After the hospital’s reorganization, Sonja, a nurse staff developer, decided to treat her job loss as an opportunity. She promptly started working at three part-time jobs in varied clinical specialties, while she decided what to do with the rest of her career. She also sought advice from a respected and admired nurse entrepreneur with whom she had worked on an association’s continuing-education committee. Even though a job was not the purpose of the call, the entrepreneur offered Sonja a chance to review book manuscripts. Six months later, a part-time position in the entrepreneur’s company was created, offered, and accepted. Sonja’s position soon became full-time and, ultimately, led to a promotion to a director position, a presidential award for outstanding performance, and a large bonus.

Networking is one of the most important career-building tools available to a professional nurse. It is an effective sales and marketing strategy for building a positive power base to attain long- and short-term career goals, whether a nurse is hunting for a job, seeking a promotion, running for office, starting a business in consulting, engaging in public speaking, pursuing higher education, entering public service, or writing for publication.¹ In times of ever-expanding employment opportunities and heady competition for higher-level jobs, self-marketing and promotion through networking are essential for career growth and transition.

Networking is a systematic, step-by-step process of making and utilizing acquaintances to secure information and assistance for career advancement and mobility. It is a long-term process for building linkages and maintaining relationships throughout a career. Personal and professional relationships and contacts established by networking are some of the most effective methods of securing employment. Individuals who have a well-developed network of colleagues are likely to learn about more opportunities and to be guaranteed more options. Many times, it’s who you know, not what you know, that leads to a new career opportunity. A review of networking studies reported that 50% to 75% of jobs across all occupations were filled through direct application or information and assistance from friends and family with estimates for blue-collar workers as high as 90%.² On the other hand, career specialists have alleged that the likelihood of a job not being advertised at all increases with the level of the job.³ Successful career seekers use networking to supplement their search through want ads.

Benefits of being connected

A carefully cultivated networking system can provide unlimited contacts and linkages that can result in more job leads, interviews, and offers from which to choose. In addition to primary contacts and secondary referrals, information and advice about career opportunities can be obtained simply by finding and talking to the right people. Networking linkages provide added benefits when your contacts refer other people back to you to seek your advice or participation in conferences, publications, or consulting.

Feedback is another benefit of networking. Feedback from colleagues can help you check out the appropriateness of your ideas or plans before you actually risk anything new. Even if the feedback you receive isn’t always positive, it can still be helpful in avoiding costly mistakes.⁴ For example, one nurse educator became frustrated in her new position because she felt her new teaching partner was incompetent. She might have found out about the situation before accepting the position, if only she had asked the educator she replaced. Some nurses, such as those in staff positions, have a ready-made network in coworkers who can provide knowledgeable opinions about career issues, as well as work and patient problems. Some employers have made existing staff’s knowledge of the work environment part of the job interview for prospective candidates by scheduling informal time for the candidate with existing staff. This is intended to avoid early turnover based on lack of information on either the candidate or the staff’s anonymity with the candidate. Often, this is the start of networking for the candidate in their new role.

Everyone needs a support system to help overcome life and career hurdles. Emotional support and encouragement are essential for successful transitions in today’s tight job market. Social support, including its antecedents of social networking, social embeddedness, and social climate, can be a mechanism for staff retention, especially when support that often comes from family and friends is unavailable.⁵ As nurses move through their careers, they can balance their perspective by using groups outside nursing, such as Forty-Plus for adults over 40, American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) for people over 50, the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) for women, and college-placement offices for alumni. Check with your alma mater about career services and counseling, and resources for standardized testing to determine your work preferences, communication styles, and strengths and weaknesses. The Internet contains many appropriate, valid, reliable tools, such as the DISC, Enneagrams, or the Myers-Briggs Inventory, developed by psychologist Carl Jung in conjunction with Isabel Myers-Briggs. Within nursing circles, you may find support among colleagues and professional groups. Your organization may have individuals whose roles include useful information for your success, including directors of departments such as human resources, organizational development and learning or professional practice, or development and research. Or you can find or start a special-interest group, like the entrepreneurial nurse who gathered together other nurse consultants and organized a monthly networking and support-group session over lunch.

