Why You Should Continuously Network
By Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter
Networking is an essential part of building a successful career and expanding your professional circle. In this video, we explore the benefits of continuously networking and why it should be a consistent part of your professional development plan. From building relationships to gaining access to new opportunities, we’ll cover the top reasons why you should make networking a priority. Whether you’re just starting out or are a seasoned professional, this video will provide valuable insights on how to effectively network to achieve your career goals.
00:00 Introduction
01:01 Be proactive
01:58 Be prepared
02:20 A better elevator pitch
02:47 Networking isn’t just about finding jobs
03:19 Beyond attending networking events
03:54 Continuous networking elsewhere
04:26 Networking isn’t just about a one and done relationship
05:26 Summary
06:19 Outro
Today we’re going to be talking about why you should be continuously networking. I’m Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter. I started to be called The Big Game Hunter when I did recruiting. I hunted down leaders and staff organizations, did it for a long time and filled a lot of positions. Now I provide no BS career advice and coaching to people globally. That can involve a job search, hiring more effectively, managing and leading better, resolving workplace issues or helping with a career transition. I work as your ally to make sure that, frankly, you’ve got backup in making your decisions and support in making decisions rather than having to figure things out through trial and error.
Networking is an important part of professional development and career growth. Building a strong network of contacts can open up new job opportunities, give you industry insights, and help you stay informed about current trends and developments in your field.
One of the best ways to make the most of networking opportunities is to be proactive, and actively seek out new connections by attending industry events, conferences, meetings, and taking advantage of online networking platforms like LinkedIn to connect with people you don’t know and start to build a relationship.
When you meet someone new, be sure to follow up with them and keep in touch. I know when someone reaches out to me, I’ll send them a quick video using drift.video that basically thanks them for reaching out. I’m curious about why they did. And I often don’t hear back, which is really quite disappointing, because I’m taking the time to respond to their request. And they don’t really see a reason to do more than just add numbers to their connections.
Another part of networking is being prepared. Before attending an event or meeting, see if you can research any of the attendees, the speakers, or the organization hosting the event to help you identify potential connections and make the most of your time. Obviously, bring business cards with you.
I don’t want to call it an elevator pitch but have a basic introduction for yourself and your professional background. For example, you heard me say ‘people hire me for . . . ‘ Finish that sentence for yourself. What do people hire you to do? And that’s going to be a much better version of an elevator pitch than those crappy 1980s introductions that people use too often.
Networking isn’t just about a job or career advances advancement. It’s about developing a professional relationship. And in doing so, be genuine, be authentic when networking. Don’t put on a show for people. Share. Be generous with your knowledge and expertise, and be willing to help others because building a reputation as a valuable resource in your industry can go a long way in terms of networking opportunities, and professional advancement.
Beyond attending networking events, it’s important to have a strong online presence. Using a professional network like LinkedIn to connect with others in your industry. Share your professional achievements, and staying informed of trends is important. Thus, optimize your LinkedIn profile by including keywords related to your industry, having a professional headshot. There’s a lot more that I cover in other videos. But in working with this idea of continuously networking, I just want to remind you of those two basics.
Now it can also be done through platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, even TikTok. I’m not a big fan of TikTok for reasons I’m not going to go into. But I’ll just simply say you can start networking in other places than LinkedIn, sharing relevant content, participating in online conversations, and engaging with others in your industry. This can help you build your personal brand, and establish yourself as a thought leader in your field.
Networking isn’t a one-and-done event. It’s a continuous process. Therefore, it’s important to maintain relationships within your network and follow up with them regularly and make an effort to stay in touch. Whether it’s through email, a phone call, a LinkedIn message, a text, keeping in touch with people will help to strengthen your professional relationships. It can also be done through mentorship programs, being active in your community and continuing to contribute to your industry–it helps to raise your visibility with peers, as well as people following you professionally, who you may need as you start to get older because your network may age out. Doing these activities will help you build your network and gain some valuable experience.
So to sum up, networking should be an essential part of your professional development and career growth. By being proactive, prepared, genuine, maintaining your relationships, you can make the most of networking opportunities. Building a strong professional network can open you up to job opportunities, give you Industry insights, help you stay informed about current trends and developments in your field, and much more.
Using platforms like LinkedIn and other social media sites to establish your online presence and gain visibility in your industry will help you enormously. Lastly, just as a reminder, networking is not a one-time occurrence. It’s a continuous process. So make an effort to stay in touch with your professional network.
I hope you found this helpful. I’m Jeff Altman. My website is TheBigGameHunter.us Go to the blog, go exploring, there’s just gonna be a lot there to help you. In addition, you can schedule time for a free discovery call with me to evaluate me for coaching, find out about my courses, books and guides. You can also hire me for what I call trusted advisor services where we take a half hour to talk about questions that you have professionally, and I offer my opinions about them. Ultimately, it’s your decision. But you come to me for suggestions, advice, and ideas. Lastly, . . . I just want to mention the blog is terrific. 1000s of posts you can watch, listen to, or read that will help you. Also connect with me on Linkedin at linkedin.com/in/TheBigGameHunter. Have a terrific day and most importantly, be great.
ABOUT JEFF ALTMAN, THE BIG GAME HUNTER
Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter is a coach who worked as a recruiter for what seems like one hundred years. He is hired to provide No BS Career Advice globally. That can involve job search, hiring staff, management, leadership, career transition and advice about resolving workplace issues. Schedule a discovery call at my website, www.TheBigGameHunter.us
He is the host of “No BS Job Search Advice Radio,” the #1 podcast in iTunes for job search with over 2500 episodes.
Website: www.TheBigGameHunter.us (schedule a paid coaching session, a free discovery call or ask questions using my Trusted Adviser Services)
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/TheBigGameHunter
Courses: www.TheBigGameHunter.us/courses
Main YouTube: www.JobSearchTV.com
No BS Job Search Advice Radio Podcast: anchor.fm/nobsjobsearchadviceradio
Video Podcast of No BS Job Search Advice Radio: Spotify
Twitter: http://twitter.com/jeffaltmancoach
Medium: jeffaltmancoach.medium.com
Resume & LinkedIn Profile critiques www.TheBigGameHunter.us/critiques
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