No matter your range of technical skills or tangible history of work experience, a robust professional network remains an essential part of your career. When it becomes time to look for a new IT position, networking plays a vital role in getting you back in the game as quickly as possible. Without a hearty supply of professional contacts, you may go months before even hearing about a great opportunity in your field.
In short, an emphasis on networking helps lead to a great technology career. With success in mind, here are seven tips to grow your own professional network. Let’s check them out.
Use Your LinkedIn Profile
Sure, everybody has a LinkedIn profile, but you need to go beyond merely using it as your online résumé. Connect with interesting people in your field; join Groups related to your daily work; and recommend and endorse your connections’ skills to better grow your own network.
Become Active in Local User Groups
Joining local user groups related to the technologies in your skill set is a great way to add connections. Consider giving a presentation at an event to show off your technical acumen to those in your region.
Be Authentic When Developing Professional Relationships
When you connect with fellow professionals online or in person, make it a point to truly develop these relationships. Be authentic and express real interest in your colleagues’ work, instead of coming off like you are merely adding numbers to your LinkedIn connection list.
Periodically Reach Out to Trusted Connections
Don’t treat your network as a just static list of names. Make it a point to periodically reach out to your most trusted networking connections. Find out what interesting projects they are working on, or if they have other industry news relevant to your career.
Promote Others in Your Network
Spend time promoting others in your network. This could be the LinkedIn recommendations discussed earlier, or even tweeting or blogging about any of their newsworthy accomplishments. This is good karma that will pay off for you in the future.
Follow Up With New Connections
When you make new connections in person, be sure to follow up and thank them for the opportunity to chat. This helps make you more memorable to someone who may end up being valuable for your career.
Make a Recruiter a Valuable Part of Your Network
A top-notch IT recruiter can be a vital part of your professional network. Find one you can trust and foster a career-long relationship with them.
When searching for a great technology recruiter, look no further than Synerfac. As one of the top technology staffing agencies serving Cherry Hill, NJ, we can help take your career to its highest level. Contact us today to learn more!
