Networking for Moms
Grow your professional network in easy, stress-free steps and land your next career opportunity.
Networking…ugh, just the word is enough to make you sigh heavily.
When many people think of networking, the vision that comes to mind is going to some sort of professional event filled with a ton of people you don’t know, making small talk with strangers, handing out a business card or two, and feeling awkward the whole time.
And if you’re a mom who hasn’t worked outside of the home for a minute, you might think that networking is no use. I mean, after all, you don’t have the contact information for your old co-workers anymore and, even if you did, you haven’t talked to them in, like, 10 years so that would be weird to reach out to them now, right?
But true and genuine networking isn’t that at all (let all introverts rejoice)! All networking is, is maintaining and nurturing relationships. That’s it. Seriously. Anyone can do it, whether they are seasoned professionals or they have been stay-at-home moms for the last 10 years.
It isn’t about forced interaction with strangers at specific events. That is one form of networking, but it’s just one way. And networking isn’t limited to former co-workers and supervisors either. Don’t get me wrong – they’re great resources, but they aren’t the only option. You can network with anyone - friends, fellow school parents, your kids’ sports coaches, neighbors, and family. All of these people are networking opportunities! All of these people know people…who know other people.
If you’re wanting to get back into the nursing field after taking a career break, and your child’s soccer coach is a nurse at the local hospital…that’s a golden opportunity right there! Let the soccer coach know that you have a background in nursing and are looking to re-enter the workforce. Even if they don’t know of any openings at their specific employer, they may know of other openings or they may know other nursing department heads who are hiring. You never know what will come from a simple conversation.
Many years ago, when I was a social worker, this is actually how I got my second (and final) social worker job, which ultimately led to me getting my foot in the door in the HR world (and meeting my husband, but that’s a different story).
I was beyond stressed at the job I had and I knew I needed out soon for my own sanity. I had been searching on job boards for months, but the job market was bad and there was hardly anything available. Meanwhile, I had a friend who I saw at least once a week who also happened to be a social worker. I off-handedly mentioned to her one night that I was so stressed in my job, but that I couldn’t find anything. Her eyes lit up and she said, “Oh, we have an open position at work! My boss has already done a few interviews, so I don’t know if he’s made an offer yet, but let me ask him on Monday. E-mail me your resume.”
I sent her my resume that night. Monday afternoon rolled around and I got a call from her supervisor wanting to set up an interview the next day! One week later, I accepted the job offer and turned in my two weeks’ notice for a job that caused me so much stress for a long time. Had I not said anything at all to my friend, who knows how much longer I would’ve been stuck in a job that made me miserable (or gotten into the HR field…or met my husband)!
The same thing can be said for family. A lot of people don’t even think about reaching out to family members for networking opportunities. This could be for a variety of reasons – maybe they’re not that close, they don’t want to put their family member in an awkward situation, or maybe it just doesn’t even occur to them. Whatever the reason, you never know who your cousin knows, right? Or your siblings, aunts, uncles, etc. But they could have a connection that would be a game-changer for you if they would introduce you or pass your resume along.
I’ve found that, generally, people like helping other people, including finding their next job opportunity. It’s just that they don’t know you’re looking or need help, just like in my case with my friend! Part of your role in networking is making it known that you’re looking, and making it clear what you’re looking for and when you’re looking for it.
Another form of networking that people usually overlook is reaching out to the hiring managers or recruiters of positions that they interviewed for in the past, but either didn’t get or turned down the offer.
Just because you interviewed for the job and didn’t get it, doesn’t necessarily mean that you weren’t a good fit for the role or that the interviewer didn’t like you. Oftentimes, the situation is that the manager had one position to fill, and they had to make a choice between two good candidates. I ran into this scenario all of the time in HR. Hiring managers would often come to me asking to talk through the potential candidates because they had two or three that they really liked, and they couldn’t decide. And I personally experienced this myself!
My situation was that I had interviewed for a job that was basically my dream job. I was originally put in contact with the hiring manager through my former supervisor (networking). I really felt that all the stars had aligned on this one. It was a position that would allow me to use my master’s degree in HR but was in a different field, so it was something new and exciting to me! It would allow me to help people (the inner social worker never dies) while working part-time, which is exactly what I was looking for as I had just had my daughter and I didn’t want to go back to work full-time. I really liked the hiring manager, and I interviewed with a panel of about seven people, which went well. I was so excited! But…I didn’t get the job.
They had interviewed someone else the same week who had more of the direct experience and education that traditionally went along with the role. I was incredibly disappointed and it took me a while to get over it. Fast forward almost a year and a half later, and on a whim, I decided to check their career page on their website…and guess what was posted! That same job! I immediately scoured my e-mail for the hiring manager’s contact information. I sent her an e-mail reminding her who I was (more networking) and attached my updated resume and a new cover letter. I heard back from her within the hour. They had just wrapped up their last interview, but she was interested in having me come back in, so I was scheduled for another panel interview with the same people later that week. A few days later I heard back…and I got the job!
The link between social networking and professional networking.
A great tool for networking (maintaining and nurturing relationships), especially with former co-workers, supervisors, as well as recruiters, and hiring managers that you’ve met, is LinkedIn.
You can stay engaged, and let your presence be known by posting things on your profile, as well as reacting to and commenting on posts that they share, congratulating them on career milestones, etc. while foregoing the awkwardness that comes along with some other ways of networking. If you interact with your former co-worker from 8 years ago periodically on LinkedIn, then it doesn’t come out of left field when you ask them for a referral or a reference. Many people post jobs on their profile that their employer is hiring for, so it’s also a great way for you to find out about jobs that you otherwise wouldn’t come across.
I would encourage everyone to have a LinkedIn account, even if you haven’t worked outside of the home for a while but are considering looking for a job. The platform allows you to explain career gaps and skills that you’ve obtained and honed in the interim. It offers courses that you can take to brush up on or learn new skills, which you can then add to your LinkedIn profile and your resume. And, it’s a popular job board site for employers to post jobs because it’s known for its validity and legitimacy.
Just remember, though, that while LinkedIn is a social media site, this is a professional social media site. You don’t need a professional headshot, but make sure your profile picture is nice (no duck lips, peace signs, sparkly filters, etc.) and that there are no grammatical errors. It’s okay to have your personality shine through – you don’t need to come across as a robot – but it should still be professional.
Another great networking source is the career services department of your alma mater.
I talk more in-depth about this in another post, but your school’s career services department isn’t just for current students – it also helps alumni. The people who work in this department have a lot of connections, including other alumni, and can help you propel your job search forward…but you need to reach out to them!
So, who could you network with?
You, specifically. Who is in your social circle of friends, family, and acquaintances that you could reach out to about meeting up for a cup of coffee? Who could you make small talk with at your child’s next school function, or connect with over LinkedIn?
Make a list of people you know, even if you don’t know them well, who are in the same career field that you used to be in or that you want to be in, and then get to work! You’ll be amazed by how quickly your networking circle can grow just by doing small things like this every once in a while.
One final point before I wrap this up.
While you’re making your list of contacts, even though casting a wide net will get you further along, in theory, it’s still wise to use your discretion. If you’re thinking about reaching out to a former co-worker or supervisor, for instance, but you didn’t particularly care for them when you worked with them, that’s not necessarily someone who would add value to your network. And if they’re someone who didn’t have a good reputation, being associated with them may actually hurt you more than it would help you in your career. No one is perfect, but don’t spend time and energy connecting with someone who you know comes with a lot of red flags.
Enjoy your time reconnecting with people, making new connections, and building your network! Remember – networking is more of a slow-and-steady run rather than a marathon!