When and How to Network
On Episode 2 of the Start Fast Podcast, I met with Chelsey Feldman who shared her career journey and how she made the transition from Finance to Product Marketing. With Finance and Product Marketing being two drastically different career disciplines, you might wonder how she made the leap. The short answer would be networking and seizing opportunities, but that wouldn’t paint the full picture.
In Chelsey’s case, after a stint in investment banking, she found herself as a Financial Analyst for Microsoft. Most people would be thrilled to have any job at Microsoft, but Chelsey quickly saw her passions moving away from Finance. During her rotational program at Microsoft, Chelsey had the opportunity to work on the M&A (mergers and acquisitions) team. What she found is what most interested her had to do with things like product/market fit, go-to-market planning and strategy, product integrations, etc. It was while she was on this team that she decided to make the leap to marketing.
But the transition didn’t happen overnight. If you listen to the full episode, you’ll hear more details of what happened between her interests changing and her role changing. However, what never changed throughout Chelsey’s career was how she networked. Many of the opportunities Chelsey has had, she attributes to how and when she networked.
The 3 Best Times to Network
1. While You’re a Student
Whether you’re at a university, technical college, or going through a bootcamp, chances are you already have some idea of what career path you want to take. As a student, you have a great opportunity to network and get mentored by professionals in the field you’re heading toward. Most people enjoy helping and giving advice to students, so this is prime networking time. The worst thing that can come from networking as a student is you figure out you don’t want the career you thought you did. But at least you know before you get into a field you won’t like.
Some of the positive outcomes of networking as a student are internship opportunities, job opportunities, advice that better prepares you for entering the field, and many others. This early network could jumpstart your career and take you down paths you never dreamed you’d go down. So, if you’re a student, take full advantage of the position you’re in and shamelessly network with as many industry professionals as you can. You never know where it could lead.
2. When You Get the Job
You might be thinking, “Wait, I got the job, why do I still need to network?” While the thought has merit, it’s short-sighted. The job you just got will likely not be the last job you get or want. Like Chelsey, your passions and interests might change. What will you do then? It’s not only important to network cross-departmentally for the sake of your career progression, but it will simply make you better in your current role. The broader your view of what the company is doing, the more opportunities you’ll find to add value and gain the respect of colleagues across the company.
3. Before You Start Looking to Change Jobs
If you’re looking to start networking after you want to change career fields or companies, you’re already far behind. It’s important to build relationships inside and outside of your company, long before you have a desire to make a move. If you start to feel your interests changing, start looking at your options. Get close to colleagues in other departments and find out what they’re doing. When you start feeling excited about what someone is talking about or what they’re doing, you know you’re onto something.
And don’t limit yourself to your company. Find other companies who have a mission or product that resonates with you. Reach out to people at the company, preferably in the field you’re interested in, and find out how they like the company, what they’re doing in their role, and share your interest in what they do. Ask for advice, invite them to lunch or coffee, and start building actual relationships with people.
The Key to Successful Networking
You’ve probably read about networking advice before, and one of the key pieces of advice is always to be authentic. While I agree, it helps to understand what authentic networking looks like. First, you have to be genuinely interested to be authentic. If you hear a talk, or read a blog, or listen to a podcast (in any setting really), and what the person is saying resonates, reach out and let them know. Ask them if you could talk more about the topic or a related topic. Tell them why you want to connect and how their advice could really help. If they’re local, ask if they’d want to meet in person. Some people prefer phone calls or emails, but a lot of people are looking to make in-person, human connections. Offer to buy them lunch, coffee, a drink. You’re asking for their time, so it doesn’t hurt to compensate via lunch. Then follow up. Thank them for their time and keep in touch, especially if you get to where you want to go. They’ll love to hear how you made it and how they were part of it. Who knows, maybe they’ll be directly part of it?
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John Fontenot | Founder and CEO of JobReadi | Host of The Start Fast Podcast