I’ve written on here many times about the importance of networking if you’re changing career and/or looking for a new job.
Networking helps you gather information about your new industry, meet people who assist in your shift and builds your confidence.
But when you’re a mum it can feel like one more thing to add onto your to-do list. I mean, who has the time or energy to go to functions in the evening making small talk with strangers?
And if you’re a mum who is also an introvert then you’re even more likely to give networking a wide berth. After all, who is going to make the time and effort to do something that feels unnatural to them?
But the harsh reality is that if you’re a career changing mum AND an introvert then networking is 3 x more important to you than the average career changer.
How come?
- Networking allows you to build a community of people who know about you and how much you have to offer despite your perceived lack of experience in that new field. This makes them more likely to take a chance on you when they have a job to fill.
- Mums often have special requirements when it comes to flexibility and work. We might be able to work school hours only or certain days. Maybe full time is fine, but you need flexibility to head out to appointments or kids’ activities. In a networking situation you can suss out if a future employer is likely to offer that and you can be more upfront about what you are looking for.
- Being an introvert is not an excuse to avoid networking. There are lots of ways that you can network as an introvert and it doesn’t have to mean walking into a room full of strangers. But ultimately talking to others in the field you want to work in will help you build your confidence and start talking the language of the new career. And the more you do it the more natural it will feel. If you’ve been on a career break this is extra, extra important.
So what can you do? What is the easiest and most effective way to network if you’re a mum and an introvert?
Reframe
The word networking can make people feel a little icky. From now on I want you to think of networking as building a community, finding people who can help or even making new work friends. Because that’s what it is really.
Approaching networking in this way takes the pressure off. You’re not going into it solely with the purpose of finding a job and, particularly if you’re changing career, that’s probably not the right way to look at it anyway. Building a career community helps you to find out what it’s really like to work in a career, what are the key things you need to know, is there any training you should do? Think of all the questions you have about your ideal career, networking with people in that field is the ideal way to answer them.
Build your community in your own way
You can build your community in lots of ways. Yes, there are networking evenings or large conferences but if the thought of doing this terrifies you to begin with then start small. Reach out to a few individuals doing the work you’d like to do and meet them for a coffee or over zoom. Have a few questions prepared and have a chat. This is also known as information interviewing.
I had lots of these sorts of chats when I first embarked on my career change and they were absolutely invaluable. To have half an hour with someone working in your desired career is gold. You get to ask all of the questions that you can’t ask in a job interview. And usually they will refer you onto someone else who can help you and your community grows. The other good thing is that when you do build up your confidence to start going to conferences and the like you will be bound to bump into somebody you know.
Be realistic and have a plan
This is linked to the above but as someone who is pushed for time and, if you’re anything like me, finds it hard to get out in the evenings, then you will have to be selective. Go for quality connections over quantity and be fussy, and honest with yourself, about the networking events you can attend.
Perhaps set yourself a target that you might attend one in-person event a month and meet two people for an information interview. You will find that in time your community grows but you will have done it in a sustainable way.
Also, if you attend one ‘bad’ event then don’t give up on networking completely. Networking events vary in their format and what suits one person might not suit another.
One thing that I have found helpful is joining the professional association for my industry. Most industries have a professional association tied to them, just google to see what’s available. Events and professional development organised by professional associations tend to be of a very high quality and there may also be committees, that often meet online, that you can get involved in.
Make social media your friend
Don’t dismiss social media for its networking benefits. I know lots of people who have built quality connections on LinkedIn, or even Facebook and Instagram depending on the field they are in. You can start by following companies and individuals who interest you and commenting on their posts or perhaps sending them a DM to thank them for their insights. Many industries have LinkedIn groups relating to their work so it may be worth checking these out too.
As with all things social media, try not to rely on the online world too much. It can be a bit of a rabbit hole and when they’re first starting out, I find some clients get disheartened when they see all the things that others in their desired field are doing on social media. Remember it’s a place where people present the highlights of their career, nothing beats in person connection to find out the story behind the online profile.
Forget the past
Finally, you need to let go of networking traumas you have had in the past and all the things you have told yourself about not being good at networking.
In my previous professional services marketing career, I struggled so much with networking. I remember leaving conferences and walking round the block at lunchtime to avoid talking to people. Now that I’m in a career I love you will find me talking to everyone. This is because I find the conversations truly interesting and insightful and the people who work in my field are some of the loveliest I have ever met.
When you find your thing you will want to talk about it until the cows come home and won’t even see networking as a chore anymore.
I hope this has inspired you to give networking a try. And if you know someone who could do with reading this post then forward it onto them, believe it or not, that’s a form of networking too. It’s called helping others.
Here’s to connection.
Denny