COVID-19 has interrupted our lives for months now. We’ve had to pivot our careers a bit and employ some changes in how we carry out our daily work. However, one common denominator still exists—we need to network and continue to build professional connections.
Gone were the days of those in-person events; the socials, networking breakfasts, lunch and learn—all of it needed to be accomplished in a new way. The good news is, it’s still possible to network, and maybe even be more productive in doing so.
Korn Ferry reports this sobering stat: until COVID-19, event planners were putting together more than 5,200 meetings a day, each with more than 10 attendees. COVID-19 brought that to a grinding halt.
Where is the good news in all of this, you ask? Finding positive aspects to our seemingly defunct networking life allows us to realize there’s one big savings, and that is time. The time you used sitting in traffic, looking for a parking space, driving from one spot to another can be worked more effectively into our day, thanks to modern technology.
We are of course talking about all the internet platforms we’ve become so familiar with in the last months. Zoom, WebEx, GoToMeeting, and the like. We were familiar with them before, but now as we become seasoned users, we need to make them work for us the same as any other tool in our career—not for convenience sake, but to actually help expand our network and strengthen those valuable connections we’ve already built. Here are some ideas to utilize our home/remote office space and those in-person conferencing tools into a valuable resource for networking:
Use the video chat feature, not just the audio. Striving to make a great first impression still applies, even from our home office. Have a good background/divider or suitable green screen, dress in your normal business attire, and be ready to meet existing and potential new colleagues with a smile and air of professionalism, just as you would in person. Considering all the stress COVID-19 has brought about, we need to keep our meetings positive and make good connections that will serve us in the future—not connections fraught with despair because we’ve recently lost a job or are frustrated dealing with the pandemic upheaval. Keeping a spirit of true collaboration and offering to help others is essential.
Join in on career fairs and preorganized networking opportunities. Hosts of these events are getting creative, including having a “map” of booths or presenters that you can click on, which will take you to Zoom or a similar platform. Roll with the creative ideas and put them into practice. Some have found that partaking in a “virtual coffee break” is even beneficial. Gather together some colleagues who have commonalities and see if there’s a chance to forge more connections within your network.
Utilize the obvious built-in icebreaker—COVID-19. Taking genuine interest in how people are doing and pivoting their work life is both a chance for them to share their experience, and you may even learn some great tips, too. Most importantly, it affords us the opportunity to share human experience.
Focus on your connection. After brief introductions, pivot the conversation to your new contact and learn about them. They will remember this, and you never know when an opportunity may come along that they would consider you a good fit for.
Be patient and remember everyone’s life has been upended. A colleague may not return a call or email as quickly as they normally would. Maybe it’s difficult to find a good time to meet. Be mindful that they are enduring challenges themselves. Give them a reasonable time to respond before giving a gentle nudge.
Polish up your professional and personal online presence. It’s all about putting your best foot forward professionally. Think about it – what do we do when we want more information? We look a person or organization up online. Make your profiles ones you’d want others to be pleased to see.
The most important takeaway is that we keep an open mind and turn the challenges of COVID-19 into new possibilities. One constant that will always remain is the need to network and develop relationships—we just need to engage in new strategies to accomplish this.
For more information on connecting with Marshall Brown, please email info@mbrownassociates.com and visit our website at www.mbrownassociates.com