Colleagues with whom you have developed solid relationships can also provide you with powerful professional and personal character references and letters of recommendation. Be sure to ask your references for permission before supplying their names, addresses, and phone numbers to potential employers. Also, hand out copies of your resume and let them know when someone might call, what kinds of questions might be asked, and how you would like them to represent you. Typical reference questions address how long your reference has known you and in what capacity. Queries may also inquire about your major attributes and strengths, as well as limitations and weaknesses. Some references may prefer to wait until you need a specific recommendation. If they hesitate to act as a reference because they are unsure about what to write, draft a sample letter for them to have typed on their letterhead for their signature. It’s never too early to start collecting these letters before you actually need them. Also, maintain a formal list of at least three to six professional and personal references willing to vouch for you. It is better to have more references than you might need, so you can match the reference to the purpose you are applying. For example, if you are applying for a job, you may need to provide references that can speak to your work ethic, specific job-related knowledge or industry-specific expertise. If you are running for an office, you may want a reference that is well-connected in the community and would make a statement of support, rather than a relatively unknown reference, even if he or she has very positive things to say about you.

What networking can’t do

Professional networking does have limitations. It cannot, for example, take the place of developing the qualifications necessary to reach your career goal. The exclusive use of networking as a career strategy will not necessarily lead to success. It cannot substitute for initiating direct contact with members of an organization or researching the organization yourself. Networking means taking risks and sometimes getting wrong responses — unreturned phone calls, impatience or rudeness on the other end of the line, or reluctance or outright refusal to help.

Not everyone knows how to aid another networker or is willing to help all of the time. It is important to give the person something to comment on, rather than just the fact that you were both at a meeting together. You must have a body of work and preparation to show for yourself. It is a bidirectional relationship — not only must you know the influential, knowledgeable, connected people, but they must also know YOU. It is a much stronger relationship to say “I worked on the position statement committee with Dr. Strong, and together we created a foundation for change,” rather than to say “Oh, yes, I have heard of Dr. Strong; she is on that position statement committee. I know of her, and I have read her work.”

How to get going

Networking occurs on personal, professional, or more general levels. An individual or an organization can reach out for contacts. Nurses can network formally at structured meetings or informally at impromptu gatherings. Participants may include individuals from a wide variety of practice roles, specialties, and settings, or be limited to a circumscribed group. Networks may be regional, national, or international with a broad scope of linkages. A network can also be restricted to one organization, such as a single place of employment or a local chapter. For example, one group of nurses from a small rehab hospital used their facility to sponsor local chapter meetings of the Association of Rehabilitation Nurses to network and receive continuing education.

Nurses can take advantage of many sources for networking. Membership in nursing organizations and attendance at professional gatherings are excellent opportunities. Start with existing networks by composing a list of the people you already know, dividing relationships into categories of current and former teachers, classmates, and alumni; employers, supervisors, and coworkers; friends, neighbors, and relatives; social contacts; and other professionals outside nursing. Ask yourself, who on the list is knowledgeable or well-connected in your area of interest? Who would be a good coach, role model, or mentor? Whom should you ask to give a professional or personal character reference or a letter of recommendation? Next, start making the easier calls. Don’t forget to ask contacts for the names and phone numbers of two or three other people to contact. In this way, your network will grow, eventually including all the experts, information, and support you need.

Next, expand your networking system by asking yourself where else you might find potential networking contacts and relationships. Be creative and open-minded. Consider people you meet at seminars, workshops, and conferences; special-interest group and professional association meetings; and civic, religious, and social gatherings with family and friends. Look in publications, brochures, and advertisements for authors, speakers, and consultants with expertise in your area of interest, and contact them, too. Think about volunteering as a means of meeting new people and getting information about a particular area. To keep your network growing, set goals for yourself, such as attending one meeting a month, making one phone call a week, or introducing yourself to someone new every day.

