50 Examples of Professional Networking

John Spacey, May 13, 2022

Professional networking is the process of meeting people and building relationships that are relevant to your career and work. This is a basic process that anyone can pursue and is a requirement of some roles. Anyone you know could end up being helpful in your work or career with time. Professional networking can begin as a student and can include peers, friends, family, customers, partners, vendors, investors, stakeholders and anyone in your industry, company or profession. The following are illustrative examples of professional networking.

Keeping in touch with a customer after closing a sale to check on their service satisfaction.	Joining clubs and teams at school.
Getting to know people in your classes / at your school.	Going to job fairs.
Meeting recruiters.	Public speaking at industry events.
Sales meetings and contacts.	Posting on social media in a professional capacity.
Being visible in your organization (e.g. speaking up at meetings)	Pushing into important projects at work.
Attending training / actively joining in discussion.	Professional development workshops.
Promptly responding to employers in the recruiting process.	Not ghosting potential employers in the recruiting process.
Making friends at work.	Community interaction.
Connecting people in your professional network to each other to solve a common problem.	Actively engaging in the conversation around your profession and industry in social media.
Engaging in small talk at work.	Joining social events at work such as lunches.
Joining optional activities at work.	Joining committees at work.
Volunteering	Being responsive, communicative and professional with customers.
Recommending / referring people for jobs.	Building a reputation at work by delivering to commitments.
Representing your employer at industry events.	Cultural participation.
Being responsive and professional in your dealings with partners.	Maintaining an active social life and networking through your friends.
Leveraging family connections you may have.	Touching base with people to sustain relationships over time.
Lunches / dinners and events with customers / partners / potential employers.	Joining professional associations & organizations.
Attending optional events at work such as lunch-and-learn sessions.	Solving professional problems by consulting people you know.
Helping people to solve problems online and in forums.	Helping people you know to solve problems.
Being receptive and approachable at work.	Getting to know your indirect reports at work.
Skip-level meetings at work.	Giving presentations / training at work.
Leading at work.	Leading in your school / volunteer positions and other activities.
Actively contributing to projects.	Actively influencing stakeholders.
Managing expectations for what you will deliver to stakeholders.	Building a sense of comradely with people in your team / organization.
Talking to people from different teams at your office (e.g. in the elevator / in the coffee room)	Prompting responding to requests by email / direct message.