Networking for jobs: who to contact, what to say and how to follow up

What does networking for jobs actually involve?

Networking for jobs is not collecting contacts or asking everyone whether they are hiring. It is a series of small, specific requests to people who can tell you something you cannot find in a job posting: how a team really works, which title an employer uses for the job you want, whether a posted role is still active, or who makes the hiring decision.

CareerOneStop, the career site sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, describes networking as one of the most valuable uses of job search time, partly because many openings are filled before or without a public posting. Even when a job is posted, a conversation with someone inside can help you decide whether to apply and what to emphasize.

What you can reasonably ask for depends on how well the person knows you. A stranger can share information. An acquaintance may pass your name along. Only someone who has seen your work, or has had a real conversation with you, should be asked for a referral.

• Information: what the work involves, how hiring usually happens, what skills matter most.
• Advice: feedback on your target role, your resume or your pitch.
• Introductions: a name of someone closer to the work, ideally with permission to mention who sent you.
• Referrals: a recommendation for a specific posted role, from someone who can speak to your work.

Warm contacts vs weak ties: who should you contact first?

Warm contacts know you personally: friends, family, current and former coworkers you still talk to, former managers, teachers and classmates. Weak ties are people you know a little: a coworker from two jobs ago, someone from your volunteer group, a neighbor, an alumnus of your school or training program. Cold contacts have no connection to you at all.

Start with warm contacts because they are easy to approach and good for practice. Then put most of your effort into weak ties who are close to your target work. Your close friends tend to know the same people and hear the same news you do; acquaintances move in different circles, so they are more likely to know about teams, employers and openings that are new to you.

Reach out cold only when you have a clear reason, such as a shared school, a talk they gave, or a specific question only someone in their role can answer. For a structured version of that request, see how to set up an informational interview.

1. Spend 30 minutes listing everyone you could message: phone contacts, former coworkers and managers, school and training-program contacts, community and faith groups, volunteer teams, and social media connections.
2. Mark each person as warm, weak or cold, and note how close they are to your target field or employers.
3. Write one realistic ask next to each name, such as an introduction to their warehouse manager or ten minutes on how their clinic hires.
4. Pick five people for this week: two warm contacts and three weak ties with the strongest link to your target.

Where to network for jobs, online and in person

Choose two or three places where people in your target work actually spend time, rather than trying everything. A nurse looking for outpatient roles will get more from a local nursing association chapter than from a general business mixer; an electrician may get more from a union hall or apprenticeship program than from a job board.

• Career services and alumni offices of any college, community college or training program you attended, including certificate programs.
• Professional associations, trade unions and industry groups, which often run local meetings, newsletters and member directories.
• Job fairs, chamber of commerce events and hiring events at American Job Centers.
• Volunteer roles and community groups, where people see how you work before they know you want a job.
• Online professional communities and LinkedIn; a clear headline and recent activity make it easier for contacts to understand what you want (see these LinkedIn profile tips).
• Your current employer: internal moves often start with a conversation with another team's manager.

Networking outreach message templates you can adapt

Keep a first message short enough to read on a phone. Say how you are connected, give one sentence of context, make one specific ask and give the person an easy way to decline. Do not attach a resume to a first message unless the person asked for it; offer it instead.

The templates below are illustrative. Replace every bracket with real details and never claim a connection or recommendation that did not happen.

How to follow up after networking without being pushy

If someone does not reply, send one brief follow-up after about a week to ten days, in the same channel. If there is still no answer, stop and put your energy into the next name. Silence usually means busy, not rude, and a third message rarely changes the outcome.

After any conversation, send a thank-you the same day or the next. Then do the most valuable follow-up of all: act on one piece of advice and report back. People who help job seekers rarely hear what happened next, so a short update makes you memorable and gives them a natural reason to help again.

Keep a simple record of who you contacted, the date, what you asked, what they suggested and your next step. CareerOneStop recommends tracking contacts in a list or spreadsheet; a job application tracker works for this too.

How to give value when you feel you have nothing to offer

Networking works better as an exchange than a collection of favors, and you have more to give than you think. The simplest contribution is gratitude that is specific: telling someone exactly how their advice changed your plan.

Aim to give something small in most conversations, without keeping score. CareerOneStop's networking guidance makes the same point: offer help to the people who help you.

• Pass along a job posting, event or article that fits their interests, with one line on why you thought of them.
• Introduce two people who would benefit from knowing each other, after checking with both.
• Write a sincere recommendation or reference for a former coworker whose work you know.
• Offer a practical skill: proofreading, spreadsheet help, translation, setting up equipment for an association event.
• Help people a step behind you, such as students or new hires, the way others helped you.

Networking for introverts: a lower-pressure approach

You do not have to work a crowded room. Most useful networking happens one person at a time, in writing or in short calls, which suits people who prefer to prepare and listen. Lean on written outreach and scheduled one-on-one conversations, and treat events as optional.

When you do attend an event, set a small goal, such as two real conversations, and arrive early while groups are still forming. Prepare a two-sentence introduction (the same skills apply to answering “tell me about yourself”), two questions to ask others, and a polite way to end a conversation.