Networking is crucial to building a successful career, but it can also be daunting. Oracle career experts Melissa Nicholas and Maria Preethy are here to cut through the noise and give you a clear path to better business relationships in eight steps. Read on to find out more.
What networking is and isn’t
Senior Learning and Development Consultant
For many, networking is only about job opportunities, but it can be so much more. Preethy believes that networking is something that should be woven into everyone’s professional and personal life. Like the saying goes: Your network is your net worth.
“Networks can help you gain insight while mapping career choices and building your career plan, discover opportunities for growth, and become more effective in your day-to-day work,” she explains. Let’s get started!
How to grow your network
Creating a network from scratch, or even updating your existing one doesn’t have to be complicated. Grab a pen (or a keyboard) and make notes on the action points to get the most from each step.
1. Establish your career goals
Establishing goals is essential to developing your network. Start by frankly assessing your aims. Do you want to work on different projects to expand your skills, grow into leadership, transition to a new industry, or even pivot to a new career completely? Having a direction will give you a sense of purpose and focus. You can learn more about this in our handy three-part career planning guide.
Instead of focusing on what you can gain, also consider what you can give. This mindset can help you approach other professionals with authenticity. It also allows you to stay open to learning opportunities. This is a good time to consider whether you need input, or even mentoring, from other professionals.
Take action: Write your career goals in one brief paragraph. Consider where you want to be in six to 12 months and use the career planning guide for inspiration.
2. Identify potential contacts
Begin by identifying potential contacts and networks around you. These can be people you already know, like current colleagues, friends, and even family members—or members of employee resource groups (ERGs) at your workplace. If you have a mentor, consider tapping into their network too. Oracle’s ERGs regularly host networking events for members and jointly with other groups to help grow careers and build diverse relationships.
Take action: List your potential contacts, then consider those who could help you understand what skills or experience you need to meet your goals—or help you find assignments or volunteer opportunities to build those abilities.
3. Develop your brand
A personal brand can set you apart from others and leave a lasting impression. It’s also a reflection of your unique strengths, which can help establish you as an authority in your field.
“Developing a strong personal brand is all part of being a good networker,” Preethy shares. “Putting yourself out there in-person and online, being consistent, persistent, and patient gets positive attention.”
Maintain a strong presence on professional networking sites like LinkedIn and use them to engage with others. Your personal story is key. Sharing your journey, experiences, and accomplishments can make you more relatable and memorable. Keep contributing to your area of expertise to build and enhance your brand. This gives you an authentic voice and helps establish rapport.
Take action: List your unique strengths and skills. What sets you apart? What are your areas of expertise? Review your contact list and note ways you can be an ally by sharing your knowledge.
4. Reach out (when you’re ready)
Perhaps the most important, and challenging, part of your networking journey is reaching out to connections. This should always be about forming meaningful relationships and bringing value. By extending a helping hand, you cultivate supportive relationships that benefit everyone.
This is going to be daunting, Preethy acknowledges, but the payoff is worth it. “First acknowledge any fears of networking you have,” she advises. “If you feel you need to, seek out a course to learn tricks and tools for networking, and get out there and practice.” This is something Oracle offers all its people as part of its extensive career development culture. For example, we recently promoted A beginner’s guide to networking with employees as part of our company access to the Harvard Business Review.
Global Diversity Recruiting Lead
Melissa reminds us that contacts are often more open to approach than you may think.
“It does take some bravery, reaching out to people, introducing yourself. I think with our newly remote world, its actually easier to ask them about their role or experience. People generally like to talk about themselves!”
Take action: One you’ve made a list of contacts, how they can help you, and how you can help them, reach out! This can be as simple as making a call or sending an email, answering a tricky question on sites like Quora (or internal avenues like Slack), or offering your expertise to a project.
5. Join professional associations
Once you’re established with your immediate contacts, it’s time to branch out. Joining professional associations is a crucial step in widening your network. These groups offer numerous benefits that can enhance your career growth and provide valuable networking opportunities.
Take action: Identify and register with up to five professional bodies related to your work. These can be external or internal (if you haven’t already considered ERGs), local, national or international.
6. Attend industry events and conferences
It’s hard to beat meeting face-to-face with industry experts and influencers for maximum networking potential. Before attending, Melissa advises networking hopefuls to prepare an event toolkit.
“Have your business cards, elevator pitch, and comfortable shoes ready!” she says. “Keep your elevator pitch short, definitely emphasize what you want: ‘I want to be a UX designer’ or ‘after college I want to work in finance’ for example. Recruiters and networks want to help, but they need direction to support your interests.”
Take action: Track down and attend an industry event that interests you. In-person is better, but virtual also works if there are opportunities to connect with peers. Make sure to follow Melissa’s prep advice too—although we’ll leave the choice of shoes up to you!
7. Make social media work for you
We already touched a little on this in point three, but it’s difficult to overstate the power of platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Fishbowl, and others for opportunities to connect.
Make sure your profiles are complete and optimized. Next, connect with fellow professionals. LinkedIn is particularly useful for seeking out people who work in your field and sending personalized connection requests.
Take action: Review your professional and personal social media profiles. Is everything up to date and accurate? Are you using the right keywords? Commit to posting two to three times a week on industry topics that interest you and share with potential contacts.
8. Think long-term
Good networking isn’t just about making connections, it’s also about nurturing and sustaining mutually beneficial relationships over time. An investment like this requires persistence and genuine effort to maintain.
Regularly reaching out to your contacts shows that you value them. Sharing relevant industry news or congratulating them on their accomplishments keeps the relationship alive and shows your genuine interest.
Take action: Set regular calendar reminders to check in on and catch up with contacts to keep your relationships current.
So, there you have it—our eight essential ways to step up your networking game, which if used together, will help you get the most from your professional relationships.
Do you want to work for a company that values and empowers the bonds between people? Explore our open roles and take the next step in your career today.