How to Network Virtually

Catherine Kraus, Women Returners Coach, has created a short webinar on "How to Network Virtually" as part of our new series to support our network through the COVID-19 crisis. Here's a summary of some of the key points, with a link at the end if you want to watch the full 12 minute webinar.

Networking is extremely useful to you when returning to the workforce. It can lead to career opportunities and access to new information that you didn’t have before. And while face-to-face networking is a great way to grow your professional network, online networking skills are essential, particularly in our current social-distancing environment.

That’s why we’re offering you some guidance on “How to Network Virtually” - how to get started, how to reach out to others and how to follow-up with your contacts.

How to get started

• Set an intention: Before you start to reach out to others, you need to clarify for yourself what goal you are trying to achieve. Your intention may vary greatly, depending on what kind of information you’re hoping to learn from your potential contacts. If you’re returning from a longer career break, you may want to reconnect with a former colleague to understand the recent industry trends from her perspective. If you’re thinking about becoming a freelancer, you may want to reach out to an acquaintance who did the same, in order to understand the pros/cons being an entrepreneur. Set your intention by reflecting on what you’d like to learn and, then, as a next step, think about who could possibly help you get that information.

• Schedule time in your calendar: Networking doesn’t have to be time consuming. When you’re planning to return to work, you have a lot of things to do. That’s why it makes sense to set aside dedicated time to networking. This will be individual to your goals and availability. You could reserve one hour a week, say every Friday morning to reach out to 3-4 contacts or you can choose to block out one full afternoon per month to catch up on all your networking activities.

• Update your online profile: Make sure your online LinkedIn profile is updated and complete (for more details how to do this, read our blog post How to optimise your LinkedIn profile). Connecting with professionals in your area of work and reestablishing relationships can open up opportunities you might not have considered.

How to reach out to others

• Start with people you know: Many people find it intimidating to approach others, especially if it’s not in-person. It may feel contrived or needy. Luckily, psychology reassures us that, in general, people are open to helping others. Still, you can make it easier on yourself by starting to build your online network with people you know. You probably have more networking connections than you think. Sit down and brainstorm all the people you know: include former colleagues, neighbours, volunteer groups, your child’s school parents, sport club contacts and university and school friends. Then prioritise your list based on your networking goals.  

• Make it personal: Adding a personal message to a LinkedIn connection request will help your request stand out. Remember if you worked at a big company or if it was a long time ago, you need to let ex-colleagues know exactly when, where, and how you worked together. Also take the time to personalise when you send an email, direct message or text: make it’s sincere, unique and all about connecting with the other person. Here are some ideas from The Muse on how to write a request to connect.

How to follow up with contacts

Last, but not least, you’ll want to keep track of and follow up with your networking contacts.

• Don't keep it online: Fix phone or video calls with a few people on your priority list. Ask for 20-30 minutes of their time. Keep in mind your goal  when you're structuring your request and the call itself. 

• Keep notes: Remember to note down any follow-ups from the conversation: Did your contact give you additional contacts to reach out to? Did you get recommendations on important business articles to read? Did your contact ask you keep in touch with the progress of your job search in a month’s time? It helps to keep a simple spreadsheet with information such as: Name of contact, Background information, Date you last contacted, How you’re connected and Notes (e.g. your activities, possible next steps, or new leads).

For more tips on networking watch our pre-recorded webinar: How to Network Virtually presented by Catherine Kraus [12 mins]

How to prepare for networking at a conference

The Women Returners team are looking forward to meeting many of you at our Women Returners Conference in London next month. The day will be packed with return-to-work advice, support and inspiration, with plenty of opportunity to network with like-minded women and meet our 10 Employer Sponsors.

We know many returners find the idea of networking quite daunting, so here are some tips to help you make the most of our Conference or other similar events.

 

Set yourself a goal: This may be to speak to three people you haven't met during the breaks between sessions, or there may be a particular employer sponsor you'd like to speak to. Achieving your goal will be a boost to your confidence. Just make sure your goal is achievable so that you don't feel too much pressure. And don't forget to pat yourself on the back when you've achieved it!

Plan your introduction: Although one of the workshops will cover in detail how to craft your personal story, it's a good idea to have a brief introduction prepared. This needs three elements: your name, a brief description of your background, and your reason for being at the conference. You don’t need to talk about the reason for your break, or its length at this stage. If you are new to networking, it might help you to practise saying your introduction out loud or with a friend, to get used to talking about yourself in this way.

Prepare topics: Whether you're focused on meeting an employer, or still working out your future direction, it's a really good idea to do some advance preparation. This includes researching individual speakers and employers online and through your existing networks, and developing questions you can ask to specific individuals and generally to other conference attendees. If you find it uncomfortable to talk about yourself, ask questions when you meet someone initially - it's an easier way to start a conversation. Advance preparation means you can arrive at the conference confident that you’ll have something to say to the new people you meet. 

