-pro-at-virtual-networking.png?sfvrsn=31511a1d_4 "How to Become an (IT) Pro at Virtual Networking")
Up to 85% of jobs are filled through networking. What you may not know is that you can advance your IT career through professional networking both in person and virtually. If you can’t (or don’t want to) attend in-person networking events, you can participate in virtual networking from the comfort of your home.
It’s a job seeker’s market, making it more important than ever for IT pros to network. After all, some tech professionals are rebuilding their IT career, and some beginners are just getting started. IT pros can benefit from virtual networking at any stage of their IT career.
Networking isn’t just beneficial for helping you land a job. It can also help with:
- Promoting knowledge sharing
- Fostering self confidence
- Helping you find solid career advice
- Strengthening your soft skills
In addition, an Indeed.com article The Benefits of Networking highlighted an interesting, less-obvious benefit of networking: Better health.
“Forming bonds increases your mental and physical health,” the Indeed editorial team wrote. “Providing advice to others and helping them succeed can give you an emotional boost.”
In-Person Networking vs. Virtual Networking
While virtual networking has been the primary form of networking for the past two years, it’s not the only form. As COVID-19 evolves from pandemic to endemic, in-person networking is coming back. That said, it’s helpful to understand which type of networking works best for you so you’ll know what opportunities to seek out.
Wondering what the pros and cons of each type of networking are? Here are some benefits and drawbacks to both virtual networking and traditional networking.
|
|
Virtual Networking | In-Person Networking |
| Pro |
It eliminates the cost of travel to and from in-person events. This can add up over time and save IT pros a significant amount of money on travel expenses.
|
It supports and maintains business relationships. Virtual networking can help with relationship-building, but almost all professionals believe in-person connection is better. |
| Con |
It may cost more to register for an online event than an in-person event. This is because virtual platforms can’t always host as many people as a physical meeting space. Typically, the fewer the people who are able to register for an event, the higher the cost of attendance.
|
It takes up a considerable amount of time. With an in-person networking event, you must factor in travel time, time spent getting ready for the gathering and preparing for it, etc. This means attending a traditional networking event can become an all-day commitment instead of one that just takes a few hours. |
| Pro | It is more expansive and accessible than traditional networking. For example, a virtual meeting makes it possible for IT pros from all over the world to be represented in a single event, with no geographical limitations. | It limits the pool of networkers. Whereas anyone from anywhere can join a virtual networking event, typically only local IT pros can attend an in-person event. Non-locals are much less likely to attend due to travel expenses. |
| Con | Virtual meetings/events can be exhausting. This is known, as “Zoom fatigue,” but isn’t unique to the Zoom platform. | It makes it easier to read others’ body language and pick up on social cues. This can reduce anxiety for IT pros who suffer from web-conferencing stress or fatigue. |
| Pro | It prevents individuals from catching or spreading illnesses. This can alleviate health-related anxiety and help IT pros focus on connecting with others.
| It improves strategic thinking. In-person networking also provides an ideal environment for making challenging, timely decisions, prevents delays and disruptions and helps networkers focus more easily. |
| Con | Being on camera can cause anxiety. Not everyone experiences this, but it has become a common complaint among those who often interact virtually with others. | It can pose a health risk by exposing individuals to illnesses. This is one of the primary reasons professionals have avoided in-person networking for the past couple of years. |
Regardless of whether you plan to put your energy into virtual networking or in-person events, it’s inevitable that you’ll need to become familiar with networking remotely. With a few simple tips, you can become an (IT) pro at virtual networking.
3 Tips to Become an (IT) Pro at Virtual Networking
Intimidated by the idea of virtual networking? Don’t be. Here are a few tips to help you reap the benefits of remote networking.
1. Find online networking events for technology professionals
The first step to virtual networking is finding online networking events for IT pros. Knowing where to look for these events is the key to finding the right online networking opportunities for you.
Platforms like Eventbrite, Meetup and Facebook are just a few places to find virtual networking events. But you can find many more by searching related keywords, like “virtual networking events near me” or “tech industry virtual meetups.”
Some events are open to anyone while others focus on bringing people with similar backgrounds or levels of experience together. In August 2021, Eventbrite hosted an online tech career fair. The event targeted software engineers, product managers, data scientists, data analysts and many other IT roles. Hopeful participants sent in their resumes to apply. Those who were selected were then invited and could purchase a ticket.
