Newbie’s guide into networking: How to build connections in a new field
Late 2019 was when I decided to make my transition from IT to UX design, and I still remember the feelings I had when I tried to network with designers at the start. I cared so much about getting responses, I’d check my phone every 5 min to see if someone’s accepted my connection request, maybe I could reach out to them about making the transition, maybe some would even be nice enough to support me on the way! But there were none. It was all hopeful thinking.
I don’t blame them knowing that at that time I had nothing to offer them back: I had no connections, I don’t have design in my profile, I knew nothing about design or the industry. It was a very difficult time, I felt like an outsider who could never get in, a new-born by the side of the street that no one would notice.
This is my story of how I networked my way into design as a outsider, from no connection and no design knowledge to being seen and reached out to by companies for internships and graduate opportunities.
There are so many articles telling you how important networking is but it’s not that easy when you actually do it. Getting someone to actually accept your connection request was already a goal by itself, but if you wanted to deepen your connection with them that’s where it can get even more tricky. I’ll start off with what didn’t work.
What didn’t work so well
Straight up asking for mentorship
Yikes! How bold! I did try this because at the time I thought I had nothing to lose, and the best outcome would be that someone is willing to guide me. Reflecting on it I don’t think it’s a very wise idea, and people will likely be overwhelmed at this approach.
Asking newbie questions
It’s all good if they are willing to answer, but if not that’s the end of this connection. Most of the time newbies don’t even know what newbie questions look like. If you can Google it and get the answer fairly easy it’s probably not a good idea to ask, unless you want their personal opinion on it.
Trying to start a random conversation
Don’t start the conversation for the sake of starting a conversation, people might not respond and it’ll end quickly.
What worked well
Sharing similarities
It’s a lot easier to open the conversation when you share some similarities with the other person, but it might require some research into them.
Make them curious
A good way to get people interested in you can be done really well with a bit of storytelling.
For example:
Why did you decide to make a transition from IT cybersecurity to design?
Offer something in return
If your connection is nice enough to help you in any way, show them that you don’t take them for granted. Try offer something back, even if it’s a fresh perspective on things.
Step by step what worked best for me
1. Personalised invite stating why you wanted to add them, and phrase it so that it’s personal.
It’s okay to connect with others for very generic reasons, but it will feel so much more personalised if you phrase it so they are the only person who could answer it.
Instead of:
“I’d like to know more about Deloitte and its cloud department”
Try:
“I’d like to know more about your experience as a Cloud consultant at Deloitte.”
The two are very similar once the conversation goes deeper, but the second one definitely feels more personalised to them and they are likely to tell you more if it’s about themselves.
Extra notes:
- What interest you about them? What do you want to know? How can you phrase it so they are the only person who could answer it?
- Bonus mark if you could sneak a specific question in there, shows that you’ve given thought and they are more likely to feel obliged to accept the request and answer you.
2. Ask if it’s possible to have a quick 15min chat in call
Once they accept your request, and even better if they replied to your initial message, it’s time to aim for having that quick call.
It’s true you might have questions that they can just answer over message, but it’s so much different to actually engaging with one another through talking, seeing each other face to face and hearing their voices.
I find this to be a great way to get to know the connection personally, and deepen your bonds through chatting. One good thing 2020 has brought us was how easy it is to reach out to people across the world, and no one’s weirded out by the thought of virtual coffee chat anymore. This is also a great opportunity to make a good first impression.
Extra notes:
- Don’t ask for too much straight up, 15min is a good length that people are likely to have time for.
- Prepare what you want to ask before the call, have it well organised and hosted so that the whole experience is positive and effortless for your connection.
- Be polite and considerate (Even better if you could smile!).
3. Show your appreciation after the call
Even though it doesn’t seem too important since you already had a talk to them, you aren’t done yet! This is a critical step to maintain the relationship with them, and also give yourself a reason to come back to them later down the line.
Thank them for taking time out to chat with you (it’s really not expected of them), then talk about what you’ve learnt during the talk, or what interested you to dig deeper. Think of this as a little summary/reflection, so that your connection knew you found them helpful. Also ask them if they are willing to help you with other questions down the line.
Thanks for the chat! I really learnt a lot about designing for hardware. Would I be able to reach out again if I have more questions down the line?
Extra notes:
- This doesn’t have to be cheesy or overly complicated, can still be really casual while getting your appreciation across.
Congrats!
Once you made it this far, you’ve already done several things:
- You made a nice engagement with your connection
- You’ve shown that you are polite, and passionate about the topic
- You paved a way for yourself to contact them later
- You know they are more likely to be spending more time with you (since they’ve already invested time)
And depending on how frequently you talk after, your bond gets stronger.
Overall tips:
- Think about your voice and how you want to present yourself to others. Do you want to be seen reliable? passionate? Bright? Present yourself how you want others to see you.
- Don’t attach yourself emotionally onto the requests, messages you send. It’s nice if they reply but don’t let it get you down if they don’t! (I went through this big time for quite a while)
- Don’t! Ever! Give! Up! There will be a lot of people that might ignore you, but there’ll always be someone somewhere down the line that’d appreciate you and help you along your journey, don’t give up and eventually you’ll find each other!
This article was made based on my personal experience going from IT into UX design, it might be situational, so feel free to take it with a grain of salt :)
