Networking tips

[hollyfinn2057]

Hoping to secure a permanent position in the next few years and one of the things I'm woefully inadequate at is networking and making connections, people that I can call on for letters of recommendation and who will speak well of me and my research. Very aware that is is extremely important and all the people I know who do this well have done very well for themselves, in some cases, despite not being very competent.

So, looking for advice on this. I was thinking since it's almost New Years maybe a good idea to send an email to some of these people I'd like to maintain a connection with and wish them well. Maybe also cite a paper of mine ( one of them just got featured in a science magazine) , or would that be too 'showy'. See my problem with this, too self conscious of how I might appear or how to go about doing this....

How do others do this?

No responses since this afternoon?!

That may be Christmas , or it may be that it’s not the sort of thing people care to share.

I utterly abhor networking (as I’m sure most people do) but over the past few years I’ve found myself hauling myself to far flung locations, or setting my phone alarm for 7pm NY time, or re-framing research into the right shape for an abstract - all to attend conferences on matters I’m genuinely interested in, and from which I expect nothing more than a little illumination. But those attendances have borne such fruit … Slowly and incrementally, often without my noticing until an unexpected email arrives.

But I’ve singularly failed to send ingratiating emails to anyone I don’t actually adore.

I was thinking since it's almost New Years maybe a good idea to send an email to some of these people I'd like to maintain a connection with and wish them well. Maybe also cite a paper of mine ( one of them just got featured in a science magazine) , or would that be too 'showy'.

Unless there is a specific reason for you to contact any of these people, no I wouldn't do this. This isn't networking, it is a bit of a time suck for the people you're contacting. What sort of a response would you expect?

Think of it more as an exchange - whom do you like hanging out with at conferences? Who are your peers? Whom do you like playing (as in research) with? Whom do you talk to in your research/teaching life

Your peers (ie other postdocs) are as important in your networks as those you perceive as able to do something for you. What can you do for others?

networking and making connections, people that I can call on for letters of recommendation and who will speak well of me and my research

This isn't a network. This is a group of people whom you think will do you favours. What do you have to offer? How can you make a contribution to your discipline? A network is a give and take between people who enjoy working together. It's not hierarchical, so it's important to include your postdoc peers, or if you're still doing a PhD , other PhD candidates you meet in your area.

What are the major learned societies/scholarly associations in your discipline? Are there a couple of major conferences each year - could you attend one? Is there a postgrad caucus or ECR group or network? If not, can you volunteer to build one?

The way I think of networks is that they are professional connections which work sociably - so be sociable. Be someone who is there for others - then others will think of you. Suggest initiatives - if you want to be part of a network, start building it yourself.

I utterly abhor networking

I don't! I see it as hanging out with people I like and with whom I enjoy exchanging ideas, writing together, chatting about our part of the discipline, offering a helping hand to more junior colleagues, asking the difficult questions, having the difficult questions asked of me.

Scholars don't create new knowledge in a vacuum. Knowledge is social; humans are social beings.

And I rather take issue with the subtext of this thread that people who "network" are doing it because they're not competent. The best academic friends I have are also wonderful scholars & teachers.

Yes … Harsh but true!

The most successful networking probably does evolve as a by-product of the work one is doing. Whose work have you shown an interest in, amongst your peers - and have you found ways to involve them in what you’re doing? It’s really difficult to describe, I know! And your academic world is probably very different to mine.

But people need to feel they know you - as a fellow academic person - before they’ll want to ‘speak well of your research’. So give them opportunities to do that.

Hmm … All the things you cite in your first paragraph - hanging out with people - are things I love doing. In fact I sometimes think those interactions are what keep me going. I think of networking as something much less organic, requiring a different sort of effort.

Don’t really understand the link to being competent or not. All I understand is that the process of building networks is nowhere near as superficial as sending notes at New Year.

Don’t really understand the link to being competent or not. All I understand is that the process of building networks is nowhere near as superficial as sending notes at New Year.

The competency issue was in the OP.

But yes, building networks is much more than random emails at New Year …

Thanks for all the tips. I think I should have been more clear that I wasn't planning on sending random emails to people I don't know, but more of a 'touch base' email to people I have worked with for many years but not directly working with right now (because of a slight change in research direction) and hence want to maintain contact with them. I haven't seen some of these people for a while because of Covid and also due to changing institutions.

I agree that networking works best when it's reciprocal. Stuff like following up conversations with links to people's work or introductions to other academics that you might have mentioned, attaching a v-card with photo so they can file your details for future information.

I wouldn't send emails at NY to people I don't know well, though if you've a really significant paper out, you might email a free download link to your academic mailbase.

Certainly cultivate a Twitter presence for wider connections. The LSE has a great guide to doing this.

I'm known as an excellent networker and I agree, frankly, it hides other things which I am less good at which are probably more important although I think that networking is part of the construction of knowledge.

As with everyone, don't tell them about you, ask about them. Find some work they have done recently that you like and highlight that rather than your work. Volunteer, volunteer....try to get onto a conference organising committee, organise your own symposia, say yes to reviewing, write the non REFable chapter. All these things are part of the academic package but they will help with networking. I have an excellent mentor and we clash on this because he says I am delaying promotion by not devoting all my time to papers and grants but I point out that he became my mentor because I did these things and my best papers come from collaborations off the back of these things.

I HATE networking. I love thinking with others, getting excited by their ideas and having space to share my own, seeing new researchers coming up and taking time to listen, being involved in crazy projects. I view this side as the luxury of what is sometimes a thankless task.

The other thing I realised when I was wondering how the "important" people got to know each other was that most of them worked together before they were "important" so I really agree with cultivating networks at your career stage.

Enjoy it basically!