The wonderful thing about a network is that everyone has one, whether you know it or not. The challenge is to know how to tap into the network you do have and grow it as you do so.

A network is the connection between people and the extended connection between those people to other people that they know, and so on. The size of someone’s network depends on the extent to which an individual is willing to probe for those extended contacts.
To establish your network, first think of all of your professional contacts with your current employer as well as previous employers.

You can grow your network from this foundation of contacts, or if your network is currently a little deflated, you can look outwards as well. There are several things you can do to build your network and make connections between individuals within your field.

Join Associations
Find out if there are any relevant associations in your field. Often associations have publications that will keep you posted on current events and developments as well as prominent individuals to be aware of. Being a part of associations helps to connect people within fields.

Attend Events
Seek events specific to your field with speakers and networking opportunities. This will give you a chance to get to know other people with a common interest from organizations in your field. As you develop these contacts, they may give you further contact information for key people in their organizations, like hiring managers.

Don’t be afraid to approach a speaker with any questions that may have come up during the presentation. If there are people you want to speak to and are not sure what to say, you can always ask questions having to do with how they got their position, how they chose their line of work, what they most enjoy about it, what they least enjoy about it, and any advice they may have for you in general or about other training or experience that would be a good idea to have.

If you are ever stuck in an awkward silence, a good thing to do is to keep up on the news. If you feel awkward, the news is a safe, usually inoffensive topic to mention. Do not be afraid of silence; talking too much can also make you appear nervous or insecure.

Career Fairs/Trade Shows/Conventions
This is your chance to be strategic in your networking. Anytime you can find out who will be at an event, whether it is a specific organization or a particular speaker, decide who it is you are most interested in meeting, find out where they will be and when, and then plan out your physical route to fit in all the people you want to meet with in the allotted time.

 Volunteer
Find different ways of getting involved with associations and at events by volunteering. Volunteering is an excellent way to meet people without really trying or planning who you will meet. Volunteering will also allow you to be more visible in your field, even making you more approachable and available and thus, making networking easier. Remember, anytime you volunteer at an event with industry-relevant individuals present, be enthusiastic, positive and consistent in your work.

Informational Interviews
An informational interview serves two purposes: finding out more information and networking. This is your chance to arrange a meeting with a professional from your industry or an industry you would like to get into and find out facts like how they got started, what they like and don’t like, specifics of the job and other such details. Not only do you get to find out if you will be interested in a similar job, but you get to meet another person and potentially add them to your network. Even if this person does not provide you with an opportunity right away, they may in the future or they may even know of someone else with whom you should speak.

Online Networking
Don’t overlook the possibilities of online networking. Social networking sites like LinkedIn are specifically designed for professionals and serve as an easy way to find and meet people with similar professional interests and ambitions. This is another chance for you to develop important contacts with key individuals within organizations. This kind of networking also helps in reinforcing the networking you do elsewhere, like at conventions and other association events: a great way to maintain the connections you make.

Keep Track
When you meet new people (especially when you meet lots of new people) write down names, where you met them, what organization they are part of and names of people they may have told you to speak to. That way when you speak to the people they have referred you to, you know who it was in your network who sent you to them.

Maintain
Just like any relationship, your network will need maintenance every now and then. Keep in touch with your network contacts and remain visible in your field. You never know when you will be a crucial contact to someone else and successfully connect two other people.