Career Blog: Networking for Job Search? 5 Easy Ways to Stay in Touch with Contacts!

As I mentioned in my last blog post on being an effective networker, following up with new contacts after meeting them is key.  If you’ve met someone for an informational interview, the first follow up contact should definitely be a thank you email or note, but how do you stay in touch after that?  Or, if you met someone at a networking event, how do you find the time to stay in touch?  Here are five easy ways to stay in touch with contacts, during your job search and afterward!

1. Connect on Linkedin.  Once you’ve made a new contact, one easy way to both keep track of him/her and stay connected in the future is to become linkedin contacts.  If you just met them, you may want to personalize your linkedin connection request to indicate how you know each other.  You could also seek to connect on twitter, facebook or other social media sites, but be aware that many people use facebook exclusively personally and not on a professional level.

2. Comment on Social Media Status.  Whether on linkedin, twitter, or anywhere else online, if your new contact makes an interesting comment, make an effort to reply to it with accolades, questions or challenges!

3. Send Congratulations.  One of my favorite ways to connect or reconnect with someone is to offer congratulations!  What a satisfying thing to do AND an easy way to stay in touch!  So, if you see someone changed their title on linkedin or you hear through the grapevine that your contact was promoted or has a new job, send a quick message of congratulations!  They’ll appreciate it!

4. Email a Useful Article or Recommendation.  Building a healthy, working or personal relationship is about helping each other.  So if you run across an article relevant to your contact or if you have discussed the lack of good restaurants or yoga studios and you hear of a new one, send along your recommendations.

5. Email a Helpful Contact.  What’s even better than sending an article or recommendation?  The answer is introducing your contact to someone else who might be able to help them.  This not only develops a friendly, mutually helpful relationship, but I also like to think your good efforts return to you as good job search karma going forward!