Ten Ways to Boost Your Network When You’ve Put Your Work Life on Hold (Part Two)

As promised, here are five more tips for keeping your network alive when you put your work life on hold.

Alumni Organizations

CorporateAlumni.com is a free service that builds, manages and hosts online business alumni communities where former business colleagues can renew relationships and network. This is an easy way to stay connected to your previous employer and make inroads with ex-employees that now work somewhere else.

Classmates.com is a free service that manages online school alumni programs where members can reconnect with old friends, receive reunion updates and post messages.

College/University Alumni Associations are a feature on most school websites. If a chapter for your school does not exist in your area, consider starting one.

Professional Organizations

Keep up your memberships with professional organizations or join a new one while you are not working. This allows you to stay current on issues that affect your industry. In addition to offering valuable information via the organization’s website, newsletter, or trade publication, most host free or low-cost seminars. Make it a point to stay connected with some fellow members and meet some new ones. Consider taking on a leadership role within your professional community. Chair a committee or submit articles for the association newsletter. Much of the work can be done from home and offers a fair amount of flexibility. Chose the activity that meshes with your childcare schedule and follow through on all assignments. These positions increase your credibility and visibility within your professional community.

Share your expertise

Teach a class at your local school, library or community center. If you are a nurse, teach infant CPR. If you are an accountant, share some tips for tax time. Contribute an article to a local newspaper or website or publication within your industry. These activities keep your skills sharp and current and help you build your credibility as an expert within your community.

Connect Others

Introduce contacts that you think could benefit from each others’ experiences. Both will remember the introduction and be more likely to share contacts with you when asked.

Create a resume

Keep track of all your accomplishments during the years you are taking care of your children and quantify your results whenever possible. Don’t assume that your work will not be valued by the business community because it was done on a volunteer basis. Hiring managers look for candidates that can solve their problems and make or save money for their company. For example, if you organized the school’s annual fair, write out a statement explaining your role and quantify what you did, such as, “Generated $25,000 in school funds by organizing a community building event for 800 families.” Or if you chaired a committee for a professional organization say “Increased committee visibility by 40% by actively recruiting and marketing special committee presentations and events” Use your volunteer activities as a way to showcase your ability to lead, persuade and organize. Combine these traits with your professional identity and expertise.

As mothers, we spend a great deal of time nurturing our children’s passions and developing their unique skills and attributes. We become so immersed in the amazing process of watching our children grow, that we often forget that we still need to plant professional seeds now so that our careers can blossom in the future. Build your network now and you’ll enjoy the benefits when you are ready to renew your job search.

I Just Landed a New Job, so I'm Done Networking, Right?

After you find a new position, the relationships you developed during your search may continue to be important to your career. Here are a few suggestions for maintaining a viable network once you conclude your job search.

Update contact information
Be sure to send information on your new work location to all those who supported your efforts. This includes all personal contacts, recruiters, and other interested parties. Thank them all for their efforts and support. Plaxo and Spoke are great tools for keeping your network up to date.

Stay connected to colleagues
Keep in touch with co-workers, clients, and vendors from your previous position. By proactively managing these relationships now you strengthen the quality of your network and improve the opportunity to leverage these relationships at another point in time. Keep in mind that reciprocity is an important piece of the networking dynamic and by staying in touch you may be in a position to help your contacts should they decide to pursue other employment opportunities.

Keep professional memberships active
Continue to remain active in professional organizations. Contribute your time and knowledge to the organization’s events, special interest groups, and newsletters. The visibility you create now will benefit your professional development in many ways. An excellent resource for finding appropriate professional organizations for your industry is Weddles.

Conduct informational interviews
Remember how grateful you were when you were granted an informational interview or networking meeting? Consider doing the same if you are asked to offer advice or information to someone interested in your field or organization. What goes around comes around and such interviews give you the opportunity to source new talent, mentor a colleague, or build a relationship that will benefit both of you in the future.

Go to lunch
The lunch hour is a great time to bond with new co-workers and grow your network. Dine with a diverse group of colleagues across business units and job functions.