Networking is essential to professional growth. It’s through relationship-building that you can open doors to possible career opportunities, find trusted mentors, and meet individuals who challenge and broaden your worldview.
It’s also one of the many benefits of online learning. By enrolling in an online course, you join a diverse group of like-minded professionals with unique perspectives and skill sets. Interacting with them provides the opportunity to foster professional relationships that lead to job opportunities.
But to achieve your career goals, you first need to know how to build and maintain your network.
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1. Introduce Yourself
In a traditional classroom setting, you typically introduce yourself to students nearby. But in an online course, your peers could be seated in cities, states, or countries away. Don’t let the distance deter you; introduce yourself on the discussion boards. It could be as simple as sharing your name, location, and motivation for enrolling in the program. You might surface commonalities you can later leverage when contacting classmates via email or LinkedIn.
After introducing yourself, regularly engage in conversation. Ask questions, respond to others’ comments, and share resources. The more active you are on the discussion boards, the deeper the learning experience—and your professional connections—will be.
Related: 4 Reasons Online Classes Can Benefit Working Adults
2. Use Technology to Your Advantage
If you still prefer to network in person, you can use several free video conferencing tools to facilitate meetings and share real-time feedback, such as Skype, Zoom, and Google Hangouts.
As a bonus, networking via video makes it easier to pick up on others’ subtle nonverbal cues, which can help you improve your overall communication and foster more meaningful connections.
3. Bring Shared Value to Your Network
Don’t be afraid to ask your network for help. Research by Harvard Business School professors Alison Wood Brooks and Francesca Gino shows that people who seek advice seem smarter and, in the process, encourage knowledge sharing among their peers.
What you want to avoid is continuously requesting guidance without returning the favor. Ask your contacts, “How can I help you?” Not only can that strengthen your relationships but help establish you as a thought leader on a particular topic, like business analytics or financial decision-making.
You could become the go-to resource your connections refer others to whenever a new project or business need surfaces. Just make sure that if you agree to help in some way, you follow up on that promise.
Related: How Leaders Develop and Use Their Network
4. Establish and Maintain Your Online Presence
If you want your classmates to learn more about you and your professional background, establish an online presence. It could be as simple as creating a profile on LinkedIn—the social networking site that 94 percent of recruiters use to vet job candidates.
When setting up your LinkedIn profile, ensure you:
- Upload a professional photo that features a simple background and makes you the focal point
- Create a compelling headline that speaks directly to your audience and your specialty
- Detail all relevant work experience and quantify what you accomplished in each role
- Add links to relevant sites, such as your online portfolio or company blog, which can help highlight and support your experience
- Incorporate keywords you want recruiters to associate you with when searching LinkedIn, such as “financial analyst,” “innovation,” or “marketing strategy”
- Fill out as many profile sections as possible, from your “Volunteer Experience” to “Accomplishments”
As your career evolves, so should your profile. Regularly take the time to update your work and educational experiences.
5. Join Relevant Communities
Networking doesn’t need to happen solely within the course platform. Join industry-specific networking groups online, follow your school’s social media accounts, and research whether your program offers relevant meetups in your area.
For example, the HBS Online Community enables online learners and other business-minded professionals to connect globally in several ways, including:
- Chapter events: The HBS Online Community has 35 Chapters around the world. Consider joining your closest one, or the Global Chapter, to find and attend virtual and in-person networking events.
- Discussion boards: By joining a Chapter, you’ll gain access to discussion boards where you can share updates, ask and answer questions, and post polls.
- Direct messaging: Chat directly with your peers about their learning experience, job opportunities, or relevant industry insights.
- Professional profiles: Consider adding a photo and links to your social media channels to your profile. The more you share about yourself, the easier it’ll be to connect and network with others.
- Exclusive networking groups: If you complete an HBS Online certificate course, you’ll be added to the Official HBS Online Networking Group.
- Community Challenges: HBS Online annually partners with a nonprofit to host a Community Challenge that enables learners to help solve one of its most critical business challenges.
Related: Why an Online Learning Community Is Important to Your Success
6. Find Ways to Follow Up
Building your connections is just the beginning. After that, the goal of networking is to maintain your relationships.
Set aside time every month or two to reconnect with your contacts. Consider sharing an article that reminded you of them or a relevant webinar you think is worth watching. Or say congratulations if you spot exciting news published about their company or that they recently started a new job or took on additional responsibilities within their current organization. Those small gestures can go a long way in sustaining relationships.
The Value of Networking
By prioritizing relationship-building, you can advance your career with online learning while helping others do the same. A quick conversation or new connection could be what helps land your next job or encourages you to ask for raise.
But you’ll never know unless you introduce yourself and start networking.
If you’re interested in pursuing an online education, explore our course catalog, and download our free e-book on how to advance your career with essential business skills.
This post was updated on June 1, 2023. It was originally published on September 6, 2018.
