Career advice: How to expand your network

Your alma mater’s network is a great place to start network expansion. Image: Shutterstock

Laurel Holman, the director of alumni and MSx career services at Stanford Graduate School of Business’ Career Management Center, shares three networking tips you can use no matter where you are on your career path:

1. Prepare for meaningful conversation

Most people are flattered to be asked for their advice or expertise, Holman says. And when you do make a connection with someone, “The key is to go into those meetings well prepared. If you’re well prepared, then it really becomes a mutual conversation between two professionals who have a point of view and an interesting perspective and set of experiences. That two-way exchange of value is what can really make this less awkward and more valuable for both of the people.”

2. Targeted LinkedIn search

Your alma mater’s network is a great place to start. But many alums don’t know how to identify other alums who work (or worked) at a particular company. How to find them: Go to the school’s LinkedIn page and click the tab that says “Alumni.” That will open a search bar where you can enter the name of a company. “Let’s say you want to apply for a job at Netflix,” Holman says. “I type in ‘Netflix,’ and it will bring up a list of people who have both Netflix and the [school] on their LinkedIn profile.”

After identifying someone you want to contact, use the alumni directory to find their email address. “That one-two of LinkedIn and then getting the emails from the directory is a great way to reach out to alumni who may be able to help,” Holman says.

3. Persistent (and polite) follow-ups

It’s not unusual to send an email and then… crickets. “It’s almost never personal,” Holman says. “People are just busy.” Wait four or five days before sending a follow-up message. If that doesn’t work, wait a few more days and try again. “If they still haven’t responded by the end of about two weeks or so, I would follow up one last time and then move on to the next person.”

This piece originally appeared in Stanford Business Insights from Stanford Graduate School of Business. To receive business ideas and insights from Stanford GSB click here: (To sign up: https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/insights/about/emails)