From Career Experts in the Trenches with Working Women

Sweaty palms, butterflies in your stomach and awkward comments tumbling from your mouth…Are you networking? These are the hallmarks of networking nerves, not to mention the thought of ‘doing it right’ and executing with perfection. Cold reachouts, building relationships, industry events or Zoom…It’s all anxiety-inducing. 

And networking’s reputation doesn't help. Notorious for carrying different weights and labels, from slimy sales to desperate job asks, the career value exchange can be a tricky one, but it also plays out differently for men and women. 

Organizational structure, access and bias pose obstacles, in addition to mental blocks, that perpetuate a woman’s lack of network potency. Don’t believe me? Approximately 28% of American women are less likely than men to have a strong network on LinkedIn and 26% less likely to ask for a referral, in a job search per LinkedIn Gender Insights Report.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. That’s why I asked 10 career experts who partner with women in the trenches to dish on networking tools that work in 2023 to not only negate the ick and social hangover but skyrocket your career growth. 

And if you need a friendly collaborator in your job search process, don’t hesitate to reach out.

4 Networking Best Practices for Women (Backed by Research)

What’s at play here? Women need to take a page from a different networking playbook for career flourishing. Four critical elements, per Connected Commons, are integral for high-impact relationship building:

Boundary-Spanning

Highly successful women tap broad networks. Consider breadth across geography, industry and job titles in addition to professional peers and vertical ties (i.e. sponsors).

A wide network is the foundation of Northwestern University’s research that purports a tight-knit, female-centric community leads to landing at a 2.5x higher leadership level. So, have your people, but move out of that comfort zone, diversify and ask for introductions.

Efficiency

Top-performing women are strategic and thoughtful about how they spend their time. Why? Women typically are asked for advice and collaboration more than men. Your every yes is also a no, whether it is intentional or not.

So, embrace your thoughtful no. Spend your time on what matters to you (and your priorities).

Stickiness

Women, more than men, grow stronger, mutually beneficial relationships over time. Women excel at keeping external relationships strong (think past colleagues). Those who leverage those external connections are more successful in job search and landing in new organizations.

Avoid leaning heavily on the social aspect of networking (Guilty!) and instead a value exchange of expertise, ideas and feedback.

Trust and Energy Building

Infuse energy and trust into your relationships by thinking of others (not yourself). Top female performers bring out the potential and magic in others while also building trust through competency and benevolence.

In layman’s terms: Give before you ask. Energize others through listening, new ideas, encouragement and humor.

Mind the (Networking Confidence) Gap

While networking is the hallmark of every career milestone per a recent survey by Chief and Morning Consult there is a confidence gap between executives and middle management.

Women executives are “twice as likely to report being “very confident” in the power of their networks to support and advance their careers” while middle managers only engage their people as needed (Ahem: Job search, anyone?) compared to executives who engage with their inner circle weekly.

So how (and what) works well to get out of your warm, fuzzy comfort zone on the regular? Texting and socials were the most popular tools being used by women in the Chief/Morning Consult survey, but the majority of working women pine for in-person, personalized networking within informal (or formal) gatherings.

From The Experts

So, if you’re all in on networking (yes, yes, you should be!), then time block your calendar with networking chats (or events) that are worth your time for career advancement. From insider networking tips, mindset and tools, career experts in the trenches dish on what is working in the market now. So without further ado…

Real Relationships

The most underutilized tactic in my mind is the informational interview. So few people actually do them that it's a way to really stand out. During one job search, I ended up getting job interviews at 100% of the companies where I had done informationals and the jobs were all tailor made to my skill set. They didn't happen immediately but within a couple months, everyone had called me back to apply. 

Of course, this isn't the immediate goal when you do an informational interview. It's important to be sincere about wanting to learn about the company and type of experience needed for the roles they typically have. But, you never know who the person you talk to may know. It all starts with creating a real relationship with your initial contact. 

So reach out to the people you know at your target companies. You might be surprised at who will respond. 

