Avoid These Networking Mistakes

Professional networking is a valuable way to build relationships in your industry and advance your career. Not everyone is excited about working, but it's a necessary activity if you are interested in building a strong reputation in your community. If you are ready to network your way to success, take care to avoid these networking mistakes.

1. Discontinuing Networking Activities

Professional networking is only effective if you make an effort to do it regularly. Going to one meeting and collecting a few business cards is not enough to help you make new contacts and learn about the opportunities available in your community. If you want to use professional networking to advance your career, commit to doing it regularly. You don't have to attend a weekly meeting, but you should try to attend a networking event at least once per month.

2. Failure to Follow Up

Meeting a new contact is just the first step in the professional networking process. After a networking event ends, make it a priority to follow up with everyone you met. The follow-up process may be something as simple as sending an email with your contact information or as elaborate as calling each contact personally. The key to following up effectively is to remind the new contact of your conversation without being pushy or demanding help with your career. If the contact helps you in any way, be sure to express your appreciation immediately.

3. Avoiding Social Media

These days, having an active presence on social media is one of the best ways to learn about new opportunities in your industry. Part of professional networking is updating your profiles regularly and interacting with thought leaders on topics of interest to people in your field. If you have a LinkedIn or Facebook profile, update it regularly. On days when you can't think of anything to say, it's OK to share a link to an interesting article. If people comment on your posts, respond to their comments to keep the conversation going.

4. Connecting for No Reason

Don't be the person who collects hundreds of business cards just to make your address book look bigger. Instead, have a plan for connecting with people in your industry. It's easier to approach someone if you have a specific reason for doing so. For example, you may want to approach a senior leader in your field to ask for some advice on career development. If you send a message via social media, state your reason for contacting the person in the opening paragraph of your message.

Networking is more difficult for some people than others, but it's important to avoid networking mistakes that can hurt your reputation and make it difficult to build relationships. If you are ready to hit the professional networking scene, make sure you are selective about new contacts. Grow your professional network by following up with everyone you meet.

Photo courtesy of Sean MacEntee at Flickr.com