One result of the pandemic is that it may have become harder to network with people in your industry. Leveling up in your career requires a direct effort of meeting people outside of your team who do what you, and who do it well.
Connecting with people on LinkedIn or following them on Twitter isn’t enough now. It probably wasn’t even the bare minimum necessary to create great connections before the pandemic either. What you have to do is actually reach out, ask to meet, ask for guidance, and provide it to whoever asks you as well.
Although it wasn’t planned, I discovered that a great way to network is to create content. Whether it’s through micro-blogging on Twitter, writing long-form articles on LinkedIn and Medium, or starting a podcast (my favorite)—creating content helps you build the best kinds of 1st impressions (Google my name after reading this and you’ll see what I mean).
Regardless of what happens in the future, there will be a group of us who are left out of the best kinds of job opportunities simply because we aren’t noticed. This has been the case for quite a while but, going unnoticed has actually become magnified now that people are adopting the remote work lifestyle for good.
So if you’re a remote worker (or you at least plan to be one) do yourself a favor and make sure you’re creating content during your free time. The more you make, the less likely you’ll go unnoticed.
If you’re interested in learning about digital marketing (or just getting fresh perspectives), I interview the world’s best of the best in all things growth, content, search, and more! You can check out my digital marketing podcast here.
PS: Since starting this podcast, it speaks volumes more about my own expertise in the field than my resume ever could…probably because those damn ATS systems still get in the way when I apply for work. ?