How to make networking part of your everyday life

If you’re like most people, you only network when you’re in urgent need of a job or professional change. The reality is that networking is most beneficial if you do it throughout your career —?whether you’re looking for work or not. In fact, it’s not an exaggeration to say that constant networking is foundational to a successful modern career.

You likely run into two main issues when it comes to networking. First, networking has a terrible reputation when it comes to social situations. Most people think of networking as awkward get-togethers where people just throw business cards at each other. Second, networking is easy to push off until you have no other choice.

To overcome those issues, I reached out to LinkedIn members to learn about their networking techniques. Specifically, how do they work it and relationship building into their daily routines? I can’t feature all of their comments, but you can check them out by clicking here .

Here are some of the suggestions that stood out to me:

• “Book quick 10-15min calls into your schedule or keep a running list of numbers for quick outreach! Particularly during “dead time” like your commute, waiting in the pickup line, during low-impact workouts, etc.” ~ Erica Reckamp, who is a job search strategist .
• “I recommend joining networking groups with like-minded people to build new relationships. I've joined a few this year and I've really enjoyed learning from others in a structured way - joining these groups has really forced me to make relationship building a regular piece of my professional life.” ~ Colleen Paulson, who is a career coach .
• “When I was looking for a job, I joined a local networking group. During that time I would have coffee with others to help ME and provide support to others. Once I landed a new job I joined other networking groups as I realized how much it meant when others provided support to get me through the tough days.” ~ Kathy L., who is a business operations professional .
• “Use the holiday season as a strategy to repatch & connect! Are you on other social media with them? Start engaging there with likes and comments, get their attention.” ~ Sweta Regmi, who is a job search expert .
• “Networking doesn't have to feel like work. It is being curious about others. It is staying in touch with people who are interesting, who you admire, and who you like. It is getting to know others, developing a relationship, staying in touch, sharing ideas, discussing topics, and enjoying the conversations. Some relationships are business centric, some are only social - and for me, most are a combination of both.” ~ Leslie Nydick, who is The Conflict Strategist .
• “If someone starts doing networking just to get profit then it will not work. But if someone does networking without expecting help, it will work. Especially in the COVID-19 time, the importance of networking can be seen.” ~ Neeraj Kumar, who is a procurement professional .
• “It’s difficult to network without coming across as manipulative or desperate. Most people can smell that from a mile away. It is best to meet people as people - not to ghost if they don’t give you what you want right away. Even if you didn’t advance your career, perhaps you made a friend!” ~ Joseph Thomas, who is a broadcast specialist .
• “Pay attention to warm opportunities of engagement. Block 30 minutes in your calendar every week to be intentional about connecting with others, which can include a former colleague or commenting on an admired leader or employee of a target company.” ~ Kelli Hrivvak, who is a recruiter .

* Some of the above quotes may have been edited slightly for length and readability.

What’s your suggestion for people looking to make networking a regular part of their day? Join the conversation by clicking here .

? What else do you need to know?

• Are you willing to boomerang? The war for talent is getting so intense that some employers and hiring managers are trying to woo back former employees who are talented and reliable. When they offer better pay and better schedules, those old employees are saying yes. A LinkedIn analysis found that 4.5% of workers boomeranged in 2021, compared to 3.9% in 2019. Here’s what people are saying about the trend .
• When will people head back to offices? The pandemic forces many people to work from home whether they want to or not, but the latest LinkedIn Workforce Confidence survey shows a lot of workers are hanging on to their work-from-home routines. Here’s what people are saying about the latest data .
• Are homes the newest company perk? Companies are being creative when it comes to employee perks and incentives. One Florida-based company is doing something very unusual by raffling off a mortgage-free house among its roughly 100 employees. Here’s what people are saying about the move .

? Invest in yourself

If you’re like me, your focus can wane at certain points in the day. Unfortunately, it usually happens when you need to focus on an important project or task. This LinkedIn Learning course shares a one-minute activity you can try to improve your focus. You can watch the course below or by clicking here .