Network Your Way to a New Job

No single action will guarantee you a job offer or even an interview. Instead, several big and little steps add up to success during a job search. One of the most powerful items in that constellation of actions is networking, which can propel your job search forward and support you throughout your career.

The caveat to the above statement is that you need to focus on healthy networking habits. Otherwise, you can end up offending professional connections and undoing much of your hard work.

Networking's First Steps

To start, answer the following questions for yourself:

• What do you want to do??
• Who do you know that is closest to getting you there?

Then, take those answers and prepare to reach out to the people who are in the best positions to help you get to where you want to go. The next step is to ask the people you want to speak with for meetings — whether virtual or in-person. Sometimes that requires you to go through intermediaries, however.

“Avoid cold contacting people with whom you haven’t established a relationship or rapport," says resume writer Dana Leavy-Detrick . "Instead, tap into your own network or a mutual contact who can recommend someone who would be open to speaking with you, and be clear on what your objectives are for the conversation."

But if you don’t know the person or have any immediate connections, that doesn’t necessarily mean abandoning the conversation altogether. You just need to put in a bit more research.

Career coach Matt Warzel adds that it’s generally a good idea to do your due diligence by researching your desired interviewee before you make the first contact.

“Before you ask someone for an informational interview, make sure you know who they are and what they do,” Warzel says. “Look them up on LinkedIn, research their background, and experience and identify what they can specifically offer you.”

Warzel says you should explain your reasons for wanting to interview them with a personalized message, because this shows that you have done your research and know about the field or industry. He adds that the most important thing to remember with your request is to be polite, respectful and professional — and to not be discouraged if they say no.

Embrace Networking Events

Real-life networking events remain valuable job search and career-building tools in the digital age. Sign up for events that interest you. Then, try going alone so you don't hide among people you already know. Research the event and contact people beforehand to start conversations and make plans to chat.

Also, have an elevator pitch ready for live events. Career coach Sho Dewan says a good pitch is clear and generates curiosity from the recipient. Dewan says in Forbes to start with a clear introduction that delivers a hook. Building something? Lead with that. Next, highlight your background with items you want them to remember about you. Emphasize "key points," rather than reciting your work history. Then, use language to make your objective be about them and you, not just you. Close with a call to action by directing them to a website or sharing your contact information. And thank that person for their time.?

Lean Into Informational Interviews

Informational interviews are conversations in which the discussion revolves more around a person’s individual career development and knowledge growth, versus a specific job opportunity, says Leavy-Detrick.

These interviews are often exploratory conversations where a job seeker or someone exploring a career move can gain advice about a certain industry or career path.

It’s important to remember you — the person asking for the interview — is guiding the conversation. You have to make sure you prepare questions in advance, says career coach Katelyn Richards.

She recommends having the questions fall into the following three categories:

1. Ask them about their story, their work, what they love about it, what's hard about it, and how they got to where they are.
2. Ask questions that give you clarity about the company they work for, their current needs, the problems they are coming up against, the work culture, etc.
3. Ask them who else they know that they think you should talk with, and ask them for a warm introduction.

Keep Your Network Alive

Nurture your new relationship by following up with thankful messages and asking what you can do for the other person, before asking them to do something for you. Make the effort to check in with them. If you see an article that touches on your conversation, send it to them. Keep up with their career and comment when you notice a change on LinkedIn.?

Foremost, keep in mind that the relationship is reciprocal, not transactional. Also, don't wait for a job search to network.

“Networking is critical,” said Demisha Jennings , career strategist and CEO of She Assists. “It has value at all stages of your career, particularly when you aren’t job searching. A lot of the time, people think that just because they're employed, they don’t need to network, attend events or put themselves out there. But as far as I'm concerned, there is no job security ever. You always need to lean into networking opportunities so that when future opportunities arise, you are the top candidate.”

(This article has been adapted by Todd Dybas from existing reporting appearing on Get Hired by LinkedIn News and Get Hired by Andrew Seaman .)