How to Maintain Network Connections
Keeping your network of connections fresh is essential. Just like any good gardener, you need to maintain the contacts you have made with just the right amount of sunshine and water or, in this case, personal contact.
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Instructions
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Maintain Your Garden of Career Connections
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Do not let old friends pass by the wayside. Depending on their locations relative to your own, inviting old colleagues or school chums out for drinks or dinner every few months will help you keep in touch.
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Follow up on any contacts you have made at networking events. Though you are likely to meet several people who may not appear immediately useful to your future career, take the time to send email stating what a pleasure it was to meet them and follow up on the conversation you had at the event.
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Make it a habit to contact your network of connections on a regular basis. This can mean something as simple as a card at the holidays or a more elaborate scheme, such as an invitation to your own corporate or industry event.
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Give a little to get a lot in return. Networking is a two-way street, and you can be of assistance to the people you may ask for help someday by finding out what they are looking for in their careers or personal lives. Even a referral to a good hair salon or doctor can help cement a networking relationship for years to come.
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Find other ways to maintain your contacts outside of a "job hunt" scenario, such as sharing news articles of common interest.
Ask for an Informational Interview
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Ask for informational interviews from select members of your network. This is an opportunity to find out more about their lines of business or companies without overtly job hunting.
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Choose your informational-interview candidates wisely. By over-scheduling or spreading your focus too thin, you may do your career harm and use up all your contacts in one go.
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Keep your interview appointment short and make your questions count. Your advance preparation will ensure that you don't waste the valuable time of your contact.
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Follow up with a brief, handwritten thank-you note.
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Tips & Warnings
Know when enough is enough by picking up on clues that your calls or emails have become intrusive to a contact in your network of connections. Just like you, your contacts have busy workdays, and you can demonstrate your professionalism by respecting their need to get their jobs done.
