Successful networking is more than business-card bingo.

 

The old adage "It's not about what you know but who you know" has never been more true than in today's job market. According to CareerBuilder, employee referrals are the top recruiting method for external hires, accounting for almost one quarter (23%) of new hires. We recently covered ways for you to expand your network. If you're like me, you leave an event with a stack of business cards. Weeks later, they're still hiding in a drawer or sitting on a desk. As one of the most cost-effective hiring methods, HR professionals use referrals as a method of recruiting new employees every day. That's why maintaining your network should be an essential part of your job search. Here are four tips to help you foster new connections while maintaining your old ones.

1. Follow up immediately. When you make a new contact, you should immediately follow up with a quick email. Just a few lines to say it was nice to meet him/her is enough. I usually try to add a personal touch by remembering something we had discussed. It shows that you were listening and made a genuine connection.
2. Track your contacts. Customer management systems like Salesforce.com or Highrise can help you centralize all of your contacts. While many individuals don't need the full power of Salesforce, Highrise has free accounts that store 250 contacts. You can add reminders about following up with people. If a customer management system is too complicated for your needs, I also use a service called FollowUpThen. It's a simple system that sends you a reminder email after entering a special address in the BCC line of an email. For example: someone sends me an email asking to catch up in three weeks. I reply and blind copy 3weeks@followupthen.com in the BCC line. Three weeks later, I receive an email reminder prompting me to send him/her an email.
3. Build quality relationships. Go out to lunch with your contacts, grab coffee, meet face-to-face. These individuals are not just a networking opportunity; they're people. Listen, talk, and find out more about them. Offer to help them with something you're good at. It's a chance to demonstrate some of your skills and make a real connection. Prove that you're competent, friendly and do quality work. You'll be the first name out of someone's mouth when the right opportunity comes along. Don't be the kind of person who only calls to ask for favors. It's seen as manipulative and can ruin relationships.
4. Keep in touch. After you've spent time building quality relationships, keep in touch with these individuals. Stay fresh in their mind. You never know when they might have an opening for someone with your skill set.

Flickr image from osde8info