional achievements and also to be connected for a good reference. In a nutshell, I keep networks & career transition in two different buckets.

Defining and aligning goals with purpose and passion, step one. Two, having a powerful vision and three, reaching out in every context posible on and offline.

Well, personal branding on social platforms would some times might result into “judging the book, by its cover”. personally it’s my fear. If people find you a right fit because of your impressive display of content on your linked in profile, am worried, most of us will try to glorify the same. While I say this, am also of the opinion that the social platforms could be used for making your profile accessible to as many good potential employers as possible without much barriers

1) Identify Your Unique Value Proposition: What sets you apart from other execs in your field? Consider your unique combination of skills, experiences, and personality traits that make you valuable to employers or potential clients. e.g. you possess a rare combination of technical expertise and strong leadership skills. 2) Define Your Brand Messaging, consider this like a tag line in your elevator pitch. 3) Showcase Your Achievements and Expertise: e.g. results you achieved. 4) Add value & Curate Your Online Presence: Share content related to your industry or areas of expertise to demonstrate thought leadership and stay top-of-mind with your network.

Navigating Career Transitions: The Power of Networking for Executives. Refresh your online presence: Update your LinkedIn profile and other professional platforms to reflect your career goals and highlight relevant skills and experiences. Attend networking events: Actively participate in industry conferences, seminars, and networking events to expand your professional circle and stay updated on industry trends and opportunities. By updating your brand and actively engaging in networking events, you can effectively navigate your career transition as an executive.

A crucial aspect of effective networking during a career transition is ensuring that the executive's personal brand is up-to-date and aligned with their career objectives. Coaches work with executives to help them refresh their resumes, LinkedIn profiles, and other professional materials to reflect their current skills, experiences, and aspirations. This ensures consistency in their messaging and enhances their visibility to potential employers or contacts within their network.

Creating and honing your Personal Branding is the foundation of Career Transition. Not only will it help your network and new potential employer know you better but it will also help you own whatever serves you in your next step and disown whatever is constituting a roadblock in your career journey. Just by existing, everyone around you has a perceived image or yours, how about optimizing it to your closest authentic version.

I have found that by regularly attending networking events and keeping intentional touch with those in your ecosystem, connecting at a later stage is a whole lot easier

Coaches encourage executives to leverage their existing contacts as a valuable resource in their networking efforts. This includes reaching out to former colleagues, mentors, industry peers, and alumni networks for advice, introductions, and opportunities. Coaches guide executives in crafting personalized messages to reconnect with contacts, emphasizing the importance of building and maintaining authentic relationships.

Your personal branding needs to be communicated to your network so make sure you reach out to potential future bosses, CHROs/ TA or anyone who would bring you closer to them. Avoid long unsolicited messages and instead be minimalist, authentic and relevant.

As an executive in career transition, effective networking is crucial. Update your LinkedIn profile, attend industry events, join professional groups, utilize alumni networks, and engage in informational interviews. Offer value to your network, seek mentorship, attend networking events, and follow up with connections to maintain relationships and explore opportunities.

Personal branding isn't just online but also offline i.e via events, conferences, keynote speeches and panel discussions. When someone tells me they have been attending events, my question is : How relevant are these events to your purpose? Who is the audience? Any potential future boss there? Will you make sure you buy an opportunity to have a quick chat with them? Are you taking your best version so that they have reasons to get in touch with you?

All role transition demands shifts and alternations in mindset and behaviour , hence the necessity for guided assistance, more so if impact is high . However it's better to help such leader with candid conversations , to start with elevation of understanding HOW desired behaviour will contribute to his/her effectiveness. Thereafter, help generate more options which suits new role or will help raise visibility in internal and external enviornment. However, it is seen that affiliation and altruism if it is natural motivation; then it may take little ling time to embrace new set of behaviours .

Be smart about the events you attend—it's all about quality, not quantity! Aim for those tailored to your industry and where the attendees share your goals. Dive deep instead of spreading yourself too thin. The goal is to engage genuinely and authentically with people rather than just swapping hellos with the crowd.

In today's digital age, online networking platforms like LinkedIn offer executives powerful tools for expanding their professional network and showcasing their expertise. Coaches work with executives to optimize their LinkedIn profiles, join industry groups, and actively participate in discussions and networking activities. They also support executives on how they might prefer to use social media platforms strategically to connect with industry influencers and thought leaders.

I spent approximately 25 years in the same industry, working for the same firm. At the time, most of my network consisted of people from within my firm or in the same industry, making it challenging when I decided to pursue a different career. Since then, my network has expanded significantly. Key lessons I have learned from my experience are: (1) Make networking part of the weekly routine (don't wait for a major event to happen). (2) Network outside your current industry. There are many advantages including opening up new opportunities, learning, and gaining different perspectives. (3) Networking doesn't have to be awkward. I view it as a way to meet interesting people, grow, make connections, and explore ways to help each other.

If you're an executive in a career transition and starting to network effectively now at the time of transition, you are late. Think of networking as building relationships consistently throughout your career and not when you need help. If you are proactive in building relationships early on, you can have a reliable network of contacts to turn to when you're in need. Stay connected to your alumni group, your ex colleagues, friends, contacts you made online, offer help, be of service, offer before you seek and your network will be there for you when you need them.

Many times in my personal experience people consider networking as a "one off magic wand"! Let me meet with X and my life with change. Networking in my opinion is establishing meaningful relationship which might ultimately help you with career transition. For me, during a networking event, I prefer establishing a few meaningful connections I will nurture than giving my business card to 100 people knowing that 99 will probably bin it before the end of the event.

Networking should be a continuous effort, not just a strategy during career transitions. Here are some valuable tips: Optimize your LinkedIn profile for greater visibility, participate in industry events, engage with alumni networks, find mentors and coaches, contribute value to your connections, become a member of professional associations, develop a compelling value proposition, ensure to follow up after meetings, and always remain authentic. Remember, the goal is to forge meaningful relationships, not merely to accumulate contacts. Prioritize quality and strategic networking to seamlessly navigate through your career transitions.

Building relationships and new connections during a job transition is key. If you're introverted, try stepping out of your comfort zone by finding ways to meet people with activities you actually enjoy.