2. Create a virtual networking event
Can’t find the online networking event you need? No sweat. You can create it yourself, even if you have no experience in this area.
First, choose your virtual event platform.
A few examples include:
- BigMarker
- GoToWebinar
- HeySummit
- SpotMe
These platforms feature the virtual tools you’ll need to host the event and facilitate Q&A sessions, audience chats, interactive workshops and audience polls. The right platform will also enable live streaming and facilitate free handouts.
Next, you’ll choose a moderator. This is a critical step in creating a virtual networking event. In Virtual Networking Event Basics, the Cvent blog emphasizes that you need a moderator who can work the room. “This should be someone who has a connection to the attendees and can facilitate discussion as well as keep the event running smoothly.”
Once you’ve chosen a moderator, it’s time to schedule and advertise the virtual networking event. Get the word out about your event on Facebook and LinkedIn and ask others to share the event. Send direct invitations to IT pros who you hope will participate. You may want to charge a fee to cover the cost of the platform use and to pay SMEs or other contributors to the event.
3. Become literate in tech tools that foster virtual communication
Digital literacy is nothing new for IT pros. However, to network remotely, it is essential that you become fully comfortable using common tech tools that facilitate connecting with others virtually.
Some of the virtual networking tools you are probably already familiar with include various web conferencing platforms, online forums, real-time chat and online event apps.
But becoming a pro at remote networking goes beyond knowing how to operate Zoom or Microsoft Teams. It also means becoming proactive in your approach to working with these tech tools. This requires a little digging to learn about the lesser-known features of common virtual event platforms and seeking out hacks for making the most of your virtual networking experiences.
For example, did you know that you can personalize your name on Zoom? “Adding your pronouns to your name on Zoom is one way to make the platform more inclusive of transgender, gender nonconforming and gender nonbinary people, by making sure you aren't assuming anyone's gender identity based on their appearance,” wrote Alison DeNisco Rayome, managing editor at CNET.
Taking a minute to add pronouns to your name will let others know more about you at a single glance and increase your chances of making meaningful professional connections that will strengthen your IT career. Find out how to do this here.
Other Zoom hacks and shortcuts you may not have tried include:
- Holding down the space bar to unmute yourself.
- Holding down Alt+I on Windows or Command+I on Mac to open the meeting invitation window. From here, you can quickly send prospective guests invitations to a virtual networking event.
- Going to the “video” tab in your settings and ticking the “hide non-video participants” box if you prefer not to see blank boxes on your screen.
- Going to your personal settings, finding the “recording” tab and switching on the “automatic recording” button to record a meeting.
By learning your virtual networking tech tools inside and out, you’ll be able to focus less on technology and more on the people on the other side of it.
Finally, networking doesn’t always mean attending a virtual or in-person event with 50+ people. It can also mean making a one-on-one connection on Twitter, LinkedIn or Discord. An online chat can evolve into a DM, video call or meeting over coffee.
The quality of that single connection may exceed the quality of all your connections combined from a large networking event. That’s why it’s important that IT pros see being active on these platforms as a form of networking and prioritize it.
Advance Your IT Career Quickly with Virtual Networking
You may feel it’s not worth the time and effort to gain virtual networking skills. After all, traditional networking will return once everyone feels comfortable enough to congregate, right? Not necessarily.
According to the Tech Jury blog, 40% of people say they network more online than in person. The blog also reports that at least 60% of people planned to embrace digital communications more in 2021. Clearly, many people recognize the benefits of virtual networking, and some aren’t ready to go back to normal just yet.
By finding online networking events, creating virtual networking events and becoming literate in key tech tools, you can set yourself up for long-term networking success. Of course, attending in-person networking events as you are able and as they are offered will help you build your network and IT career faster.
Virtual networking isn’t a second-rate form of connecting with others. In some ways, it is superior to traditional networking as it can provide more opportunities for IT pros to make connections with other professionals than live networking ever could.
“While in the past, networking opportunities may have been limited to being in—or being able to travel to—a certain physical location, now there are countless opportunities to connect with people and groups no matter where you or they are based in the world,” said Mary Kearl, contributor to The Muse.
Just imagine how quickly you could grow your network using virtual networking. By participating in virtual networking for a few hours per month, you’ll make a significant investment in your future that will positively affect your IT career.
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