Hey cultivator! Welcome back to my channel. In today's video,
I want to talk to you about how to network when there are no networking events
to attend.
And the good news is there are so many countless and limitless ways to
do so. Be sure to stay tuned for this video. And before we dive in,
I just want to make sure that if you have not yet subscribed to this channel,
you subscribe because we release new videos every Thursday around job search
tips, career advice, mindset hacks, and more!
Alright.
So let's talk more about the importance of continuing your networking efforts,
even if there aren't organized events to attend.
And this is as simple as finding all of the creative and resourceful ways,
which I'll give you some examples of later in this video.
But really it requires you to go from one to many, to one to one.
So instead of thinking about going to an event where maybe there's 20 people in
a room or a hundred people or 300 people.
Really you're going into these private conversations and networking
opportunities with direct outreach,
which actually to me is pretty cool because when you're going into a networking
event, you don't necessarily know everything about this person.
You don't have their bio, and their profiles, and their resumes in front of you,
but with the power of the internet, with LinkedIn especially,
now is a really great time to just absorb and research and see who
do you actually want to connect with getting super laser targeted with them and
having a conversation and starting to build that rapport and relationship.
I will share that I know a lot of people feel that with cold emailing,
it's less welcoming or inviting than if you went into an in-person meetup
where people voluntarily signed up to meet and network for the same purpose.
But one really powerful thing that I have seen at least during this time period,
is that people are so hungry for connection.
So many people are craving relationships and being able to meet people and
having discussions, and really with all of our shelter in place happening.
So many people have so much more headspace and time that they're willing to
connect with another person as long as that person makes it clear on what that
ask is about. Really quick before we dive in,
I want to share a really powerful reframe on social distancing is actually
virtual connecting these days.
And I love seeing it that way because really we are just one connection away
from change in our entire career trajectory and our lives,
whether it's we're one connection away from a mentor or one connection away from
a dream job we're one connection away from somebody who inspires us or opens up
new information to us that puts us on a completely new course.
With that being said,
I highly encourage you to take this video and get inspired
to reach out to at least one person by the end of this video,
so that you can start to introduce yourself and get connected because again,
the networking opportunities right now are endless.
If you're willing to take it virtually and take it one to one. Alright.
So if cold emailing a single person sounds scary to you,
let's start off with a safer and easier approach that can get your feet
wet.
So one of the cool things about the internet is that there are so many groups
online where people self-select to be there because they want to connect with
others that are like-minded.
So it's actually very similar to in-person meetups or events that you might
find in person. You can find the same thing online.
And that's generally in the form of a Facebook group, a LinkedIn group,
a Slack channel or a professional organization that just has a community
presence. So I'll give you some examples of Facebook groups that I'm in.
You know, I live in Phoenix, Arizona now. So I have a group, for instance,
for people who are interested in real estate in Phoenix.
Just by typing in those keywords into Facebook,
and then looking at the groups tab,
I was able to sort through and see other people who were in my area that have a
specific interest in this one niche. And if I wanted to network, you know,
without going into somebody's inbox,
that could be really cool place to start just to get familiar and start reading
what other people are posting about commenting on other people,
trying to build a connection, or even posting a status update,
just introducing myself and what I am hoping to accomplish and who I would like
to connect with in case anybody else is interested. Again,
the internet is like this really cool place of self selected groups.
You can find groups almost everywhere. Social media again,
is a really great place, whether it's Facebook and LinkedIn,
but there's a ton of forums like Reddit.
There's also very specific location groups, there's professional organizations,
with specific chapters also have communities that they're building.
You might need to Google a little bit of this,
but you want to just start getting curious when you meet somebody who is in one
of these fields or niches, or has this specific topic of interest,
you could also ask, "Hey, I'm curious where you're hanging out online.
Are you a part of any interesting groups or active groups that be interesting to
join?" and you'll never know what another person's advice opens up for
you.
