“Your network is the people who want to help you, and you want to help them, and that’s really powerful.”

–  Reid Hoffman, Co-founder and Former Executive Chairman of LinkedIn

Introduction

Love or despise it – networking is undoubtedly an important tool for budding professionals, helping to gain valuable and practical information and possibly even a job. Now, more so than ever, networking has become critical as the COVID-19 pandemic has changed how we interact with people and dramatically reduced opportunities for face-to-face contact. In episodes 73 and 74, the Public Health Insight team showcases why public health and global health professionals should use networking to learn from others in the field and advance their career goals.

In this blog post, we’ll be exploring:

• What is Networking and Why is it Important?
• Networking Opportunities a in Public Health and Global Health
• Strategies for Effective Networking

What is Networking and Why is it Important?

Networking refers to making connections and investing in developing relationships with other professionals, typically within the same or similar field of interest. Despite the relatively straightforward definition, networking is a challenge for many professionals.

Networking is particularly critical for students, new professionals, and those looking to transition into a new field. Reaching out to professionals already working in the field can help newer practitioners:

• learn what opportunities may be available now and in the future,
• discover what training and experience helped established professionals reach their goals, and
• develop professional relationships with key individuals.

Networking is also important for professionals already established within their fields and who are not currently job seeking. The collaborative nature of public health means that making and maintaining connections with others is important to many public health careers. Finding solutions to public health problems often necessitates a multidisciplinary approach. Maintaining a rich network of contacts can help facilitate discussions with community partners, NGOs, and other public health organizations to help meet specific challenges as they arise.  

Networking Opportunities and Strategies in Public Health and Global Health

Conferences and Professional Networking Events

Traditionally, networking inspires images of professional conferences and mixers designed specifically to bring together professionals with similar professional interests. These in-person forms of networking have the advantage of providing an opportunity where people can form an immediate connection with a more personal approach. However, these opportunities are often time consuming and localized making it difficult to connect with professionals outside of a person’s immediate area. Further, the majority of these events were cancelled or moved online to accommodate the restrictions necessitated by COVID-19. While some of these face-to-face opportunities are returning, the pandemic has undoubtedly changed how we network with many events remaining online not only for safety reasons but to include a wider audience. New virtual platforms can provide opportunities for one-on-one time between attendees and presenters, providing a more conference-like ‘feel.’ Becoming familiar with the software and platform of a virtual conference can help to develop a strategy for ensuring time to speak with professionals and speakers of interest.

Networking through School and Work

University programs and workplaces often host networking events (online and in-person) allowing future and current professionals the opportunity to meet and explore each other’s professional interests. Some will have LinkedIn and other social media groups exclusively for current and former students/employees to encourage networking. Maintaining contact with previous colleagues can help future employment and collaboration opportunities.

Social Media

Social media is now invaluable to networking. While more impersonal than face-to-face networking, social media has a much further reach and allows engagement with professionals from multiple disciplines throughout the world. Staying current on social media can also alert professionals to public health and global health events of interest that may have networking opportunities.

LinkedIn is the most popular professional networking site where people can reach professionals from a diverse range of backgrounds and specialties across the globe. LinkedIn allows users a convenient format to share their skills, educational degrees, and professional background with potential contacts. Maintaining a LinkedIn profile can allow public health practitioners to establish a professional online presence and post content specific to their career paths that is separate from other social media platforms intended for friends and personal contacts. Many universities and workplaces include LinkedIn tutorials to develop tips and tricks for getting the most out of this crucial networking tool.

Other social media platforms, while not necessarily geared to professional networking, can still provide important opportunities for public health and global health professionals to reach out. Following major figures and important topics on Twitter, for example, can give insight into other key professionals in the public and global health arena. Local public health and social interest groups often have Facebook pages or other social media feeds that can allow professionals to meet and network with people who have similar interests. 

Email

Email is now considered an almost antiquated method of starting a conversation, but for some contacts of interest, it may be the only communication tool available. Emailing can also be a stepping stone to further contact, such as scheduling a quick chat. Additionally, email can be an important tool for following up after making in-person contact to express thanks for a discussion and share further contact details. When using email, ensure messages are concise and impactful – the recipient’s inbox is likely already full of pressing matters and a clear message can help encourage a response.

Volunteering

Volunteering in the public health and global health field can be an opportunity to connect with other public health professionals while also developing work experience and skills. These public health connections can later serve as important references, attesting to the hard work and passion of a candidate.

Basic Strategies for Effective Networking

Finding opportunities to network is only part of the networking challenge. Having a clear strategy towards approaching networking will increase the likelihood of making beneficial connections. There are some key tips to keep in mind irrespective of which type of networking opportunity is being pursued.

• Have a goal: Having a clear goal in mind can help identify with whom to network and what kinds of questions to ask when reaching out. Goals can range from simply wanting to find out more about a particular field of interest to actively finding contacts that can help secure employment opportunities currently or in the future. Regardless, having specific goals in mind will help professionals develop a networking plan and poignant questions for potential contacts.

• Do some research: In general, people enjoy talking about their own work. Researching a potential contact’s area of interest and expertise ahead of time can go a long way to getting that person to respond. Reaching out based on a genuine interest and passion for the work of a potential public health contact is more likely to inspire a more meaningful connection.

• Highlight your own value: Networking is a two-way street and professionals need to highlight how they add value to future connections. Even a person is relatively inexperienced in public health may still have some knowledge or insight that is new to the veteran practitioner. New professionals can bring energy, creativity, and novel approaches to public health problems and this should not be undersold.   

• Include an ‘ask’: When reaching out to a potential connection, including an ‘ask’ or a specific action to be taken. For example, asking a contact to expand on a comment or post on social media, posing a time for a quick chat, or requesting clarification on a piece of research can help elicit a response, particularly if reaching out virtually.

Key Takeaways

Professional networking is a critical skill and a necessity in public health and global health. Whether searching for a dream career opportunity, working to collaborate on challenges, or simply finding out more about a specific area, effective networking is essential to a fulfilling public health career. 

In recent years, networking has shifted online, particularly in the wake of the Covid pandemic. Online networking can feel isolating as messages may go unanswered and making a meaningful connection with others can be difficult. Still, using some basic strategies can help improve chances of getting a positive response, making important contacts, and expanding your network. 

Written by: Malissa Underwood, BSN, MPH