NETWORKING ONLINE

How to make professional connections remotely and why it matters

- MARINA MILOSHEVA

ON PAPER, networking is a relatively simple task. Mingle with like-minded professionals while sipping wine and you greatly increase your chances of landing a coveted role or building your dream career.

Pre-COVID, gearing up for a networking event, you would probably have walked into a venue, thinking, "Smile. Remember your elevator pitch. If all else fails, talk about the weather."

Now though, many of us are faced with a slightly different predicament: How to network while working remotely. Operating out of makeshift home offices, with children demanding tea or pets stepping on keyboards, we have collectively become BBC Dad, aka Robert Kelly. The Busan-based political scientist famously went viral in 2017 when his children interrupted a live interview he was doing on television and his wife had to scramble to get them out of his office.

As tricky a proposition as it might be to meet people in such circumstances, research shows that rising to the challenge is worth it. According to one online survey, networking accounts for up to 85% of all filled vacancies. It can also lead to substantial pay rises, as evidenced by a recent story of how one employee secured a £24 000 (R480 000) pay rise solely through networking.

Online networking, even before the pandemic, was a crucial tool for career development.

My research shows that in early 2022, 44% of young people used social media to look for career information-up from only 19% a decade ago-and 42% consulted their social networks when looking to make a career decision.

Online networking, even before the pandemic, was a crucial tool for career development.

How to network online