Expanding Your Network

When I ask my clients about areas they want to improve in their career development, I often hear “I’m not good at networking”. They recognize that having strong relationships in their professional network is as beneficial to their career as having strong friendships and family relationships is healthy for their life.

Networking takes some effort, but the strategies can be simple. Planning is easy but action is hard, especially if you lean introverted.

There are many practical activities to build your professional relationships and many can be very informal. These networking practices include:

• Low-effort and online

  • Sending a text message to a colleague just to stay in touch

  • Checking in with an existing or new contact on LinkedIn

  • Creating, commenting on, tagging, and sharing social media posts

  • Scheduling a 1:1 virtual meeting

  • Writing a LinkedIn testimonial to express your appreciation for a colleague

• In-person

  • Attending professional networking events, socializing, and sharing contact information bi-directionally with new people

  • Scheduling a coffee, lunch, or dinner meet up

  • Speaking on a panel discussion to meet peers and socializing during the event to increase your presence

• More effort, more reward:

  • Offering support to a professional contact, or receiving their support

  • Acting as or requesting a referral for a job opportunity

  • Following up with new contacts from events

  • Mentoring or being mentored

Some people think they don’t know how to expand their network or “get the date” with a professional contact. It’s as simple as writing a warm message and requesting some time, respectfully and earnestly. See example below

Nurturing Your Network:

Hi [Name],

I hope you’re doing well! I’m reaching out because it’s been a while since we’ve connected. I’d like to schedule some time for us to meet virtually or in person – coffee or lunch is on me! How would next Wednesday for lunch at [an appropriate restaurant or coffee shop] work for you? Feel free to suggest other times.

Thank you for considering this, and if there’s anything I can do to support you personally or professionally, please don’t hesitate to ask.

Warm regards,

[Your Name]

[Your Contact info]

Expanding Your Network:

Hi [Name],

I hope you’re doing well! I’m reaching out because I’m looking to expand my network and connect with more like-minded professionals. Given the meaningful connections we’ve built, I thought you might know someone in your circle who would be a great person for me to connect with, either personally or professionally.

If there’s someone who comes to mind, would you be open to making an introduction? I’d be so grateful for any connections you can make—it would mean a lot to me and could lead to some exciting conversations!

Thank you for considering this, and of course, if I can ever return the favor, please don’t hesitate to ask.

Warm regards,

[Your Name]

[Your Contact info]

Actions to take to build your networking muscle

1. Email 10 contacts to connect personally with them or request personalized referrals to someone in their network.

2. Meet with at least 2 people a week for 8 weeks. 

3. Find local events or conferences to meet people and be sure to exchange contact information, then take the first step to follow up with them.

4. Keep a log of who, when, where, and what you remember from each meeting. Note the running total to give yourself some credit for the effort you have put into building your network (“met with 7 new people and 3 past colleagues in Q1”).

Some pro tips

• If you are requesting someones time for coffee or lunch, get the bill as a courtesy

• After you leave the meeting, follow up with a short thank you note and include follow up items

• Any time they have to cancel and reschedule, be understanding and accommodating

• Enjoy networking—if it feels like work, then you’re missing the real opportunity to connect with another human being