Conversation Cues

My #1 networking tip for women is to ask about pay and salary ranges in networking chats.  I can't even tell you how many of my clients have found out they are not being paid equitably after having the courage and confidence to ask their internal and external networks about pay. 

As women, self-advocacy can be hard. But this kind of research and data around pay can help build the empowered mindset to ask for what you deserve. And just doing straight-up salary research on a website is not enough. We have to own the dollars going into our wallets and more of the conversation around pay. And getting comfortable with talking about it and asking others is essential.  

And I always get asked how to bring this up. And I love transparency. During your networking chat you can say something like: 

"I'm actively gathering information to ensure I'm well-informed about salary ranges for positions at the next level. Pay equity is important to me, and I believe that having a clear understanding of salary expectations will help me navigate this aspect effectively. 

If you're comfortable sharing, I would greatly appreciate any insights or advice you might have about salary ranges for roles like [mention the type of role or level you're interested in]. Your expertise would be incredibly valuable as I continue to make informed decisions about my career path."  

I speak with a lot of ambitious mid-career women who work remotely. They want to grow professionally and understand networking as essential to their progression, yet they haven't been given a rule book on ways to do that outside of the traditional office setting. 

Here's a quick and easy formula that's low lift and consistently brings relationship-building returns for my clients. During your remote meeting, tune into connective bites and use them to lead post-meeting networking outreach. 

Here are some examples of typical phrases in meetings and ways to show an email afterward: 

The first 2-3 minutes of small talk ("I went skiing this weekend."/ "I ski too, where's your favorite spot?"), 

or if someone mentions a previous project ("In my last role, we solved this issue with..."/ "Sounds like your last role at ____ was valuable, I'd love to learn more about its influence on your current position.") 

or a peer takes on a piece of the project ("I want to work on the communication aspect of this rollout."/ "I appreciate you leading the communications piece of the rollout, here are some ways I can lend you support."). 

In your post-meeting email, it's important to show genuine interest or willingness to support, then ask for a virtual coffee to discuss more. There are seeds of connection planted in every remote meeting, and nurturing them into relationships is key to adding people-focused networking into your workdays and growing professionally.  

LinkedIn: Your Sales (& Sleuth) Tool

Networking can be a big scary word, especially for people who are more introverted. A big networking event with name tags and little plates of cheese you don’t know what to do with when someone wants to shake your hand? No, thank you.

That’s why I encourage my coaching clients to take their networking online and 1:1. This type of networking is much more comfortable (networking in sweatpants!) and I find it to be more effective. 

A great place to start is using the LinkedIn alumni feature. Head over to LinkedIn and click on your college or university page. From there, click on Alumni to see a list of alumni from your school. Now you have a powerful list of contacts you already have something in common with to reach out to, and you may even have friends in common who can provide an introduction! Introductions are a perfect way to break the ice.

To make the most of the alumni page, tailor your search using keywords and filters. For example, if you have a target list of companies you want to work for, look for alumni who work at that company. Or if you want to move into a certain industry, try a keyword search for the industry name.

One of my clients used this tool when she wanted to move out of banking and into UX design but didn’t know where to start. She found an alum from her university who had her same major and followed a similar path after graduation, but then made a big career pivot into UX. 

The fellow alum was more than happy to hop on the phone with her and offer guidance on the skills to build and what types of continuing education would be most valuable. This gave her a huge boost in making her next step decisions and the confidence that she could make the change too.

When applying for a role, use LinkedIn to find someone in your network who can introduce you to a company insider. Talking to a current or recent employee can give you great insights about the organization, team, position, hiring manager, etc. Even better, that connection will ideally turn into an internal referral which will bring your application to the top of the candidate pool. 

LinkedIn is the perfect tool to help you find these contacts. 

·       search the company name

·       select “people” from the options  

·       connections in your network will be displayed 

·       reach out to any of your first level connections with a direct message

·       look for mutual connections of second level connections and ask for an introduction

When sending a message be sure to provide context including:

·       the role you are interested in

·       how your experience is a good match

Here’s a personal example of how this worked for me: 

After applying for a job, I sent a LinkedIn message to a friend who had a 2nd level connection at the company. Within 2 hours of sending the message I received a call from the hiring manager to schedule an interview. 

