Networking Meetings and Job Searching

Professional Networking 

When it comes to job searching, networking is a key factor in success. Ideally, you make initial connections with people through LinkedIn (maybe even after meeting them in-person or at some kind of group online event). This is a great start. To really capitalize on a networking relationship, having a networking meeting can be extremely beneficial. 

What Are Networking Meetings?

So what exactly is a networking meeting? In the good old days, I remember hearing people talk about doing informational interviews. In short, if you were interested in having a certain job, or working with a certain company, you would contact and organization or individual and ask if they would meet you for an informational interview. Here you might learn about the company, what they are looking for, skills to acquire, and more. It also gave you the opportunity to start to build a relationship with a company--or a possible advocate in the person doling out said information. 

Fast forward to now. These days, a networking meeting is typically you and another person deciding to spend a half hour-ish together, (with the pandemic, usually virtually using Zoom with cameras on kind of like if you were having coffee) and chatting a bit. If you're job searching, the typical focus will be on how you can make progress in your job search. Someone may to agree to a networking meeting because you have things in common (like field of work, background, professional goals), because they are generally committed to helping people when they are job searching, or because you have a mutual acquaintance to asked that person specifically to meet with you to help you out. 

Virtual networking meetings are a great way to get to know someone professionally.

Networking Meeting = Informal Interview

Whenever you have an opportunity to meet one on one with someone, remember that you are taking part in a type of informal interview. Whenever I meet with someone who is in career transition, my goal is to help them figure out their next steps, offer advice (if they ask and are interested) and give them ideas on next steps they might take, including who else they should speak with next. 

While I go in with this idea, the amount of help I'll provide also depends on how this networking meeting goes. Ideally, we have a good, productive conversation, and I think to myself, "I totally want to help this person more." If the meeting goes well, I'll refer them to specific resources that might benefit them (like a networking group they might want to join, a company to check out, someone to follow on LinkedIn) and even put in a good word for them to have a networking meeting with someone else who might get them closer to their goals. In addition, if it goes well, this is a person who I'll refer to others for openings, pass on job opportunities, and maybe even hire someday. If the meeting doesn't go well, I'll share a few resources, but may not be willing to help them as actively moving forward. 

Remember, interaction you have with people will impact their desire to help you going forward. 

Types of Networking Meetings

Here are a few common types of networking meetings: 

• Talking about a particular job opportunity with a specific organization. Usually the goal of that meeting is to gain insight from someone who works at that company to help you decide if the company sounds like a good fit, how to tailor your application to the organization, or even get a referral in.
• Talking about someone’s career path to gain insight on what you might do to get into a certain job or field. In this case, you might ask someone about how they got into a specific role—like a manager or an instructional designer or a digital marketer---with the goal of you figuring out what next steps you might want to take to get to a similar role.
• General job search career advice. In this case, the person you’re meeting with knows that you are in career transition and is willing to help you figure out your next steps. This could be them recommending job titles that you should look into, companies they know who are hiring, or people you might want to talk to in order to get closer to your goal of finding a job. Sometimes, this meeting might lead to the person saying, “I think you should talk to  [SuperCool Person] who [can help you with an area where you need help].

Use networking meetings to learn about an industry, a company, or a role.

Networking Meeting Best Practices

Here are a few best practices for networking meetings:

• Thank the person for meeting with you and their input.
• Let the person know what you'd like to get out of the networking meeting.
• Let the other person talk. Remember, you're there to learn from them. Be sure to listen to what they have to say!
• Ask them for the advice they wish they had received.
• Ask them for their recommendations on next steps you should take.
• Ask them what you can do for them. Remember, they are typically meeting with you because someone they value asked them or because they just genuinely want to help. Be sure to return the favor!
• Be ready to help that person in the future--whether it's liking one of their LinkedIn posts, sharing a post they made, or helping them promote a job opening they have. Be a good LinkedIn/professional networking neighbor. 
• Send them a quick thank you message afterwards and reiterate any next steps you talked about.
• Follow up with anyone who they introduce you to. Even if you end up not doing a lot with that connection, be sure to be professional about it all. 

The True Power of Networking Meetings

When people talk about how they "networked" into a new job, typically that means that they leveraged their initial connections, to help make inroads with new connections, who helped them get closer to a new position. The holy grail of networking meetings is when the person you meet with agrees to introduce you to someone else they know who could help you, and that process repeats until you're talking to a hiring manager or influencer who can help you get an interview for a job. Having good networking meetings is a critical step in that process. 

Meet all the people!

What Do You Think?

What are your job search networking tips and tricks? Share your thoughts in the comments. 

Learn More

• How Networking Speeds Your Job Search
• ​The White Box Club: Weekly Virtual Job Search Meetings on Meetup
• Growing Your Professional Network: Attending Webinars