Four Tips to Build a Network if You're an Introvert

At whatever point you happen to be in your career you likely understand the importance of building a supportive, encouraging, and challenging network around you.

This network can be made up of former college roommates, colleagues, your ex-boss, best friends, and family.

Some of us, however, are introverted or shy and might find it more difficult to work through the anxiety to build a network that can support us as we look to achieve our career goals and dreams. What do you do then?

Here are four tips an introvert can take to begin to build a strong and supportive network.

Begin with one. Don’t be overwhelmed. Start simply and work to develop a single relationship. You might find yourself more comfortable communicating with someone one-on-one, rather than attending a group. Identify someone from your job or school and invite them to join you for coffee for a few minutes. These simple interactions are the first steps in forming deeper bonds that can lead the relationship to a place of mutual support. In addition, this simple step can motivate you reach out to others or take on some of the other ideas noted below.

Use Social Media. Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn can provide a great, low-anxiety, way to develop relationships with some of your contacts. You have time to carefully craft a message to someone or to consider a response to a post or a question by someone else. Social media also makes it easier to reach out to others and expand your network, starting with a simple initial “friend” request or follow. With social media it’s never been easier to expand your network beyond those you are already close to.

Start a small group. There are many opportunities to join groups, both in-person and virtual, through a variety of sources but for the introvert it might make good sense to start your own group with a few people you already know. You could start a book club with a handful of friends and open things up for them to invite others. Soon you’ve expanded your circle and widened your network while also making some new friends and building community.

Enlist the help of friends. Finally, of course, let your friends know that you are interested in building your network. Ask them to introduce you to others in their networks who might share similar interests with you. Again, the power of social media can help ease the anxiety around introductions and facilitate getting to know someone a little before meeting up in person.

If you’re an introvert or experience social anxiety these suggestions can help ease the way to building an effective network to help you attain the success in your career that you’re looking for.

4 Ways to Network Without Networking

You know you need to expand your professional network yet you can't stand traditional networking events. Perhaps you're an introvert and you find a formal networking event intimidating or you just feel like everything said is insincere.

Whatever your reasons for avoiding networking it doesn't change the fact that an effective network can be very important to your career success, especially when you find yourself looking for work.

So, what are your options? If you don't want to attend a networking event try the following four strategies instead:

1. Get social with professional bloggers. Whatever field you're in there is someone blogging about it. Find the influencers and the voices for your industry and follow their blogs. But don't just follow the blogs. Be sure to comment from time to time about specific elements in a post. You just might find yourself becoming friendly with the blogger and other readers, thereby expanding your network.

2. Attend TEDx events or similar conferences. Get recharged by hearing some great speakers. You'll likely leave more motivated and might have a card or two from the woman sitting next to you or the guy you spoke with during a coffee break.

3. Work in a busy coffee shop. If your company allows you to work remotely consider spending some regular time at a local coffee hot spot. As long as you can get work done it can also be a place to engage in casual conversations with others working there.

4. Join online groups through LinkedIn. Similarly to the first point above, by following and commenting on posts made by others you can become engaged with others with similar interests and in similar jobs.

Implement these four strategies and take your networking to a new level.    

4 Strategies to Build Your Supportive Network

In order to develop and enhance your career it's always important and necessary to continue to build your network of supportive contacts. An effective network can help you throughout the various stages of your career and life, and through job changes and challenges as they arise.

Consider the following four strategies when you approach networking and building a supportive community around you.

1. Build an advisory team. Instead of having one mentor consider identifying several individuals who can serve as both mentors and adviser on various issues you face in your life and career. This advisory team might include a local business person, a former college professor, former supervisor, or a trusted person at your church or place of worship.

2. Attend an annual conference. Get into the practice of attending the same conference every year and you will begin to develop positive relationships, friendships, and a strong network of people in your profession.

3. Join a local group. If you're a dad join up with a local dad's group, or if you're a mom seek out the nearby mom's club. If you're into tech there is likely a meetup of tech-minded people in your community. Seek out a group of interest and start attending regular gatherings, even if the group's focus is not directly related to your career.

4. Be active on social media. Particularly if you are shy, social media platforms, such as LinkedIn, can be a great place to connect with interesting people with similar interests and goals without the pressure of an initial face-to-face meeting. You can develop a familiarity with people on these platforms in order to make that in-person meeting more comfortable when you do meet at that annual conference your attending.

Implementing these four strategies will help you develop an effective and supportive network.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Taking Risks and Standing Out

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share these every weekend so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

© Bellemedia | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos

• Finding a Job Through Networking Groups: "You might not hear about a job opportunity day one in networking, but if you pay attention and make your intentions of finding a job known,opportunities will find you."

• Why Getting Comfortable With Discomfort Is Crucial to Success: "[A]s every successful person will tell you, it’s only by being willing to make mistakes and try something new that you can ever accomplish more than what’s been done before."


• How to Stand Out in a Crowded Job Market--Forget the Traditional Resume: "[F]or those who are willing to stand out, there is still a ton of opportunity. The first step to standing out and getting your dream job is to start thinking of your resume as one of many tools that you may use to get a job. Then, you must find a novel way to approach companies that you’d like to work for."


• How to Get Hired for Your Dream Job: "
  Your employment career will be a journey not a final destination. Furthermore, what may be your dream today may change tomorrow. A dream job is a job that is helping you progress toward your dreams

  .
  "


• Preventing Rejection at Work: "[W]e all thrive on being connected to others. Don't let your office become a place where people feel threatened by rejection. Instead, bring your conversational intelligence to work." 

The Benefits of Joining a Job Search Networking Group

As a resume writer, I volunteer several times a year for a local networking group. This is a very organized and structured group of people in the Phoenix Metro area that are dedicated to connecting job seekers with the resources they need to succeed. As I sat in the group earlier this week, I wondered why ALL job seekers don't participate in these organizations.

There are so many different ways a job seeker - or someone looking to further their career - can benefit from joining one or more of these types of groups. Here are just a few highlights.

Solid Job Leads and Referrals
The best job seeker networking groups will put you into contact at every single meeting with employers and recruiters. At the very least, you will meet people who are either in a similar industry or know someone that can serve as a source of referrals. In a job seeker networking group, everyone in the room generally understands the value of networking and is there to exchange information and leads. You simply have to remember to clearly state how the group can help you meet your needs. Take full advantage of the situation!

Finding a "Partner in Crime"
A job search can be very lonely and isolating, especially if all you do is sit at your computer and look online for job postings all day. Get out of the house, meet people in the same situation as yourself, trade tips, and find someone who you can talk to when the going gets rough. Don't look for someone that will whine and complain with you. Instead, look for someone who can serve as a positive influence and motivator when you get frustrated or down.

Access to Experts
Networking groups are free. The exchange of information, ideas, and resources is free of charge. This week, for free, I took my job search expertise and advised a number of people on how to better target and focus their search. If they had not attended this event, they would never have received this information that hopefully improved the efficiency of their job search.