How to network when you don’t live in a big city
This past summer, I was in the incredibly lucky position of interning and networking in one of the biggest and busiest cities in the country: New York City. Having so many people in my industry all on the same island was not only helpful and inspiring, but it was incredibly easy. Networking was as simple as getting a cup of coffee with a seasoned professional who most likely lived a subway ride away from me.
But for the rest of the year, I spend my time in a small college town in Missouri–not exactly a prime networking location. So how do we, the small town dwellers out here, network and job hunt even when we can’t make it to a big city? Fortunately for us, there are still ways to connect with all types of people, sometimes without even leaving our computers.
One of the easiest and best ways to network, from wherever you are, is to utilize social media. With so many people on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn, it only takes a few clicks to look up just about anyone. You can learn about what they do and get their contact information–all in one fell swoop. It’s your own, personal online networking event, right from the convenient comfort of your laptop.
These kinds of sites are also particularly helpful for finding out if you have a mutual contact with someone (think: shared followers on Twitter or connections on LinkedIn). By finding someone in common, you can avoid the cold email and instead have an intermediary start to the conversation. And if there’s no shared connection, you can start by simply reaching out. While not everyone responds, sending a quick tweet saying you’d love to talk, whether in person or over Google Hangout, is a great way to start a conversation.
Millennial career coach Ashley Stahl agrees that leveraging LinkedIn is a great way to snag those coveted informational meetings and phone calls. She recommends that job seekers use LinkedIn to create a targeted list of professionals who inspire them and then email those people for meetings. Even if someone doesn’t live in your particular city, you never know what connections they have and building your network never hurts.
Especially when you’re not situated in a big, metropolitan area, it’s important to remember that networking doesn’t just have to be something that happens at scheduled events or within a large corporation. The key is to talk to everybody. Try going to expert panels at your local college, reaching out to friends of friends (and friends of friends of friends), striking up conversation with local business owners; you never know what hidden job market you’ll tap into or what jobs you’ll find out about that haven’t even been posted yet.
Another underrated way to network from any city is to look into networking opportunities provided by your university. Many schools offer websites where you can look for contacts and available jobs within the alumni network. Most likely, there are also a number of Facebook groups and pages where alumni post job openings and “roll calls” of peoples’ contact information. These can end up being extremely resourceful when you’re on the hunt for a contact.
“So often people think of networking as simply getting together for lunch or coffee and talking about their job search,” says Adena Johnston, a leadership development consultant at CCI Consulting. “In reality, to network effectively while looking for work takes deliberate effort. Focus on continuously expanding your network contacts to help reach into the industry or organization you want to work in.”
One of the best ways to network wherever you are is through Levo League! Whether that’s by going to a Local Levo event in your city (or a city close to where you live) or by connecting throughout the site, it’s an easy way to meet women who are just as passionate, driven, and engaged as you are.
This article originally appeared on Levo League.
