Networking effectively can positively impact your job search. If you haven’t fully embraced it yet, it might be because you’re concerned about coming across as too salesy, you’re unsure how to start, hoping for quick results or feeling a bit anxious about potential rejection. These are all valid concerns and recognizing them is a step towards making networking a vital part of your job search strategy. 

So, what is networking really? It’s about building and maintaining relationships with people who can offer career advice, share industry knowledge, and help you discover job opportunities. 

Benefits to Networking

  • Increased Visibility: People can’t hire you if they don’t know you. Networking helps you meet new people, make a strong impression and build a good reputation.  
  • Increased Referrals: Referrals can improve your chances of getting hired. People who recommend you for a job can share helpful details about the role and company, and help you get noticed and invited to an interview. 
  • Industry Insights: Talking to people already working in your industry helps you learn about job openings, workplace culture, career paths, and important trends — information you often can’t find online. 
  • Skill Development: Learn about new skills, best practices, and resources relevant to your field. Plus, networking itself helps you build communication and relationship-building skills! 
  • Faster Job Search: Speed up the job search process by connecting directly with decision-makers. 

4 Ways to Network Effectively

Build Your Network 

Building your network means contacting people you already know and trust and making new connections. Start with friends, family, coworkers (past and present), neighbours, alumni, social groups — people already in your life. 

To expand your network, attend events (in-person or online), ask for introductions from your existing network and reach out directly to new people. Find ways that work for you and align with your goals. Being open and curious will put you in the right frame of mind to meet new people.  

Whether you’re networking with someone you know or someone new, keep these tips in mind: 

  • Be yourself. Focus more on being interested in others than on trying to be interesting yourself. Ask open-ended questions and listen with curiosity and attention. 
  • Be specific with your request. Know what you’re looking for and the right people to approach. 
  • Build a networking habit. Don’t wait until you need a job. Build and maintain relationships consistently over time. 
  • Be prepared. Prepare thoughtful questions that go beyond what you can easily find online. 
  • Follow up.  Thank them and keep them updated on your progress.   
  • Evaluate your network. Consider whether your current connections are enough to achieve the results you want. Are there professionals currently outside of your network that you’d like to connect with? 
  • Maintain your connections. Periodically check in with your connections. Comment on their LinkedIn posts, share relevant articles or videos or acknowledge their achievements. 

Networking is about building real relationships, not just collecting contacts. When you show genuine interest, offer value and stay connected, you create a powerful professional community that can support you throughout your career. 

Create a Strong Personal Brand 

To establish your professional identity, update your resume and LinkedIn profile, build an online presence (e.g., post original content and comment thoughtfully on others’ posts) and prepare an elevator pitch.  

The key components of an elevator pitch are: 

  • Who you are: Introduce yourself with your name and your profession/title. 
  • What you do: Describe the work you do in language that is easy to understand for your listeners.  
  • What makes you unique: Communicate your unique value proposition (i.e., what you do better or differently than others in your field). 
  • Your goal: Share what you’re looking for (e.g., introductions, job opportunities). 


Example:

Hi, I’m Sadia Ibrahim. I’m a web developer with five years of hands-on experience at a small tech agency. I specialize in building great websites and solving tricky problems with creative, user-focused solutions. What sets me apart is not just my technical skills, but my passion for creating websites that are efficient, easy to use, and look great. I’m now looking to bring that same energy to a larger company — somewhere that values learning, inclusion, and offers opportunities to grow into leadership. 

Reach Out and Connect 

If you want strong professional relationships, you need to know how to contact others effectively. Your approach depends on your relationship with the person, the specific situation and their preferred way of communicating.  Don’t be afraid to ask how they prefer to be contacted.  

Here are the main ways to connect with some recommendations: 

  • Email is appropriate for people you’re contacting for the first time or people you don’t know well.  
  • Phone works best for building rapport or for discussing something complex. Some people are decidedly not phone people, and others like scheduled calls.  
  • Text messages are helpful for quick exchanges or setting up meetings with existing contacts.  
  • In-person meetings are ideal for strengthening relationships, making a strong impression, and building rapport with new contacts. 
  • Social media messages are useful for following up after an event or connecting with people in your industry who you find online. 

When reaching out for the first time: 

  • Introduce yourself. Clearly state who you are and what you do. 
  • Build trust. Show genuine interest and ask questions. 
  • Explain why you’re contacting them and how it’s mutually beneficial. 
  • Make a clear request.  Be specific about what you’re asking for (advice, introductions, collaboration, reference, etc.). 
  • Make it easy for them to respond. 

No matter how you contact someone, be ready with a clear idea of what you want to say. Craft an effective message or practice what you will say if calling or meeting in person.  

For connection emails, include:  

  • An opening – a brief introduction and your reason for reaching out. 
  • Main points – details that support your request. 
  • A closing – make scheduling easier by giving two or three times for your contact to choose from. 

 
Cultivate Relationships 

A strong professional network isn’t simply a collection of LinkedIn connections. It’s about real relationships, people that could become coworkers, future hiring managers or collaborators. The more people know what you do, the more valuable opportunities will show up.   

Strategies for developing meaningful relationships: 

  • Maintain contact: Aim to stay in touch four to six times a year to keep the connection active and meaningful. Comment on their posts, send them updates, share helpful information or set up a quick call. 
  • Offer value: Don’t forget that networking is give and take. Share relevant resources, make introductions or offer help where you can.  
  • Express gratitude: Send thank-you notes after conversations. Be specific about what you appreciated.  
  • Leverage online platforms: Be strategic about what you post on LinkedIn (i.e., post content that highlights your skills and experience relevant to your industry) and make thoughtful comments on the posts of people in your network to attract the attention of people in your industry. Acknowledge and celebrate the achievements of your network. 
  • Seek referrals: Ask your contacts to refer you for open roles or introduce you to key decision-makers. 
  • Positive reinforcement: Write recommendations for people you have worked with and offer words of support and encouragement. 

Don’t wait until you need a job to build your network. Start now, be intentional and keep showing up. Networking takes time and effort — it’s a lifelong career skill! With clarity, curiosity and consistency, you can build a network that opens doors to greater success and a more fulfilling professional life.