Online networking
While the principals of networking are the same in every medium, social networks like have made the process easier and more accessible.
LinkedIn is probably the easiest place to start networking. Your profile is effectively your online CV. You can build on this to interact with other users to share business ideas, show off your skills and experience, increase your contacts and look for work.
Start off by joining local groups (eg sector-focussed groups), join in the discussions and make contacts with members. Look up the groups your contacts have joined or use keywords from the ‘groups’ menu. Search for people and companies (by location, industry, keyword etc) for people to contact – people you might want to work for or do business with.
To get started visit the LinkedIn learning centre for students.
Facebook is a popular network for students and graduates, and though it tends to be more social it is being used by more and more employers for recruiting. As well as advertising their vacancies on Facebook, some larger employers might expect direct involvement from candidates, or have their current staff finding user groups and discussions to find new talent
In the past Deloitte and T-Mobile have set up Facebook groups for their graduate interns to get to know each other, and advertisers Saatchi & Saatchi recruited via a competition to create the most popular Facebook group.
If you already use Facebook for your social networks, the most important thing to remember about using Facebook for professional networking is that your profile needs to portray you as a professional.
Twitter is a micro-blogging site that allows you to post updates of no more than 140 characters. Another hugely popular social network, it is used by many employers – according to Brave New Talent – 47% of recruiters use twitter as a recruitment tool.
Networking on Twitter can be as simple as following someone. They will get a message letting them know you have shown an interest and may even follow you back.
Twitter gives you the option of 'mentioning' a recruiter in a tweet by putting @ in front of their username, re-tweeting something they have posted or joining in with a hashtag (#) trend that a recruiter has started.
Read Twitter 101: Getting started with Twitter if you need help getting started.
See also Twitter etiquette.
Tips for networking online
Just having a social network account isn't enough - you need to use it. Don’t be a passive observer, the more you engage the better you look – comment, retweet, offer your opinion.
Be active, and share useful information that reflects positively on yourself, your interests, your ambitions and your skills.
The more connections you make – the greater the likelihood of other people seeing your profile
Always write professionally, with accurate spelling and grammar. Use the right level of formality.
Be polite, courteous, respectful and helpful. Show that you are interested in people and their organisations by interacting where appropriate to help you stand out. Don’t simply ‘befriend’ or ‘like’ or ‘follow’ employers or people you want to make contact with
Answer questions that they ask or pass on useful information if you have it. Remember, behind every social media account there is another person – don’t hassle them.
Not everyone uses every social media site, choose the tool that has the most activity in your area or sector, and consider using an application that will automatically share your tweets, status updates or posts to your other social media profiles. It will save you having to post updates more than once and increase the chance that you are seen by a prospective employer.
Remember, social networking is no substitute for the real thing. Don’t be tempted to hide behind the anonymity of a social media account. Try and back up online contacts with a face-to-face meeting when appropriate.
Before you start networking online, it is important that your online presence says the right things about you. Read our advice on managing your online presence.