How to Build y Maintain
Your Professional Network

Hello! My name is Angel
Ramos and I’m a lifelong learner & problem solver.

I am an MBA professional
working in higher education and I’ve also had REWARDING EXPERIENCES in teaching and nonprofits.

Why is networking so important?

Networking Benefits  Opportunities 
Leads to new and future business.

Networking Benefits  Opportunities 
Leads to new and future business.  Exposure  Gives forum to promote and draw attention to your business, cause, or personal brand..

Networking Benefits  Opportunities 
Leads to new and future business.  Exposure  Gives forum to promote and draw attention to your business, cause, or personal brand.  Contacts and Relationships  Helps form and maintain a strong contact base.

Networking Benefits  Opportunities 
Leads to new and future business.  Exposure  Gives forum to promote and draw attention to your business, cause, or personal brand.  Contacts and Relationships  Helps form and maintain a strong contact base.  Common Ground  Like-minded people can come together to discuss common interests.

Networking Benefits  Opportunities 
Leads to new and future business.  Exposure  Gives forum to promote and draw attention to your business, cause, or personal brand.  Contacts and Relationships  Helps form and maintain a strong contact base.  Common Ground  Like-minded people can come together to discuss common interests.  Learning  Allows you to learn from experienced professionals.

CNN HAS ESTIMATED THAT 80%
OF JOBS ARE NEVER ADVERTISED AND INSTEAD FILLED THROUGHNETWORKINGAND EMPLOYEE REFERRALS!

So how do you build
and maintain connections?

One of the best things
you can do is share information. • How often do you forward articles or services you found helpful to your network? • How often to you post the link to your Facebook page allowing all your friends to benefit? • Do you post the discussion or forward the article to your LinkedIn groups? • Do you share it with your LinkedIn connections? • Do you Tweet and include the link so all of those following you can benefit? • Do you make announcements at networking meetings about how you benefited from this article or service? • Have you passed along YouTube videos that you found helpful?

Networking is not about selling
yourself • Networking isn't, "Hi, what can you do for me?" but rather: "Hi. Let's get to know each other. What can I do for you?"

Networking is not about selling
yourself • Networking isn't, "Hi, what can you do for me?" but rather: "Hi. Let's get to know each other. What can I do for you?" • It's about giving to get, paying it forward, and building relationships.

Networking is not about selling
yourself • Networking isn't, "Hi, what can you do for me?" but rather: "Hi. Let's get to know each other. What can I do for you?" • It's about giving to get, paying it forward, and building relationships. • Get into the mindset of giving to others without an expectation of payback.

Networking is not about selling
yourself • Networking isn't, "Hi, what can you do for me?" but rather: "Hi. Let's get to know each other. What can I do for you?" • It's about giving to get, paying it forward, and building relationships. • Get into the mindset of giving to others without an expectation of payback. • Remain authentic and have the other person’s best interest at heart.

You never know who might
turn into a valuable connection or who he knows. Don’tbe selective in building your network.

Stay in touch without asking
for favors

Be
Likable

Have A

Be
Engaged

Be passionate about something AND
STICK TO IT

Try
This

Clip out newspaper articles highlighting
accomplishmentsof potential connections

Send her a copy of
the article with a note attached remarking what a great job she’s done, and you thought she would want to have this to put on her fridge. .

Be there for your network.
Attend invited events, show support during tragedy, and be on time. The Importance of Showing Up

A Simple Thank You Goes
A Long Way Send handwritten thank-you notes • After a job interview. • Received a gift. • Stayed as a guest in someone’s home. • Benefited from a recommendation. Thank You!

A Simple Thank You Goes
A Long Way Send handwritten thank-you notes • After a job interview. • Received a gift. • Stayed as a guest in someone’s home. • Benefited from a recommendation. Thank-you notes • More personal. • Makes a bigger impact on the receiver. Thank You!

A Simple Thank You Goes
A Long Way Send handwritten thank-you notes • After a job interview. • Received a gift. • Stayed as a guest in someone’s home. • Benefited from a recommendation. Thank-you notes • More personal. • Makes a bigger impact on the receiver. It is worth the effort in letting people know that you appreciate, value and acknowledge them. Thank You!

