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Join Isaiah as he presents the steps you need to follow to set up an online networking strategy that will get you a referral
Here’s a quick rundown of this week’s episode…
- First, Isaiah explains why you should identify your target companies before setting up an online networking strategy
- Next, Isaiah discloses the good practices every PhD must follow when creating and nurturing their online network
- Finally, Isaiah reveals how you should time your efforts to ensure you get a referral
From This Week’s Show…
How To Get Started With Your Networking Strategy
If you want to get a job in industry, you need to have an effective online networking strategy. And a good strategy starts by identifying the companies that you want to work for.
To do this, avoid basic Google searches. Googling keywords, like “top” or “best”, you’ll only going find the same 10 biggest companies that you already know and that everyone else already knows.
To find more company targets, start using longtail keywords. For example, search “mid-size biotechs in Boston”.
You’ll find hundreds and likely thousands of strong, fast growing companies that you’ve never heard of but are looking to hire candidates and have plenty of cashflow to spend on them.
Once you have your list, start networking with people working at those companies.
Follow These Good Practices To Grow Your Online Network
Make sure you always follow good practices while networking. First and foremost, be professional.
Reach out to the right people. If you’re looking for a Research Associate position at a company, you shouldn’t reach out to the CEO or COO of the company.
Instead, focus on connecting with people that hold the job title that you want, or co-workers of people in that role.
Tap into your existing network. It’s much easier to rekindle an old connection than it is to create a new one from scratch.
You may not think that your old friend from grad school who works in a completely different field will be of use – but you already have trust built with them and likely have hundreds of shared connections.
Try to avoid a strategy that relies on cold contacting. Instead, find a cold contact’s first and second-degree connections to see if you have any shared connections in place already.
If you have a second-degree connection with the person, ask your shared connection for an introduction.
How To Time Your Online Networking Efforts To Ensure You Get A Referral
Adding value doesn’t mean having anything of material value to offer – just showing your appreciation is enough.
Look at their profile – did they just recently get promoted? Congratulate them. These seemingly small things make a world of difference.
Finally, start getting your timing right, especially when it comes to asking for an informational interview or a referral.
You don’t want to bring up a referral too early in the conversation, but you also don’t want to wait until after the conversation has gone stale.
Once you’ve exchanged a few friendly messages, see if they’re open to answering questions about their career.
If they are, this, right here, is the best moment to ask. And instead of using the words “informational interview”, present it as a quick call to ask a few questions about their job.
If you’re ready to start your transition into industry, you can apply to book a free Transition Call with our founder Isaiah Hankel, PhD or one of our Transition Specialists. Apply to book a Transition Call here.
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