Here’s how it happened:

·       Had a phone conversation with Adrianne about why I was interested in the position

·       She got in touch her connection Brian and gave me a glowing recommendation

·       Brian, who I hadn’t yet met, offered to send my resume to the CEO

·       The CEO requested that I be interviewed

It’s important to note that referral ALONE didn’t get me the interview; I also had the qualifications they were looking for.

LinkedIn is a powerful networking tool. Be sure to use it every time you apply for a job. People are happy to help when they can – don’t be afraid to ask!

Newsflash!!! Networking with recruiters and hiring managers on Linkedin is absolutely pointless if your LinkedIn profile looks like doggy doo da!!! 

Recruiters and Hiring Managers believe everything they read…so when you show up looking low value with a shabby Linkedin profile… Guess what? They believe you are low value… And someone else gets the job!!! 

If you’re a smart woman who wants a big job paying six-figures…The quickest way to get the job is to behave like you’re worthy of it.

An Open Mind(set)

Many of us dread networking because it can feel too “salesy” or like we are putting ourselves out there in a vulnerable and risky way. Instead of seeing networking and a sales or risky opportunity see it as an opportunity to build relationships, connect with others, and potentially help someone else out. 

Many networking tactics can yield positive results. But as someone who went through my own career transition and who now helps women undergoing the same, I find that one’s mindset carries great weight. 

Someone with an open, expansive, and non-judgmental mindset is ready to meet more people. They are creative in brainstorming with whom they can connect and where and when they do so. 

Their open mindset enables them to unlock more opportunities, and they avoid closing any doors based on self-doubts and other preconceived notions. I notice a big difference in my clients when they approach networking with a mindset that INVITES others in.

Think creatively and expansively about your network and be willing to leverage it.

Too often we think that our network only includes work relationships, and that networking is about asking for a job. In reality, networking is about giving and receiving help and our networks are deep and broad. 

We should tap into them often. Our networks include: professional organizations, volunteer groups, church/synagogue/mosque, fellow parents, partners/spouses, alumni groups. Here’s what I mean: 

I suggested to a client that she have a casual conversation with fellow parents the next time they were at their kids’ soccer game. She outright refused; she didn’t understand the value of her network and she was afraid to put in the effort of reaching out. 

Conversely, another client found a role she was interested in on LinkedIn, did some digging and learned that one of her husband’s co-workers knew the person who posted the role. She leveraged her connections and asked for an introduction. Guess which client landed a new role faster?

A Conversational Centerpiece

Don’t enter into a friendly conversation with someone you know empty handed when in a job search. Bring a launching pad - Enter the Personal Marketing Plan. It's a file that not only shares your unique value promise (aka your brand message) but your target:

∙Role title(s)

∙Geography

∙Industry

∙Company list

It's the perfect conversation piece to activate a quality brainstorming sesh with past colleagues and friends plus an easy link to their network.

Networking unequipped in a lackluster headspace is a no-go. Implement these proven strategies and tools to make a high-yield splash in the modern market. Because, darn it, you have something to offer the world that no one else does! Go share your message and build valuable relationships in the process.

Networking shouldn’t get you down and resume writing shouldn’t either! While your resume is one of the single most important career documents in your professional arsenal, it shouldn’t take over your life.

No more spinning your wheels draft after draft with little traction. It’s time to beat back the overwhelm and create a head-turning resume that gets you hired (and keeps you on budget).

In The Resume Key digital course, I’m divulging my award-winning resume strategies that land my one-on-one clients meaningful work. From the foundations of resume best practices to how to seamlessly weave together your unique value and job target keywords, you’ll have a resume that pops—and gets results.

Additional References: https://www.linkedin.com/business/talent/blog/talent-acquisition/women-less-likely-to-have-strong-networks