How to Network in 2021

I consider myself more of an introvert than an extrovert. So going to events and network was always intimidating to me. I never felt comfortable doing that. But I know how important it is, so I forced myself to do it, and it became easier over time.

Over the last year and a half, those kinds of in-person networking events are becoming rare, and fortunately, there are plenty of opportunities to network online. I actually prefer it. I find networking virtually less intimidating and feel more comfortable with it.

I speak with many women every week, both as a mentor and as women interested in joining the mentorship program I created with Power ToFly.

Many women I speak with are unsure what they want, so I typically do not sell them the mentorship program and instead send them the following list of resources. I usually get very positive responses and feedback from those women that it helped them immensely.

So here it is:

1. One of the first things I encourage you to work on your?LinkedIn?profile and your resume. LinkedIn is your professional view of the world, and it is essential to have a good profile. I have free and paid training?here.
2. Join PowerToFly if you have not already. You can create your profile?here. By being featured on the PowerToFly network, you will be visible to companies who work with us because they want to hire diverse talent, so you defiantly want to be with us. It is completely?free to join, and we have many?events?daily.
3. At PowerToFly, we also do a monthly?virtual job fair, another great opportunity to meet hiring companies. I typically recommend women I speak to join those Virtual Job Fairs, even if those companies do not have a specific role they are interested in. Again, it is a great opportunity to meet with hiring managers and recruiters from different companies and network with participants. You never know if a relevant opportunity will arise the next day.
4. Our bigger multi-day events are called Summits. The last 3-5 days and are full of inspiring content. Each day typically started with a networking hour. So that is another way to network, be inspired, and hear great content.
5. I highly recommend joining the?lunch?club. It?is a great platform for 1x1 networking. I have used it since June 2020 and met a lot of interesting people. I meet one new person each week. The people I meet are from all over the world and from different backgrounds. It can yield a great conversation, a collaboration, business opportunity, or simply another person you network with and never know how your path will cross in the future.
6. Another great resource is?elevate network. They?have free and paid accounts. For example, I have a paid account that allows me to join a squad twice a year. "Ellevate Squads are small, diverse groups of women at similar points in their career.?" Joining a squad is a commitment of 30 minutes per week for 12 weeks. Elevate also have chapters. Those are groups per location that meet every month. They used to meet personally, but now most chapters meet virtually, and you can join a chapter even if you are not located in the same city.
7. Another free option is to join?elpha. It?is a free community for women. You can network and discuss different topics there.
8. A brand new platform I just joined this week is called Wasta.ai. It is similar to lunch club - "Start building your professional network in the Middle East & North Africa through 1:1 curated conversations". I just joined and have not used it yet.

As you can see, there are so many options to network, so start doing so today. Share with me what have I missed as I am always looking for more ways to connect,