Build Your External Network
As a professional, one of the things I drastically underestimated up until recently was how important it is to have a strong, external professional support network. In undergrad, when trying to secure an internship or full time job, networking in itself is a job, and I remember breathing a sigh of relief when the days and nights attending overview presentations, mixers, dinners, and sessions with past-alumni were over. As a younger professional in Houston, my “networking” time was mostly social, meeting people through my gym, bars and restaurants, and sporting events.
As someone who aspired to be in management at the start of my career, I was always cautious about how much time I spent outside of work with people at work. My concern was eventually being in a position where I would have friends as direct reports, not wanting to be perceived as unfair, inequitable, or biased. In addition, starting my career in operations meant there were not many natural opportunities provided by work, such as industry conferences, tradeshows, customer visits, or other forums that helped develop professional relationships and connections to people outside of work.
Everyone experienced major change during the COVID-19 pandemic, myself included as I welcomed my daughter and became a working parent in a highly stressful job assignment. Major changes were happening in life, at such a rapid pace. I felt pulled in so many directions, out of control of my own life, and incredibly lonely.
I reached out to a few mentors, and ironically, they all told me the same thing; I needed to find an external tribe! There were women like me, early stage executives, dealing with many of the same challenges I was in my workplace and personal life, but I just needed to find them! Good news is I did, and here’s how.
Brainstorm a List: Set a ground rule that no one is “off-limits.” Think about what characteristics you are looking for and write down whoever comes to mind. These don’t need to be people whose life story you know. Think about past co-workers, leaders you admire, or people you have met socially that you felt a connection with.
Scrub LinkedIn: I went through my LinkedIn connections and some of the LinkedIn Groups I follow to find women who “on the outside looking in” seemed to be in a similar position to me career wise. I also searched hashtags like #womeninleadership #workingmom #womeninbusiness to find groups and women who were like-minded.
Look for Professional Groups: There are many women’s professional groups that exist, with chapters globally, in major cities, and online. A quick Google search pulls up many options. I targeted a group called Chief, a private membership network focused on connecting and supporting women executive leaders. Even though I didn’t get an invitation to join, I signed up for their free newsletter and followed the group on LinkedIn. That alone did the hard work of bringing executive women to the forefront of my LinkedIn feed. Just reading their posts, advice, insights, and articles gave me more resources to build my external network. However, when one members posted about a women’s professional development book club she was hosting and a link to sign up, I did it. That click alone put me in contact with a group of women who were dealing with many of the same struggles I was. It has led to new relationships, support, ideas, strategies, and solutions.
Developing an external network certainly takes time and energy. To do it effectively you have to be willing to invest, show vulnerability, and give more than you take, but the benefits are far reaching.