Preparing and scripting

After identifying all the contact people you can and before you start making the more difficult calls, prepare as you would for any one-on-one interview. Clarify your goals. The development of a personal mission statement is useful to highlight the integration of your values and belief system to a work-oriented outcome that is in sync with each other. Franklin Covey has an interactive website that can help you develop your own personal mission statement in a variety of formats. Think about how you will introduce yourself and even write a short introduction. Consider what you intend to say about yourself, your work, and your interests. Be prepared to make small talk or conversation about a mutual connection with the contact. Plan the key questions you would like to have answered and outline a brief script for yourself, so you can practice asking the questions. Rehearse your introduction and questions until you feel comfortable with them. Role-play a face-to-face networking situation with someone else to get feedback on your performance.

Although networking is an easy skill to learn and maintain, it does require effort and perseverance to be successful. It can be a time-consuming commitment. You’ll need to get organized, set goals, take notes, and keep records throughout the ongoing process. Keep adding to your list of potential contacts. Take notes during and immediately after interviews. Use 3x5 index and/or business cards you collect from contacts, write your notes on them, and organize them in a file box or card index. Consider computerizing your record keeping. In addition to preparing and scripting, you’ll need to develop sales props or tools, such as career cards, a resume, and a portfolio.

Tools of the game

If you don’t already have business cards, consider getting these effective sales props. You can create your own career or business card with your name, credentials, title (optional), mailing address, phone number, e-mail, and fax. Have them printed at a discount office supply store or quick print shop. Just write the advertising copy you want to have printed on the front and give instructions to create a standard business card. A business card is a very inexpensive tool — as little as $35 per 1,000 cards — that sets you apart from the competition. It is not advisable to print your own on your computer because the card stock is flimsy and the type is not professionally laid out and printed.

Next to yourself, your resume is the most important sales prop you have for marketing yourself to others. Every nurse needs a resume and/or curriculum vitae (CV), not just at job-hunting times, but for many career-building needs — applying for a promotion; reapplying for your position during reorganization; getting nominated, elected, or appointed; or consulting, public speaking, or publishing. If you don’t already have a powerful resume/CV, find an instruction book with samples, look into taking a how-to class at a local college, or find an expert to develop one for you. If you have a resume/CV, make sure it represents you well, is current, can be read easily, and that you have several copies to use in networking with appropriate contacts. Resumes and CVs are much easier to maintain than to create from scratch, especially as your career lengthens. It is a good idea to review your resume every year in the beginning and increasingly often as your career continues or whenever you have had a change to its contents with a new position, a new degree, or a new professional activity.

In addition to business cards and a polished resume/CV, think about putting together a professional portfolio. A portfolio is a powerful sales tool that provides evidence and documentation of your expertise. For example, some documents specifically related to networking are a broadcast letter that introduces you as a professional, letters of recommendation, a typed list of three to six personal and professional character references, business cards, published articles, and your resume. Begin by making a list of which documents you want to include, collect the originals, make copies, and organize them in a notebook or folder. Carry your portfolio with you to show to interested people you meet during networking opportunities and other interviews. A portfolio not only demonstrates that you’ve got the evidence to prove yourself, but also that you’re very well organized and prepared. Professional portfolios may be available from your professional organization, such as your state nurses association. For example, the Arizona Nurses Association sells templates in a binder for the creation of a portfolio.