Utilize Networking Sites Like LinkedIn

Greetings _________! I came across
your profile via one of our connections, I hope you don't mind. I’m always interested in connecting and meeting leaders within ________such as you to better develop my role as an aspiring _______. Care to connect? SampleInvitation To Connect

Greetings _________! (Intro) I hope
your day is going well! I came across your profile via one of our connections, I hope you don't mind. I’m always interested in connecting and meeting like- minded professionals and community leaders in the area such as you to better develop my role as a __________professional. (Insert Elevator Pitch) (Request) From your profile I noticed that you’re actively involved with _____ and was wondering if I may send a few questions to you? I’ve always been interested in this type of work. I would love to hear more about what you do and any insights or advice you might have from your experience with __________. (Closing) In return, is there anything you need or are specifically looking for, in case I happen to know anyone? Sample Request Email

The Power of the Informational
Interview

Benefits of Conducting InformationalInterviews •
Improve your communication skills.

Benefits of Conducting InformationalInterviews •
Improve your communication skills. • Gain confidence speaking with other professionals.

Benefits of Conducting InformationalInterviews •
Improve your communication skills. • Gain confidence speaking with other professionals. • Get inside information into companies and organizations.

Benefits of Conducting InformationalInterviews •
Improve your communication skills. • Gain confidence speaking with other professionals. • Get inside information into companies and organizations. • Get insight and advice on how to gain to a given career.

Benefits of Conducting InformationalInterviews •
Improve your communication skills. • Gain confidence speaking with other professionals. • Get inside information into companies and organizations. • Get insight and advice on how to gain to a given career. • Initiate a professional relationship and expand your network of contacts in a specific career field.

Benefits of Conducting InformationalInterviews •
Improve your communication skills. • Gain confidence speaking with other professionals. • Get inside information into companies and organizations. • Get insight and advice on how to gain to a given career. • Initiate a professional relationship and expand your network of contacts in a specific career field. • Meet people who may forward job leads to you in the future.

SampleInformational Interview Request Greetings _______!
I hope your day is going well! I came across your information via one of our shared connections_________. He/She recommended I contact you to set up an informational interview. I was hoping we might be able to connect over the telephone or meet up for coffee sometime, at your convenience. I’m always interested in meeting leaders within the ________ industry to better develop my role as an aspiring _______. I would love to hear more about what you do and any insights or advice you might have from your experience with __________. Would you be available for a brief meeting on ________? In return, is there anything you need or are specifically looking for, in case I happen to know anyone?

DON’T ASK
Hire Me

Just LISTEN

What is the best time
to reach out to your network?

EMAIL • Alex Moore, CEO
of Baydin, an email management service, suggested that emails sent from 6 a.m. to 7 a.m. are about three times more likely to be opened than emails sent at 4 p.m. • She found that when she sent mail on Sunday afternoon, her open rate was as high as 44 percent, while it bottomed out at 35 percent when she sent it during the workweek.

Twitter • Fuseworks Studios made
an infographic entitled “Maximizing Your Tweets” based on data obtained by Buddy Media. • Twitter engagement is higher between 8 A.M. and 7 P.M. (turns out fewer people are “on” Twitter during the middle of the night).

LinkedIn
•Tues-Thurs
–7AM-9AM
–5PM-6PM

GOALS

Try to make 1-2 connections
per day

Keep in contact with 60
people on a monthly basis

Cap your network at 50-
100

Interested in
CONNECTING?