Use LinkedIn to connect with other people: LinkedIn is a great way to find and connect with other attendees at a conference. You can do this manually, simply by looking up the people you meet. Or you can use a tech way if you have a smartphone: 

1. Enable Bluetooth on your phone. 
2. Click on the two people icon at the bottom of the screen in the LinkedIn app and then 'find nearby' in the middle at the top of the screen
3. You will then be able to invite anyone at the event who also has this screen open to connect. 

If you're coming along to our Conference in London on 13 May, and are on Twitter, do use the hashtag #WRConf and tag @womenreturners to join in the conversation on the day. We hope to see you there and know you'll have a great time - remember everyone at the Conference is a returner so you can relax - you've found your tribe!

If you don't have your ticket for the Women Returners 'Back to Your Future' Conference yet find out more and book here. And you can find information on our Conference's Employer Sponsors here.

For more tips on how to network successfully, see these blogs in our Advice Hub:

Top tips for enjoyable networking

Are you missing the point of networking at an event?

Do I really have to network?

Tackling Fears about Returning to Work after a Career Break

We are witnessing a very real change in the employment landscape for women returning to work after a career break. Employers are coming up with innovative ideas to attract and retain women, and showing willingness to implement the changes needed to entice returners. All in all, there’s never been a better time to return to work, so what’s stopping more women from taking advantage of these opportunities?

Elaine Russell, who heads up Women Returners in Ireland, and Karin Lanigan, Manager of Career Development and Recruitment Services for Chartered Accountants Ireland, talked to The Irish Times Women in Business Podcast about the common fears and challenges faced by women who are considering a return to the workplace. Below we have pulled out some of the key points and you can also listen to the full podcast episode here.

I’ve been out of the workplace for too long
You mustn’t let the length of time you’ve been out of work stop you from going back. We have worked with returners who have been out for 15 years or more and have successfully returned to professional-level work through returner programmes or through their networks. Remember that the length of your break doesn’t change your strengths, which are an integral part of who you are, and doesn't wipe out the career experience you had beforehand.

Also, you don’t need to talk about the length of your career break when introducing yourself to prospective employers. Do reference it - don't apologise or defend it - however, focus predominantly on your previous experience and what you want to do going forward.

I’m too old
Diversity is a hot topic right now, with many companies actively looking at ways of attracting older people. We’re seeing more and more women in their 50’s returning to the workplace, where they’re appreciated for their maturity, experience, perspective and stability.

I can’t get to grips with new technology
Technology moves quickly and some returners fear they’ll never catch up. However, it’s worth remembering that this rapidity of change means that everyone has to work hard to keep abreast of developments, even those people who have never had a career break. If you take some time to get yourself up to speed, you may actually be in a stronger position than others who haven’t had that time. It’s also worth bearing in mind that technology in the workplace is not so different to the technology we use at home these days, and so you might well find that you’re not as out of the loop as you may think!

I’ve lost my confidence
We know that women typically have less confidence when valuing their professional worth. Combine this with an extended career break, and professional confidence can truly plummet. It’s important to work on building your self-confidence so that you’re ready to go back into work with a positive mindset. Reconnect with your professional self and remember the value of your past qualifications and experience, and also of the skills you have gained outside of the workplace.

I can’t compete with applicants who haven’t take time out
Companies are actively looking for people like you, i.e. people who have taken time out and are coming back to the workplace with renewed energy. Remember that your time off is an asset in itself, and that during that time you gained a breadth of perspective and many new skills which you can feel proud of.

I’m scared of networking
While we often think of ‘networking’ as a process of selling ourselves, which can be a scary prospect, it’s more about meeting and chatting to people, which is what we do all the time. Networking can be enjoyable! You're not asking for a job - you're letting people know  about your previous work experience and what you'd like to do now, to see if you can get advice and information. Remember that most people want to help and are generous with their time.

I don’t have recent experience
Experience doesn't have to be recent to give you credibility. Think back on the successes from your career: make a list and remind yourself of your achievements, perhaps even contacting former colleagues who can jog your memory. It doesn’t matter how long ago it was, it still counts.

If you want even more inspiration, take a look at the returner success stories on our website, and read about how those women and men overcame their own personal challenges to successfully return to work after an extended break.

Read more on Tackling Return-to-Work Fears and Doubts here.

Posted by Elaine

How to Map your Network

I get that networking is important but I have no idea where to start? 

Most returners in this contemporary job market get the fact that networking is important. They realise that in this day and age, the majority of roles are filled directly from people’s networks and not from recruiters or adverts.  

But for many of you there may still be a mental block when it comes to approaching your network - or even recognising that you have a network! Particularly when you throw a career break into the mix, adding to the overall effect by magnifying fears and worries about who and how to use contacts to help. 

So let’s challenge some of the common assumptions that may be holding you back from thinking about how your network can help with your return to work.  

I don’t have a network anymore. 

I hear this a lot from women who have had a career break. In fact, we all have a network. It may be a different network than the one you had before your break, it may be a combination of old and new contacts and it might even be a better one than you had before! You might just not be thinking of it as a professional network or be assuming that those you spend time with now won’t have any useful professional contacts. 

I can’t ask people I know socially to help me with my job search. 

