How to Widen Your Network in Tech
Are you looking to widen your network and build more connections with other tech professionals? To land a job and advance in the tech industry, most of the time it is more about who you know rather than what you know. You may submit your resume to numerous tech companies with the hopes of acquiring a position, but hiring managers look over hundreds of resumes a day— and your resume may have the potential of being overlooked. Knowing the right people in the right positions and utilizing the connections you have as leverage will help you to acquire jobs easier and advance your standing in the industry.
We’ll be going over ways in which you can develop and widen your network— from joining professional organizations to participating in volunteer work— to land your dream job and take the tech industry by storm.
Join professional associations and organizations
Joining professional associations and organizations provide an opportunity for you to connect with other professionals in the industry, learn more about your craft, and hear about exclusive job opportunities. There is a plethora of professional tech organizations available based upon your interest and line of work. Some organizations focus on women in tech while others focus on diversity and inclusivity in the tech. Numerous general tech organizations are available as well based upon your interest. With the various organizations present in the tech industry, finding one that fits your interest and specialty would allow you to meet new people in the industry, develop your network, and increase your chances of acquiring a job.
Connect through your job
If you are looking to widen your professional network, looking at you own personal network would be ideal. Your personal network can be seen as the people you are surrounded by— family, friends, co-workers. Connecting with your personal network is an effective way of widening your professional network.
Getting to know your coworkers inside and outside of work is a great start towards widening your network. Taking the time to talk to coworkers during work and attending social events sponsored by your job give you the opportunity to get to know your work associates more personally. The time you spend getting to know your coworkers can potentially lead to a professional friendship that may benefit you when it comes to staying up to date on tech trends, finding future jobs, or connecting with other tech professionals within your line of work.
Connect through LinkedIn and social media platforms
LinkedIn along with social media platforms, like Twitter, are effective tools to utilize to virtually widen your network. On LinkedIn, you have the ability to directly connect with professionals in your area by sending a connection request. When sending a connection request, you should always include a personalized note or message to the professional you would like to connect with. LinkedIn events also provide another way for professionals in the tech community to network. There are numerous in person and online tech events available through LinkedIn that give professionals the opportunity to share their thoughts and network with those organizing and attending the event. Lasty, LinkedIn groups are another feature that allow you to connect with industry experts and professionals— allowing you to build relationships and network with people by having a shared interest or commonality.
Twitter is mainly recognized as a social media platform where you can share short post known as tweets, but this platform— like LinkedIn— is a powerful tool that can help you widen your network and make connections with others. Many CTO’s (chief technology officers), leading industry experts and professionals, developers, programmers, and designers utilize twitter to share their ideas and the latest developments happening in their projects. When used as a professional tool, twitter can help you stay up to date on tech trends and make new connections. Following people in your specific professional community or area of interest, and frequently posting content that speaks to your community of professionals can help you grab the attention of those in the industry and connect with others. If you are following the right people and posting engaging content, others within the tech community can view and interact with your feed— ultimately leading to direct communication that can take place via Twitter direct message or through the work email you have listed on your Twitter bio.
Seek volunteer opportunities
IT volunteer opportunities are beneficial towards meeting a variety of new people and broadening your network. Volunteering can help you meet people that share the same professional interest and goals as you— giving you the opportunity to learn more about your specialty and network with those you will meet. Organizations are looking for tech professionals to share their expertise to aid nonprofits in need of tech education and assistance. There is a plethora of corporations in the any area looking for IT specialist to utilize their expertise to help, mentor, and educate those in the community and assist on specific projects. Hackathon,
IT Resources can help with finding qualified candidates for any position