Navigating Your Network: How to Build Quality Connections
Networking.
If you’re anything like me, just hearing the word stirs at least a twinge of anxiety. Any time I’m reminded of the importance of connections, my mind flashes to my limited philosophy knowledge of treating individuals as a means to an end. In addition, my introverted self has a difficult time making even casual conversation — a skill I’ve worked on through years of practice.
I understood the underlying why of building a network but didn’t know how to comfortably build one. I’m not here to say that networking is now the most riveting of activities for me, but I am here to shed light on how I’m learning to accept the process.
While taking you through my personal story of navigating the networking world, I’ll highlight 5 tips that will hopefully help you do the same.
To begin… how did my networking journey start? Technically speaking, building connections has been happening for quite some time. Any professor, advisor, acquaintance, fellow student, and even family member or friend whose career intersected with the STEM (a.k.a., “Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics”) field was, intentionally or not, a valuable connection.
Quick disclaimer here: don’t build connections just for the sake of building connections. Have respect for each individual, with no explicit end goal (i.e., a job from them) in sight. Don’t be disingenuous.
Looking back, that initial stage of networking has subconsciously been occurring for quite some time. I knew it would come in handy to have an easy-to-access list of individuals I’ve connected with, bringing me to tip number one…
TIP 1: During the lifelong process of building up connections, don’t be afraid to keep a list of contacts (email, phone, LinkedIn profile, position/company). It can serve as a reminder to follow up with certain individuals, a notice to check-in and see where they take their career, a way to easily connect at a later date, or just a cue to continuously keep connecting.
Keep in mind, there’s always someone higher or lower on their educational/career journey, so attempt to balance the scales by connecting with those both lower and higher than you on the hypothetical totem pole. You may be surprised to find great advice from those you’ve deemed earlier on their path.
The sooner you start the process of building connections, the deeper these relationships will become, and you’ll feel less like you’re using people as a means to an end.
During my last semester of graduate school, I began looking for my first full-time job. While a majority of my graduate cohort wanted to go the route of statistical programming, I wanted to delve into the world of AI, ML, and more traditional data science. This was challenging as a new graduate, as most of these jobs require a couple of years of experience or working up the ranks.
I wanted to take my time to find the right fit and do the necessary upfront research before the application process. My research came in the form of (as you might’ve guessed) networking. I had an idea of what I wanted to do, but not where I wanted to do it. To determine what type of company would be a good fit for me, I needed insider information. I wanted to get the perspectives of individuals from a variety of different companies (small, large, new, and old), and so I reached out to my network for any available insights.
Exploring companies of different demographics was an angle I felt comfortable with. I liked this approach as it was networking with an altruistic agenda — field research instead of expecting a job. This brings me to tip 2…
TIP 2: Show empathy and think about how you would want a networking call to go if you were on the other side. Your connections are probably busy people who are taking time out of their day to speak to you. Instead of making them feel like a pawn to get a job, treat them like the individuals they are behind the phone. A good metaphor that works for me is picturing yourself as a podcast host. The host aims to get good content out their guest by asking good questions, but do not expect their guest to provide anything before or after the interview.
Prior to networking calls, I always do my due diligence by getting a sense of my connection’s background and interests via LinkedIn. A loose agenda would be in place, but I made sure to leave room for the conversation to naturally flow. Another helpful trick to have in your back pocket is your elevator pitch, or tip 3…
TIP 3: Have a succinct but engaging script about who you are: highlight your background and what you’d like to achieve. Set the stage for what ties you and your connection together as well. An example formula: “I am currently studying [your major] and working on [projects x, y, z]. I have a strong interest in [random topic], which I see currently overlaps with your work, and I was really enthused to connect with you more on your experience with [random topic] at [company].” Keep this pitch short and sweet but intriguing, hopefully sparking questions later in the conversation.
A bonus to setting the stage with your elevator pitch is that it takes the pressure off your connection to guide the conversation and provides clarity and purpose to the call.
Next is the most essential part of the call — active listening. The reason for the connect here is to learn, so put on your best sponge impersonation and soak it all up. Keep your agenda handy, but focus on hearing what they have to say— that’s the point of the call, after all!
Let their answers guide your next question (like the excellent podcast host you are). Try paraphrasing their answers to make sure you understand what they’re saying and to show that you’re truly listening. I also like to jot down notes during the call to refer back to later. If it’s a video call, I skip the note-taking so that I’m visibly engaged. As the conversation is flowing, however, be mindful of the time and be respectful of their calendar.
Afterwards, do a follow up.
Thank them for their time and reiterate a point you found interesting during the conversation. If you have yet to add them on LinkedIn, now is the time! If they brought up any of their colleagues on the call, it’s a good idea to try connecting with them as well. I’ve personally had connections offer to connect me to others during networking calls. This gives you an excellent opportunity to extend your network, or tip 4…
TIP 4: The more comfortable you get with networking, the more you can utilize the power of the extended network. It truly is a small world, and it’s amazing to see how many individuals connect in one way or another. You may find it surprising to see how many people are willing to help a friend of a friend.
Lastly, what if it connection really sells you on their company? That’s what happened to me when I spoke to someone at SAP. What started as a simple networking call ended in my being an SAP admirer!
Now that I gathered my insights and had an idea of what company I liked, I did the legwork to find open positions. I explored SAP job boards and found positions I was interested in — particularly, the SAP Next Talent Program (“SNT”). In my post-connection follow up, I thanked the individual, expressed my genuine interest in SAP due to their honest experience, and finally inquired to see if they knew any more information about the position. While they weren’t familiar with the program itself, getting inside perspective on SAP helped me navigate the application process as a more competitive candidate.
Now, lastly, tip 5…
TIP 5: My final tip is based on what I’ve noticed since landing my first job at SAP. Many individuals reach out to me on LinkedIn inquiring about what specific interview questions to expect for SNT as a data scientist. Questions like these violate my personal rule of connecting for the sake of genuine curiosity with the intention of building a deeper connection. If you’re interested in a program, ask about the program — don’t make me feel a cheatsheet to pass your interview. Connections are available to help you understand the company on a deeper level or the skills needed for the position. A fair interview process is reliant on all the candidates having the same baseline knowledge of the interview, and no one likes feeling used. Connections may open the door to an opportunity, but it’s your responsibility to capitalize on the opportunity. If you land the job, knowing it was due to your hard work will make it mean that much more.
To sum it all up: start officially networking as soon as possible, practice makes perfect, pay attention to your underlying motives when networking, and always keep empathy in the equation.
Last unofficial tip: pay it forward. I feel good leveraging my network knowing that I’m acting as a valuable connection for others as well. If that wasn’t enough of a hint — connect with me! I’d be more than happy to chat with you all.
Take this as your invitation to practice those networking skills!
