Networking sounds simple enough: Reach out to people you already know and try to connect with people who share a common professional interest.

However, it takes work to not only grow a network but also keep the connections within it strong. Although you might struggle to set aside any extra time, it doesn’t mean you can’t still cultivate the network connections you have made. Just a few simple steps can help keep your network strong and many of these steps call for about three minutes or less.

Reach out over email

As easy as it gets, think of someone in your network who you have not heard from in a long time, and compose a short email that asks how they’re doing. Try to bring up something you noticed on one of the person’s social media profiles. Perhaps they just got married, had a baby or took the trip of a lifetime. Use that major event as an opening to reconnect and strengthen that bond.

Send congrats over LinkedIn

LinkedIn will notify you when one of your connections has received a new job, is celebrating a work anniversary or has some other major career development. The social network will prompt you to “congratulate” them, and you should always take that invitation. Just click the button to congratulate them, or better yet, you could write a personalized congratulatory message, which is more likely to stand out among a sea of congratulatory button clicks.

Engage over other social platforms

LinkedIn is a powerful social media platform, but because it’s a designated tool for professionals, interactions over the platform can feel stilted and not genuine. Over other social platforms like Instagram and Facebook, interactions take on a more natural tone and for the networker, it makes building and strengthening possible through a ‘soft sell.’

Odds are, you’re already on Facebook, so using it to advance your career won’t require learning new skills or adopting a complex strategy. Simply do what you’re already doing on Facebook, only make an extra effort to reach out to those in your field and engage them, tastefully commenting on discussions and reacting to posts.

If you enjoy a bit of back-and-forth, networking over Twitter might be ideal for you. Twitter is a great place to hold discussions and build connections through those interactions. Just don’t fall into the trap of being overly negative or combative.

Unlike on Facebook, networking on Instagram doesn’t require sourcing and posting content. Unlike on Twitter, networking on Instagram doesn’t require posting observations and engaging in witty banter. On Instagram, liking your connections’ photos and posting compliments is a fun and simple way to network.

At ZDA, we help job seekers with many different parts of the job seeking process, and we already have a large network that individuals can take advantage of in their efforts. If you are currently looking to refine your supply chain job hunting strategies, please contact us today!

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