Moving to a new city is a difficult prospect, but one of the most difficult by far is rebuilding your entire professional network, particularly if you’re moving to a city where you don’t know anyone. The chances that starting your network over can give you are great, but it won’t happen naturally without putting in some legwork. Making connections and meeting people requires work and strategic thinking.
1. Look for local alumni groups
One of the most robust tools you may have at your disposal, particularly if you’ve moved to a bigger city or an urban area, is a local alumni network. These organizations exist to help you build those professional networking fields with your fellow alumni. Groups like these frequently host social events for alumni to get together, put together workshops on developments in the world of business, host clubs or simply offer a built-in social network you can tap into.
Alumni, particularly older alumni, are often invested in helping fellow alumni from the same school succeed, as your success post-grad can improve your school’s reputation. You already have something in common with other alumni, which makes reaching out and breaking the ice easy. Don’t be afraid to ask about identifying people in your industry, getting connections to non-alumni local professionals and advice on how to succeed in a new city.
2. Expand your social life
You can’t meet people if you don’t put yourself out there, and professional networking doesn’t only have to happen in a professional setting. If you’re bent on building a new network from scratch, you should also be working on building a personal network. Both of these goals will be furthered by taking advantage of social groups in your area as much as possible. Look for local fairs, clubs or events that might appeal to people in your interested demographic or profession. A local sports team or book club can help introduce you to people, both professionally and socially. Your professional and social networks don’t have to be separate, either—even if they’re not in your industry, anyone you meet in a new city can potentially be a professional connection at one point or another.
Emily Bennington, who helps college graduates transition into careers through her company, Professional Studio 365, believes you should go to the right places to meet the right people. "Rather than using your savings for a spring break in Daytona, go to a conference that's within your industry,"Bennington says. "Use social media strategically about six to eight weeks in advance of your landing at that conference to reach out to people who are going to be at that event."
3. Tap into your workplace’s connections
Don’t be afraid to ask your help from people at work. Talk to your manager, your executive and your co-workers about good people to know. Ask them to introduce you to people when possible, even if it’s just an email introduction. Your fellow workers will know the people in the area, and will be able to connect you quickly to the people most relevant to you. Don’t be afraid of burdening them with requests, particularly for something as small as an introduction. Everyone has to build a professional network at some point.
More than that, your new workplace itself may have social activities, clubs or events for you to join and enhance your network even further. For instance, if you have an interest in sport, find out if your company has any teams you can join. Or maybe you enjoy volunteering—many companies take part in charitable events and activities and would welcome you to join. Activities such as these give you an opportunity to get to know your co-workers outside work hours and meet other people from different departments. This can transform your professional network.
4. Join professional associations
One immensely helpful way to network is through a professional association relevant to you, whether that’s for non-profit employees or people in a specific industry or young professionals. These organizations host conferences and workshops, and put you in touch with a network of people who are all searching for professional connections and help.
Spend some time every day checking out what’s going on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook in your industry. Follow major or local professionals in your field, see what they’re doing and be willing to engage with people about the content.
5.Trawl your social media
Spend some time keeping up with developments in your industry, read newsletters from your association, follow competitors in your area. This will give you a list of potential people to reach out to and add to your network. Don’t be afraid to reach out these people to meet in person. An offer of a cup of coffee at your favorite coffee shop will be hard for anyone to say no to; especially if you’ve spent time getting to know them over social media.
Rebuilding an entire network from scratch in a new city is certainly a challenge, and for shy people or those who’ve relied on already-made connections in the past, the prospect can seem overwhelming and impossible. But putting yourself out there can only grow your network, so don’t be afraid and don’t let shyness hold you back.