By John
Rossheim, Monster Senior Contributing Writer
![Network at Your New Job](http://media.newjobs.com/na/cms/images/102571_124x93.jpg)
After you’ve successfully completed a job search, shouldn’t professional
networking be the last thing on your mind? Not so, say networking experts. In
fact, internal networking, right from the beginning, is key to maintaining the
upward trajectory of your career. Here’s how to successfully launch your
networking
campaign
at a new job.
Why Network from the Start?
“When you start in a job, you’re going to be judged early, and
you want to be judged as someone who makes things happen,” says Richard Moran, a
partner at venture capital firm Venrock Associates. Introducing yourself to
coworkers in a wide range of roles is a good way to begin.
So networking
is important from the get-go. But given your newbie status, your internal
networking should be carefully calibrated. Soon after you start a job, “you’ve
got to increase your
visibility, but without being pompous,” says Bill Behn, managing
director for financial staffing firm SolomonEdwardsGroup.
Whom
to Network With Even early on, your network needs to go beyond
the folks in adjoining cubes -- without embracing everyone on the payroll. But
where to begin?
“Start your networking with people who started the same
job you have about a year ago, because they’ll tell you what you’re going to be
measured on,” advises Moran.
After that, says Gayle Lantz, president of
consulting firm WorkMatters Inc., “ask your boss who the most important people
are for you to meet.”
Next, seek out people with more clout, Moran says.
“Organizations have samurai who are out there doing the big stuff every day, and
you have to figure out who they are and whether you can become one,” he adds.
How to Make Internal Networking Happen When
you’re new on the job, you want to make a lot of contacts fairly quickly while
also building your
reputation as a hard worker. “You don’t want to be the person
who’s hanging out at everyone’s cubicle,” says Brendan Courtney, a senior vice
president at staffing firm Spherion. “You want to take advantage of those
opportunities that happen during lunch or while you’re getting coffee.”
When you’re asking for more substantial advice, be mindful of your
colleagues’ full schedules. “Breakfast, before the workday starts, is a good
time to pick people’s brains,” Courtney suggests.
Cast Your
Network Across the Company It’s also important to extend your
network beyond your department or division.
“There’s a body of research that says that your weaker ties get you jobs;
your stronger ties are mostly to people who already know each other,” says
Jeanne Hurlbert, president of Optinet Resources LLC and a professor of sociology
at Louisiana State University. “Strong ties can have positive payoffs in terms
of
promotion.”
So look for opportunities to branch out.
“Volunteer to serve on a cross-functional team,” advises Lantz. “Meeting
regularly with people from other departments is an ideal way to network and
learn about other aspects of the business.”
A Mentor Can
Supercharge Your Networking Especially when you’re a rookie, a
mentor can be a great help in extending the upward reach of your
internal network.
“There are usually three or four people who set the
tone of the company’s value system,” says Courtney. “It’s good to have one of
them as your mentor; someone who can help prepare you for your next step in the
organization.”
But, Courtney cautions, do tread carefully when choosing
a mentor. “If you’re creating a mentor relationship outside your immediate
manager, you have to let your manager know,” he says.
Relax and
Let Your Network Work Finally, most of your internal networking
efforts should be low-key and informal. “If you set up too many meetings too
early, people will think, ‘What does this guy want from me?’” says Behn.
And although networking is important, many other priorities will compete
for your attention in the beginning. Says Moran: “You don’t have to start
networking before lunch on your first day.”