CLICK

To Learn More Check Out
Click here

Resources • Schembari ,Marian., “How
To Network Your Way Into a Job Without Looking Desperate”, October 15, 2012, http://blog.brazencareerist.com/2012/10/15/how-to-network-your-way-into-a-job-without-looking- desperate/ • Chitakasem, Nisa., “How To Work A Room Like You Own The Place”, February 29, 2012, http://www.forbes.com/sites/deborahljacobs/2012/02/29/how-to-work-a-room-like-you-own-the-place/ • 2U., “How To Leverage Your Alumni Network To Get A Job”, http://www.careerealism.com/how-leverage- alumni-network-get-job/ • MUSCARELLO, JOHN., “How to Create Networking Opportunities at Work”, http://startnetworkingtoday.com/how-to-create-networking-opportunities-at-work/ • MUSCARELLO, JOHN., “The Best Way To Stay In Touch With Your Professional Network”, http://startnetworkingtoday.com/your-professional-network/ • MUSCARELLO, JOHN., “How To Follow Up After Networking Events For Job Seekers” http://startnetworkingtoday.com/job-seekers-follow-up-after-networking-events/ • MUSCARELLO, JOHN., “Find More Job Leads By Networking On LinkedIn With Alumni” http://startnetworkingtoday.com/networking-on-linkedin/ • Goodwin, Tai., 3 Rules To Smart Business Card Etiquette, http://www.careerealism.com/3-rules-to-smart- business-card-etiquette/ • Levinson, Meridith ., “How to Network: 12 Tips for Shy People”, December 11, 2011, http://www.cio.com/article/164300/How_to_Network_12_Tips_for_Shy_People • Ciotti, Gregory., “8 Networking Skills that Every Professional Needs to Have”, http://www.bidsketch.com/blog/marketing/networking-skills/ • Trikha, Ritika., ‘Break Off a Networking Convo Without Being Awkward”, September 04, 2012, http://www.careerbliss.com/advice/break-off-a-networking-convo-without-being-awkward/ • Sweeney, Deborah ., “7 Everyday Places To Start Networking Face-To-Face At”, March 5, 2013, http://www.forbes.com/sites/deborahsweeney/2013/03/05/7-everyday-places-to-start-networking-face- to-face-at/ • Gregory, Alyssa., “20 Social Networking Sites for Business Professionals”, August 28, 2012, http://www.sitepoint.com/social-networking-sites-for-business/

Resources • Kobara, E. John
and Smith, Melinda ., “How to Find a Job By Building Relationships”, May 2013, http://www.helpguide.org/life/job_networking_how_to_find_job.htm • Collamer, Nancy C., “The Perfect Elevator Pitch to Land a Job”, February 2, 2013, http://www.nextavenue.org/blog/perfect-elevator-pitch-land-job • Zack, Devora., “10 Tips For People Who Hate Networking”, http://www.careerealism.com/hate-networking-tips/ • Wicker, Alden., “Get Networking: Half of Job Openings Aren’t Advertised”, January 10, 2013, http://www.learnvest.com/2013/01/get-networking-half-of-job-openings-arent-advertised-123/ • Morgan, Hannah., “Step-by-step Guide: Networking Your Way Into a Dream Company”, February 17, 2013, http://www.youtern.com/thesavvyintern/index.php/2013/02/17/step-by-step-guide-networking-your-way-into-a- dream-company/ • Chitakasem, Nisa ., “How to Work the Room – 10 Tips for Getting the Best Results from Networking”, October 4, 2012, http://www.jobsite.co.uk/worklife/10-tips-getting-results-networking-10048/ • Lepore, Meredith., “8 Great Icebreakers for Your Next Networking Event”, March 19, 2013, http://www.levoleague.com/career-advice/great-icebreakers-for-networking • Chapman, Dr. Vera V., “10 Tips for Following Up with Networking Contacts Effectively”, May 9, 2012, http://chasingyourfire.com/10-tips-for-following-up-with-networking-contacts-effectively/ • Hoffman, G.L. , “How To Be More Likeable At Work: 10 Things To Do Today”, http://www.careerealism.com/likeable- 10-today/ • Graham, Derbhile., “What’s Your Networking Style?”, December 10, 2010, http://tweakyourbiz.com/marketing/2010/12/10/whats-your-networking-style/ • Townsend, Heather ., “7 tips to help you remember names when networking at an event”, April 7, 2013, http://www.big4.com/management-and-business/7-tips-to-help-you-remember-names-when-networking-at-an- event/ • 2U, “Best And Worst Times To Reach Out To Your Network”, http://www.careerealism.com/reach-network-best- worst-times/ • SMITH, COOPER ., “The Best Times Of Day To Post On Each Social Network”, MAY 14, 2011, http://www.businessinsider.com/the-best-times-to-post-on-each-major-social-network-2013-5 • Dinsmore, Scott., “5 Underused Tactics to Make an Immediate, Genuine Connection with Anyone”, October 17, 2012, http://blog.brazencareerist.com/2012/10/17/5-underused-tactics-to-make-an-immediate-genuine-connection- with-anyone/