How to build a network from scratch: Expert tips for making lasting connections

Everyone and anyone can benefit from having a professional network. Building a network is of use to new graduates, people wanting to change career paths, freelancers, and also people who’ve been in their career and company for a while—that’s a lot of people! A survey by Apollo Technical showed that 80% of professionals deemed networking to be essential to their career success. And while you might think it’s only for newbies, what happens when a new boss comes in and you don’t gel? Or even when layoffs come around?

If you’ve been nurturing your professional network since day dot, then it will come into its own when you need it. So what if you haven’t got your network established yet? Karen Wickre, author of ‘Taking the Work Out of Networking’ shares her top tips for building a network from scratch.

1. Start with who you know

Wickre advises you, “Start looking for a network where you have already been, where you work now, your past jobs, your school, internships.” She goes on to add, “Even new graduates have a network. It’s initially the people they studied with or shared an internship with—that’s the beginning of a network.” Your professional network doesn’t have to include everyone you’ve ever met in the workplace. Wickre suggests you focus on “people you resonate with and enjoy talking to, people whom you think have good ideas, and those you trust to have a sense of you.” Not everyone you’ve ever met, not everyone you know now. Over time your network will evolve as you develop different interests and have different work experiences

2. Don’t be afraid—it’s a conversation

The idea of networking might feel daunting, especially if you’re thinking about traditional in-person networking events, where you’re in a room filled with people all trying to pitch their profiles or services. However, Wickre says, “It helps to remember that all networking is, is you and one other person. It’s not that roomful of people and it’s not a mass of strangers versus you.” Even in those kinds of scenarios, it’s about finding something in common with the person you’re talking to and seeing if you resonate with one another. “I think because we have a picture in our minds of us being in need—we need a job, we need an introduction, we’re in the dark and we need advice—it seems daunting.” Once you can relax into a conversation it becomes easier, and often opportunities naturally arise, or at least you’re in someone’s mind for when they do.

Account manager Ian Thatcher believes networking was partly responsible for him landing his current role: “Working in my first role as a service delivery manager, I was based in the client’s offices, and although I could work from home, I would work in the office 2-3 times a week. I was ostensibly there to do my day job, [but] it was really useful as a networking opportunity. I met a lot of people in different parts of the business, had coffee breaks, water cooler chats, drinks, etc. All these were opportunities to grow my client relationship by extending my face-to-face time. It improved trust levels and I uncovered new opportunities for growth,” Thatcher shares. “When I got the chance to apply for an account management role, my networking reputation and client-facing skills were what landed me the job. Networking is about building trust and establishing a relationship and reputation.”

3. Network in person and online

In-person networking events are not the only place to expand your network, so if the idea of showing up to a hall full of people makes you break out in a cold sweat, you don’t have to go there.

Industry conferences can be a great place to establish connections. Wickre suggests starting with something easy, like making small talk with people in the coffee line, or someone sitting next to you at a workshop, and then getting their details to continue the conversation elsewhere. Network building is a long game.

Then, of course, there’s online networking. LinkedIn is literally designed to help you grow your network. It’s well-established as a place where people who don’t know each other can get introductions or ask questions to strangers. Wickre’s top tip: “If you want to connect to someone you don’t know, you can obviously send a request; just be sure you don’t use the canned language LinkedIn gives you, because, with a personal request, they’ll be more inclined to do what you want. Also, do not use it to have as big a network as possible with everyone you’ve ever met for one minute, It’s not a numbers game it’s more about who you have things in common with.”

Marketing translator and copywriter, Rhiannon Eggerton, has built a network of 6,000 people on LinkedIn in the last few years. “Building a network has been fantastic for me, it brought me clients, but also in terms of community, support, and even professional development with the freelance translator community, it’s been hugely influential for me. Connecting with potential clients and other translators has kept me at the top of people’s minds. It does take a lot of work and you do have to keep reminding yourself to walk that line between business and personality as people want to get to know you, but it is a business platform. I have definitely seen the value of having a great network.”

Wickre says that other social media platforms can also be useful for keeping up to date with what’s going on with the people in your network, so you can be part of the conversation. Don’t forget about email—it’s still a really useful and perhaps more personal way of staying in touch.

4. Craft your elevator pitch

Elevator pitches are an excellent tool for explaining exactly where you’re at and where you want to go. Your elevator pitch doesn’t have to be super formal, you just need to work out how to express your current position and desires concisely, and then be ready to have a conversation around them. The better people understand you, the more they can help. Wickre shares the example of a friend’s daughter who was graduating and looking for her first role. She succinctly explained her qualifications, work experience to date, and the kind of role and company she was looking for. This gave Wickre the knowledge she needed to introduce her to people who could help—context is key!

5. Don’t get spammy

The thing about networking is that it shouldn’t be transactional. Yes, there may be things you want and need, but Wickre warns, “If you’re going to go into a conversation with a stranger feeling like, ‘What can I get out of this?’ and, ‘Here’s my goal,’ then they’ll pick up on it.”

The likelihood is that if someone feels like they’re being ‘used’ they won’t want to help, but if they like you, then they’ll be willing. Wickres top tip: “A little flattery can help to soften the edges of your request as can giving precise details of what you’re asking for, the time commitment, and why.” For example: ‘Hi Bill, my colleague Susan told me you’re great at managing a diverse team. Can you spare 10 minutes to talk to me about your approach, as I’m looking for new things to try in my own company?’

Don’t persist if someone’s not interested. If you don’t get a response after a couple of attempts Wickre says to let that one go. Nobody wants to be constantly hounded with a request they don’t have time for or just aren’t interested in.

6. Keep in touch

Wickre’s book includes a warming quote about networking: “Networking is less like hunting and more like farming, or gardening.” To elaborate she says, “Hunting we know is very transactional, but farming or gardening is much more intermittent and ongoing. You don’t farm or garden 24/7 but you do tend to the plants and you water them, and you pull some out, and you plant new ones, and you trim them back, and so on. That’s what cultivating a network over time looks like.”

Building your network is an ongoing process—something you should do even when you don’t need it. Keeping in touch isn’t that difficult. Wickre suggests sending people a message after seeing a social media post, for example asking about their vacation, or starting with a memory: “Just thought I’d say hi as I remember how much you used to make me laugh when we worked together.” You could even just share an article you think they’d be interested in. Wickre starts every day by warming up with a few keeping-in-touch messages: she emails two or three notes to people, it might be a meme or a video, anything that made her think of the person, and sometimes she’ll add, “Let’s catch up soon.”

Building a network doesn’t have to be scary or daunting or involve getting tongue-tied in front of a huge audience. It’s simply about making connections and nurturing them. If you put in the groundwork, when it comes to asking for something you need as long as you’re polite and concise, it’ll be a breeze.

Photo: Welcome to the Jungle

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