Networking Hacks That Will Change Your Job Search
The way I approach networking is as a lifelong habit. It’s something I’m always doing and I'm always looking to both strengthen my current friendships as well as build new bonds.
The activities I’m presenting are simply ways to flex your skills. Most people don’t network because they don’t know how to practice. But, if you have an actual strategy, rather than just hoping that you’ll make friends by throwing spaghetti on a wall, it can feel much easier.
Think of it like fitness. You can watch all the videos about workouts, but until you actually step into a gym or get down and do the push-up, your muscles will atrophy and get weaker.
1. The Bottom Of The Thread Exercise
Let’s first talk about the “Bottom of the Thread” exercise. I’ll give credit where it’s due. My friend Eduardo Lopez first told me about this exercise when I met him at the Forbes 30 Under 30 Conference in Boston in 2017.
You may have open loops of conversations in your texts, Whatsapp, Facebook Messenger, LinkedIn messages, Instagram DM’s, etc. Here’s how to supercharge your networking with an asset you already have:
Scroll to the bottom of your messages: texts, social media direct messages, emails, wherever you have digital conversations stored you haven’t deleted.
While scrolling to the bottom take mental notes of the different message threads you have in there (yes this may be traumatic for some of us).
Once at the bottom, start scrolling up, find 3 people you’ve fallen out of touch with for whatever reason, but want to remain in contact with. Maybe life got in the way, people moved, changed jobs, whatever the case – no need for blame.
Reach out with no ulterior motive other than to say you were thinking about them and wanted to catch up over the phone, or send them a text asking how they’re doing. Important: This isn’t about asking them for a job. Have an organic conversation and just think about developing the relationship and truly caring about them as a person.
Repeat this process every week until you run out of people (if that happens quickly, use my other strategies like the 5 x 5 x 5 to build your network).
Archive any conversations you see along the way that you don’t intend on continuing.
By doing this, you’re effectively the person who “always” reaches out, cleaning up your message inbox, and it’s an easy, low-lift activity to schedule into your calendar each week.
You’ll be surprised how many people will be excited that you’ve reached back out and you never know what changes have happened in their life since! They may be working remote and their company is hiring, who knows...
2. Create Your Network Contact List
Creating a network contact list is like an inventory for your relationships. It allows you to see where you’ve got excess as well as where you need some help in your contacts. It can be a data point to remind you who in your network may be able to support you in your job search, and by doing it, you’ll also remember relationships you forgot you have.
Brainstorm with The Notecard Method
This was a trick I learned about through Jon Acuff. Traditionally, this exercise is done with a package of 3x5 cards. But, you can do it on a spreadsheet or document as well, which would also help for the second step.
Answer the following questions and think of as many names as you can, and brainstorm one big list. Pro tip: As you come up with these people, think of who you can leave a recommendation for and send them one on LinkedIn!
1. Who do I know that’s smart about career issues?
Think of family and friends who have great careers, have worked in different industries, especially if they’ve worked remotely.
2. Who have I worked with?
Names of those who you worked with closely in the past who would remember you.
3. Who do I know who is influential?
Friends, neighbors, acquaintances who have notability in a particular industry.
4. Who do I know that owns a business?
Business owners tend to know other business owners and may be hiring.
5. Who do I follow online who is in my desired career space?
Who knows maybe one of them would be open to have a virtual coffee! (Provide value!)
6. Who are the connectors in my network?
These are the people always at the center of social networks, bringing people together, and introducing others.
Curate with the ABCDE Method
This method I learned from Cody Barbo of Trust & Will during an interview I had with him in early 2019. He calls it being the “CEO of your own life,” and separates his contacts into a list. After you’ve brainstormed a big list with the note card method, now assign each of the people a letter, based on their classification:
(A) All Stars: Personal board of directors
(B) Business Contacts: Close intimate relationships
(C) Contacts (General): People you celebrate life events
(D) Deletes: They are holding you back, disassociate
(E) Everyone: All that have an opportunity to be A-D
Now you have your own network contact list you can use going forward! Take a look at where you have solid relationships and where you feel you need some help, that can guide you in determining your outreach strategy going forward.
3. Organize Your Network With Bookmarks And Notifications
Many job seekers I talk to struggle to keep things organized when it comes to creating a system for networking. It seems so esoteric, weird, and unnatural... which is why I’ve spent so much time in my career trying to master it.
Finding the right people to network with for some people is like trying to find a cat in a hoarders house. Let’s fix that.
Let’s find the cat and clean up all the junk!
Follow vs. Connect
When you first find people you want to expand your network with, it can be a great idea to engage with their content FIRST, before sending a connection request.
One great way to do that, especially if they are at your target company, is to engage with their LinkedIn posts, then “Follow” them instead of going straight for the “Connect.” This means now they’ll show up in your feed without being connected, and you can create a couple more touch points with them via comments prior to sending your connection request (to make yourself more familiar).
LinkedIn Notification Bell Feature
Another great way to help you stay notified for people at your target orgs is with a new LinkedIn feature.
You can now "ring a bell" to get live updates and notifications when a content creator posts something.
As you might guess, our use case here is strategic to hiring managers and team members of our TARGET COMPANIES! So after you’ve followed the person, if you want to get notifications each time they post, this is a great solution.
Again, the more you can become familiar with people by networking and engaging with their posts, the more you can warm them up before you send a connection request or make the "ask," or have a more organic conversation.
Organizing Your Network in Bookmarks
Lastly, after you’ve done both of those things, you can also add them into your bookmarks on your internet browser. Sometimes, even if you follow someone, you'll miss some of their posts. Use the flow below outlined in the photo, to help you focus on making it easy when you do your “Networking with the 5x5x5 Method.”
When you schedule time to network each week, you can use the shortcuts in your bookmarks to intentionally comment on people at target companies and your favorite, relevant creators (you'll see two of mine here, Madeline Mann and Biron Clark), rather than just scrolling through your feed.
If you’re looking for a remote job and feel discouraged or lost, it’s time for a new strategy.
I content, courses, and coaching programs to help job seekers land legitimate remote jobs for more freedom and flexibility in their lives. I’ve helped thousands of high-performing remote job seekers throughout the world learn a proven system that can give you the tools you need to succeed. If you’re struggling with your remote job search, I got you fam.
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