When working remotely, let’s face it, your day-to-day routine isn’t exactly loaded with opportunities for meeting new people. And no matter who you are – introvert or extrovert, developer or project manager, admin or architect, in the peak of your career or just starting out – networking is crucial for your career (not to mention your sanity). Connecting with new people or even maintaining the relationships you’ve already made, requires you to create opportunities for yourself. So, as a remote worker, what could you be doing to build your network, and give your career a boost? Here are our top tips for networking remotely.
Find opportunities to offer value
People like people who help them. So if you establish yourself as a person who adds real value, you automatically endear yourself to people. And the best part? You can do all that value-adding from the comfort of your own home.
Look for ways to help, to support, or to make valuable connections for people in your network. The tech industry is full of forums for you to offer your advice, share experiences and answer questions. You can even use social media, such as LinkedIn groups and Twitter, as a way to interact with and help out your peers.
The key to success with this tip? Be genuine! Don’t just look to help people in the hopes they’ll help you down the line. If you come from a self-serving place, people will pick up on that. Instead, make a list of where you genuinely feel as though your experience and skills can help, keep active in community groups and if the opportunity presents itself, jump on it.
Use social media to establish yourself
Getting your name, company, or project out there on social media is a great way to establish yourself as a thought leader. Many tech professionals are incredibly active on social media (specifically Twitter and LinkedIn). So ensuring you’re active on these platforms, will help to not only increase your social network but will also give your career a healthy boost. These days, you can contribute your expertise from wherever you are and use it to develop contacts globally.
Bottom line? The more you get your name out there, the more people will see it – and the more your network will grow.
Join community groups
The best networks are built organically. So, joining online community groups is a great way to have more informal conversations with your peers. These groups give you the opportunity to share your own knowledge and experiences, as well as ask your peers questions. Joining these groups and attending events can help you build some of the strongest and most authentic connections.
These groups put you in touch with other like-minded people in the industry. And building a network of like-minded people is not only essential from a social perspective, but it can also boost your career. It’s a win-win!
Start a podcast
Podcasts are having a serious moment. And they’re good for more than entertaining you during a long drive or during your lunch break. They can be a great way to connect with people across the ecosystem.
Of course, starting a podcast is definitely a lot more labor-intensive than sharing your advice in community groups or posting on social media. But if starting your own podcast is something you’re genuinely interested in. And if you’re willing to put the work in to develop and market your show, it can be an incredibly valuable networking tool. A podcast provides you with the opportunity to interview various people in the tech industry and get your name out there. It might start small, but it could almost certainly lead to more opportunities down the road. And because you don’t have to be in the same place (or even the same time zone) as your guest, you can manage the entire process remotely.
Think having your own podcast could be for you? Here are some helpful tips about getting started and a list of podcasting resources to get an idea of how to get started.
Working remotely certainly presents some challenges in terms of connecting with new people. But with a little creativity and willingness to put yourself out there (sometimes stepping outside your comfort zone), you can network just as successful as you could in a more traditional office setting.
