Authentic Professional Networking During a Pandemic
Last month I was interviewed by Ashley Goudeau of KVUE Austin to discuss my book, KNOCK, and how new graduates can network and build professional relationships, especially during a pandemic.
And while I offer advice for new graduates during the interview, the ways to build our career networking skills are apply to all professionals and leaders. The Knock Method® helps students, graduates, startup founders, emerging leaders, and professional leaders build high-quality career relationships. It helps new graduates start their career on the right foot – or, in fact – several steps ahead of the competition in a fast-paced virtual professional marketplace, and a refresh for all professionals.
One Piece of Advice for New Graduates in a Virtual World
What is my one piece of advice for new graduates? Prepare to connect. Build relationships and network before graduation, and prepare through heavy research before the interview, virtual coffee chat, informational interview, or even before you attempt to open the door with a professional contact.
As 2020 showed up, how we used to network (in-person happy hours with those adored name tags) and grow our careers has changed since we could no longer network in person and the virtual working world has taken over. It’s true that networking has changed, but I’m finding that we can translate the networking strategies we employed in-person before, to do online. While nothing beats an in-person lunch meeting or jibing with another professional face-to-face, you can build meaningful, mutually-beneficial career relationships virtually – and The Knock Method, and KNOCK, the book, provide a practical and actionable guide on how to do that.
Virtual career fairs are popping up. Virtual career fairs are new territory for graduates, and my advice for new graduates navigating these is this: research. Before a career fair – virtual or in-person – get to know the companies and individuals who will be there. Filter out the companies and opportunities that don’t feel like a fit for your skillset and career goals so you can spend your time wisely in the room. Here are tips for reading a virtual room too so you can maximize your time with recruiters and employers that you connect with at the event, opening the door to career opportunities beyond the event. Research, well-done research, will serve as a filter for opportunities and future professional relationships.
You’ll want to research the company, the people, and the company’s values. You want to find how you can contribute to a company. And after you’ve met with prospective employers, be sure to follow up. Follow-up is critical and a great way to stay top of mind. It also gives those you met at the career fair a reminder of who you are and what you can bring to the organization and open roles, but it also gives them time to respond to you. Follow-up is key.
Lastly, I ended the interview by stating, “Do not doubt yourself.” New graduates bring value to any organization. Do your research and find out what’s important to professionals and their organizations so you can highlight your value in a way that’s important to them.
Watch the full interview and leave your thoughts below on the tips provided for graduates. Get your copy of KNOCK: How to Open Doors and Build Career Relationships that Matter to gain practical strategies for meaningful professional networking in the virtual world.
