Attending a career fair is one step towards cultivating a strong professional network and a career that matters to you. Take time to consider what you learned and what your next steps might be.
As you begin to expand your network, maintaining contact can feel tricky. Ensuring that the top employer you introduced yourself to will remember you is going to take a little bit of work. Think about your professional relationships in a similar way to your important friendships. They take a bit of care to build a strong foundation.
If you received a business card from one of the employers, or are able to find their contact email online, send a thank you note. Keep it short and succinct and help them to remember you by identifying a specific conversation topic you valued.
LinkedIn notifies you if someone has a work anniversary, job change or birthday – this is a great opportunity to reconnect by “liking” this notification or sending a message expressing your well wishes. When you request to connect, make sure you include a personalized introduction email so that they don’t think you are spamming them.
Networking is known to be essential to career building as a long-term investment that will continue to give back to you as your career grows.
It can help you:
With the UBC Hub of Ten Thousand Coffees, sponsored by RBC Future Launch, having career-driven conversations is easy. You'll receive one introduction per month to a fellow student or alumni based on your career interests and goals.
See the platfor's Terms of Use before signing up.
Once you sign up to the platform, matches are made each month automatically and optimized to your preferences. Introductions are guided with suggested talking points. You can meet your match in-person, online, or speak to them on the phone. Plus, you will get compliments and feedback after each meeting.
If you're looking to have a follow-up conversation with an employer or individual you met, request an informational interview.
If you sense they would be willing to introduce you to others in their network, ask if they could recommend you connect with anyone specific about your career questions. If they make a suggestion, request an introduction.
It’s important not to overwhelm your new contacts by asking for too much. Consider what you can offer that they would benefit from or enjoy. Remember, relationships that are mutually beneficial are the most successful.
Attending an upcoming conference or networking event?
If it’s a popular event for their industry, send them a quick note to let them know you will be attending and hope to see them there.
Keep them in the loop and acknowledge their support.
Sharing your successes will fuel their interest in keeping in touch, and if they’ve helped you in any way, let them know.
Ask for their advice
If you have a specific question, ask for their advice via LinkedIn messaging or email. Be as specific as possible in your question and ensure you remind them of who you are and what you talked about during the event.
Offer them professional or personal leads.
If you know of a project or event that would be of interest to them, or have met someone they might value speaking to, make an introduction. This doesn’t have to remain in the realm of work but can be connected to known hobbies and interests as well.
