HRNewbies – Networking Like A Pro

Aaah Networking, don’t you get a chill of joy through your body when you hear the word? No, no I don’t. I love networking online but actually going to networking events kind of give me the scares. However, I have learned a few networking tips that I believe are important for HRNewbies, and maybe some of the Pros.

Networking Online:

Using social media to network is one of the best decisions I’ve made in my career. I never thought it would inspire me to meet people or even start blogging, but here I am. As an HRNewbie, you may have not found your company yet, so being out on the platforms allows companies and other HRPros to see you, as well as in return, you get to see how they use social media. Some important pieces of advice I can offer is to:

• Make sure you’re active on your sites: If you don’t have a lot of time, don’t have platforms on all social media services, find the best one and use it frequently. I got a LinkedIn account and didn’t really use it for at least a year, but joined Twitter and use it everyday.
• Have conversations: I get upset when someone posts the same thing all the time, “Looking for HR work, hire me”. This does not attract employers, bring more to your social media accounts. You don’t have to post your resume bullet point by bullet point down the timeline everyday, but instead, read blogs/articles, give your opinion, tell how you handled a similar situation.
• Join Chats: There are plenty of HR chats to join, SHRMNextchat, HRHour, WorkTrends, HRSocialHour, JobHuntChat, and CultureChat. Follow the pros that created the chats and follow the pros that are active when the chats happen. Just type the name into the search engine and catch up, they happen weekly, daily, or monthly.

Networking In Person:

Don’t say hi and run away, I had to learn this the hard way. Try to have meaningful conversations with people who are at the event. Slowly work your way around the room, saying hi, giving a business card, and moving on to the next person is rude, and that Pro has learned nothing about you, your business card is going in the next trash can they see. Muster up that courage, you can’t just wait for people to come to you. Try attending some small networking events, local chapter meetings, lunch and learns. Even networking in your office can help you with having small talk conversations with others.

Networking isn’t fun for everyone, but the lessons and people you meet are well worth the effort. Just remember to have conversations with people, don’t expect for your business cards, resumes, and cover letters to be the only winning factors for your career. Go out, make those social media accounts, and meet Pros that can help and give more tips on networking.

Until Next Time …