Another really cool idea for you that I believe has very low barrier to entry is
Lunch Club.
I recently found out about this through a lot of the job seekers in my programs,
they have been raving about it.
It's essentially a marketplace where you can kind of post your background,
your profile and who it is that you want to get connected to.
And this organization sends you a match.
And it's a really great place because it's two people being matched together
versus like one person cold emailing and kind of having to build up that courage
and that vulnerability.
But I have heard a lot of really great success from the types of people,
the caliber of people that are on there and just the willingness that people are
wanting to carve out of their day to connect with another person that they could
potentially help and network with in a very structured setting.
So if you guys haven't checked it out yet,
I would check that out and see if they're in your city,
but I've heard really great things. And I'm that,
there's a lot of these different types of apps out there,
or websites and organizations that foster this type of community.
So if you guys have any other recommendations,
leave them in the comment box below so we can check them out.
One of the others that I personally used in the past was Bumble,
but for business or friendships, I forget what it's called.
It's not the dating one,
but it's really for like the professional connections and networking.
And I've had some really cool people there. So again,
there's just so many resources and really cool inventions and communities
out there,
but it's up to us to find them with social distancing measures in place.
I feel that there are so many communities and niches and entire industries that
are taking things virtually. For instance,
I am in an HR group called HR chats,
and it's an organization that has put this platform onto Slack where you can
literally message any HR professional. That's also in that platform.
So I highly recommend if you are in a specific industry,
you're in a specific department, you're in a specific niche,
just do a Google search and start to see again, what you can find.
Take a look and get curious,
maybe sign up for a trial or ask if there's a way to get invited into these
communities and groups and just check it out. Alright.
So we just went over some examples of easy ways to start dipping your toes into
networking and very effective ways, by the way, these online communities,
these online groups that are self-selected people who are there to
network and connect.
One of the best ways that I personally prefer as well is one-on-one
and just direct cold emailing people that you feel inspired by,
that you admire that you appreciate. And just want to get to know,
I know this sounds scary for a lot of people,
but when you're doing it from a genuine place and you're being very customized
and personable with your messaging, it really is not that scary.
But I will share is that people are on social media because they want to be
discovered and found if there is public. By the way, when I say social media,
I'm also factoring in LinkedIn, which if you guys know me by now, you know,
I'm a big fan of LinkedIn.
I think it's one of the most powerful tools out there that can virtually connect
you to everyone, including CEOs. So by the way,
if you have any questions about LinkedIn or you want to optimize your profile,
be sure to check out the video here,
it's going to walk you through how to create a strong personal brand,
which is important if you're going to be doing cold outreach and you just want
to leave a positive impression,
but really when you're connecting with a complete stranger,
it's not as intimidating or scary as you think it does take courage.
And it does take vulnerability, but if you're doing it in a methodical,
customized, personable way, and you're really connecting from a genuine place,
then you can not go wrong.
You may not get every single person to respond to you. And that's okay,
because let me tell you, I seen this happen so many times with my job seekers,
that I work with, the people that are willing to help will respond.
And those are the people that are going to be the life changing connections for
you. They're going to be the ones who say, hand me your resume,
or let me refer you to this person,
or let me introduce you to so and so,
and just give you really great nuggets of wisdom so that you can continue
progressing forth and towards your goal that you want. And at the same time,
hopefully make some genuine connections and friendships and mentorships that you
can also contribute to down the road.
I hope this video inspires you to continue finding your tribe of people
virtually and online,
as well as having direct one on one conversations with people that just
really spark your curiosity, your interest,
and make that simple introduction again in the most customized and memorable
way. If you, by the way,
are interested in a template or having a tutorial on doing that
with more ease, let me know in the comments down below,
and I can definitely make a video around that. But until then,
I hope that you continue to cultivate your life and your career.
And if you enjoyed this video, please like comment, share subscribe,
because I am going to release this next week and we'll talk soon.