by Logan Stewart

I got my very first real professional job by accident, while I was checking out at the grocery store. 

Well, that's not entirely true.  I didn't actually get the job until a few months later.  I simply happened to mention to the woman in line in front of me that I really liked her palm-tree print, reusable grocery bags.  (This happened at a time when such items were still somewhat of a rarity; before the recent explosion of eco-friendly, go-green accessories.)   I was senior in college, and at the time caught up in a trendy tidal wave of veganism and environmental sustainability. 

My complimenting her grocery bags led to a longer conversation as we pushed our shopping carts to our cars.  I told her where I was attending school and what I would receive my degree in, and as a matter of fact, I was indeed graduating and searching for a job!  Before we parted, she handed me her business card and told me to give her a call.  She was the executive director of a small regional health agency, and while she wasn't hiring anyone at the moment, she knew someone at a local nonprofit who might be.   Two months later, I joined the development staff of that nonprofit.

Networking is a funny thing.  Sometimes, you set out to meet certain people and get in their good graces, in the hopes that doing so will land you in a better spot professionally.  Other times, you network and don't even realize you're doing it.  From my experience, the latter can be where you oftentimes make your best professional connections.  Sure, there are networking groups out there that cater to any of a number of occupational fields.  No doubt about it; these groups can be beneficial because everyone there has a shared set of goals:  meeting people, collecting cards, and expanding their professional network.  But you may just reap the best rewards from connections you make at the gym, at your neighbor's holiday party, or by talking to that guy next to you on the airplane.

And even if you already have a job, you should always keep networking.  Why, you ask?  Networking has proven time and again to be the most effective way to develop professional relationships, nurture contacts and keep you in the loop with need-to-know information.  You never know who you might need to hit up for a favor in the future.  Keep an address book of everyone you know, either handwritten, such as a Rolodex, or online, and keep notes on each person with their contact information.  If someone you've met through your network does a favor for you, promptly send a thank you through email or via snail mail.  But make sure to always follow up, and make it a habit to just check in every few months with your contacts to see how they are doing.

Bear in mind, you don't want to come off as a phony.  If you aren't sincere and don't show a genuine interest in the people with whom you are networking, most will be able to see through the façade and realize that you see them as little more than another name in your little black book of numbers. 

All of this advice is not meant to suggest that you ought to go out of your way to compliment the grocery bags of anyone you meet, in the hopes that it will land you a job.  Just remember that networking isn't a textbook concept, and can happen anytime, anywhere, or anyplace.  The more rungs you continue to add to your network ladder, the closer you will get to landing that next big career opportunity!