Would you help your friends if they asked you? We like helping other people. Remember you are not asking your friends for a job but simply for information or an introduction to someone in an area/organisation that interests you. It’s also a good way to begin practising your work story and re-engaging with the ‘professional’ you. A lot of leverage can come from a personal network, particularly after a career break. 

Remember “Six degrees of separation”? The trick with networking is tapping into your wider network – most opportunities come this way. This means multiplying your contacts and reach by accessing your network’s network. 

My current contacts won’t know anyone in my field of interest.

This is a common assumption, but you can't have total awareness of your network’s network. One returner's neighbour's brother turned out to be very senior in the sector she wanted to get into and was able to make an introduction. You don’t know who might know who ..

We often meet women who have known potentially-helpful contacts for years but yet never had a conversation about their professional selves. You could be sitting on dynamite contacts right in front of your nose!

How to Map your Network

Mapping your network helps you to think about who you know and to prioritise who to approach.

1. Create some quiet space and time to brainstorm different areas of your life in which you have contacts who might be able to help you. Be creative and think broadly!
2. Consider contacts in Past and Present, together with ideas on new contacts you could develop in the Future. Here are some groupings to get you started (adapted from the excellent book Back on the Career Track):
1. Past: School, university, professional training, work (colleagues, clients, suppliers, alumni groups)
2. Present: Family, friends, neighbours, sports, hobbies, volunteer contacts, religious and community contacts, professional bodies, school network  
3. Future: Create local alumni network or job search group, volunteer, join an association
3. Include all the people you know in each group. Make a rule not to rule people out. Remember to keep an open mind and approach it with curiosity – wouldn’t it be interesting to find out who people might know? Use LinkedIn to find people from your past and enlist others to remind you of people you may have forgotten about. 
4. Map it out in a way that works for you – it might be a spider diagram, post-it notes on a large piece of paper or a spreadsheet. 
5. Prioritise your 1st level contacts - those you will approach first - by creating relevant criteria such as: “Do they have relevant sector/function/technical knowledge?” “Do I think they will know a lot of other people who could help?” “Do I feel comfortable contacting this person early on?”   
6. Then map out 2^nd and 3^rd level contacts – those you will approach later. John Lees' book Just the Job is helpful in explaining how to work out different levels of contacts. 

I've mapped my network. What now?

1. Your primary goal is to use your network to make useful new contacts. Approach your 1st level contacts - tell them what type of work you're looking for, relating it to your interests, skills and experience before and during your break. Ask them if they know of anyone who might be able to offer you advice or to provide information on your area(s) of interest, and if they would be happy to make an introduction.
2. With each new person you meet, ask at the end of the conversation if they could introduce you to anyone else who would be interesting to speak to.
3. Create a system for tracking your progress and adding to the network as you expand your list of contacts. A spreadsheet works well at this point.  
4. Reward your progress – it’s better to approach several useful contacts per week than to spend hours researching on the internet with no focus. Every time you set up a call, arrange a coffee or gain a new introduction reward yourself in some sort of way that’s meaningful for you – it will take time and effort but will be of great long-term benefit not only for your first role back but in terms of your ongoing career opportunities! 

Posted by Kate Mansfield, Lead Career Coach, Women Returners

Are you Missing the Point of Networking at an Event?

This week's blog is by Rachel Halsall, one of our Women Returners Coaching team.

One of my favourite ways to spend time is to work with coaching clients to design their networking strategy. 

After having had the pleasure of providing coaching sessions at the Women Returners Conference, it struck me that many of the women I spoke to were missing the point about what networking at an event is all about and what the benefits can be. What I heard in a number of these coaching conversations was a belief that networking is about walking up to somebody you don’t know, reciting an elevator pitch and then asking them for a favour, an opportunity or a job.

Whilst it's true that your next opportunity may well come about through your wider network, this is not what networking is about at all.

What is event networking about?

To ‘network’ at an event is ...

• To walk into a room of people and to engage in interesting conversations; 
• To find out more about another person and their perception and ideas;  
• To enjoy social interaction in person rather than through social media; 
• To share knowledge;  
• To build new contacts and widen your network of interesting people;  
• To find out what is going on in your or other sectors;  
• To make introductions to help interesting people meet other interesting people.

At the Conference I saw that some great conversations were happening all around the room, and that new relationships were being developed. I hope that these conversations continued after the event. Staying in touch and nurturing that connection is essential - in most cases it is through this on-going effort, rather than the initial introduction, that you will see the advantages of having a great network pay off. 

How can you get better at event networking?

You can get better at this form of networking, and enjoy it more, simply by getting out there, attending some events and asking other people some questions. Practice listening intently to somebody about their take on things. Be interested in what you are hearing rather than worrying about whether or not you are interesting. Use the kind of listening skills that you would use on a first date and you will find that you remember much more detail than if you're focusing on saying something impressive.

If I am paying attention to you, listening to you, enjoying your company, learning from you and sharing my knowledge with you, you are more than likely to want to stay in touch with me, to ask me for help and to help me should I ask. This is the point of networking. 

To finish with an easy tip: Smile when you enter the room and turn your ears on!

Posted by Rachel, Women Returners