Face-to-face encounters

Cultivating and expanding an effective networking system requires face-to-face contact with many people. There are guidelines for working a room and pressing the flesh. After you’ve determined which meetings or gatherings to attend for networking purposes, plan and prepare for what you need to do when you get there. Be clear about your goals. For example, you might want to gather information about community-based career paths for nurses, meet someone who practices in a particular facility, or find out how to set up a future presentation for the group. Choose your attire carefully. Business-type clothes are usually best, rather than a uniform, or casual or cocktail attire. Collect your props — business cards, resumes, and portfolio — plus a calendar or planner for scheduling follow-up appointments and index cards for notes. If you go with friends or meet acquaintances at the event, don’t restrict yourself to talking only to them. Act like a gracious guest. Plan on entering the room with confidence, getting yourself oriented, and looking for people you already know or you’d like to get to know. Mingle, move in, and join conversations in progress. Circulate through the room and meet a variety of new people. Introduce yourself with a smile and a firm handshake, making eye contact; get the conversation going; listen closely; and exchange business cards with anyone you’d like to keep in touch with later.⁶

Soon after you’ve made a strong personal impression on a networking contact through a phone call or face-to-face meeting, cement it with a hand-written thank-you note or follow-up phone call. Once you build a relationship, keep in touch with your contacts, especially when you don’t need something from them or when a polite contact is welcoming, such as a promotion or return to work from an extended illness. Always return your phone messages in a timely manner and respond to calls in a pleasant and professional manner. Electronic mail may be preferred by some, but it is often abused, and reading up on etiquette (sometimes referred to as ‘netiquette’) for proper use of this medium is advisable. A good Internet reference on netiquette can be found at www.albion.com/netiquette.

Special types of networking

Informational or investigative interviewing involves making an appointment to talk to specific contacts to get information about the hidden job market — those unadvertised positions or positions-in-the-making that most people don’t even know about until after they are filled. The hidden job market has been estimated to represent about 80% of the opportunities that are available to the career seeker.⁷ Uncovering the hidden job market involves asking colleagues for information about potential employers, openings, practice roles, specialties, and settings. For example, who would you contact to find out about advanced practice nursing as a nurse midwife? Job opportunities in home care? Or an opening in adult day care? Asking open-ended versus yes-no questions, prepared in advance, and taking notes on the responses can help to organize the investigative process. Examples of informational-interviewing questions include: How can someone develop the credentials for entering this field? What is your typical workday like? And what do you like and dislike most about your role and functions?

Broadcast-letter writing is a specialized approach to facilitating networking that takes the place of mailing out numerous unsolicited resumes to unknown, unnamed people who may not have an opening or even an interest in you yet. The networker or a reference person writes a brief letter of introduction or solicitation that broadcasts your interest, talent, and abilities to a specific person. For example, you could ask a coworker, who worked with another nurse specializing in an area in which you’re interested, to write you a letter of introduction expressing your interest in contacting her. After mailing the letter, you would follow up with a phone call and arrange an informational interview with the contact person.⁸

Telephone networking or telemarketing requires forethought and preparation. Instead of first making “cold” calls to people you don’t know, warm up by calling people you already know and who would like to hear from you. But before you call anyone, think about what you are going to say. Be considerate of the contact’s time, and be brief and to the point. Be clear about the purpose of your call — networking versus asking for a job. And if the contact would rather have a one-on-one meeting, arrange it.

A wonderful way to get your name out there is to publish professionally or to speak publicly at professional events. This can establish you as an expert in an area and will begin the process of you being sought out for networking contacts. Networking is a reciprocal process of requesting assistance when needed and lending help when asked. An effective networker is an important part of many other people’s careers. You need to identify how you can be of assistance to others, let them know, and be receptive when they contact you. You must be willing to take the initiative in establishing and maintaining relationships.

Networking is a good ‘real’-time source for information and connections rather than relying solely on published work. The potential benefits of networking for career advancement and mobility are well known, but there are more. According to Gannett Healthcare Group’s “Dear Donna,” “Networking has long been touted by career experts and others in the know as the most effective way to stay cutting-edge with your information and knowledge, remain visible and connected to your profession, promote a business or service, and keep your social skills sharp. Plus, networking can make you better at your current job.”⁹ Networking is a skill or a tool that is important for every professional from the newly graduated novice nurse to the most experienced, expert academician, nurse executive, or advanced practice nurse.