According to an article written by best-selling author, career coach and former HR professional Martin Yate, the easiest way to make a tactical career move is by networking and having a colleague introduce you to a hiring supervisor.

Many people have very limited networks and are often not focused on investing time in building their professional network. When we leave our jobs, we tend to realize how helpful it is to have that widespread professional network.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics tells us that we spend an average of 4.2 years in a job, which is approximately 12 job changes over a 50-year career. What does that tell you? If networking is the easiest way to make a job change, then building your professional network should be a big part of your career.

To begin building your professional network, I would…

1. Start with people you know.

As you attend meetings, conferences, and work with clients, try to collect business cards from the new people you meet. In addition, LinkedIn is the dominant social media site for professional networking, so reach out to those new people to connect.

2. Join a professional association and/or groups on LinkedIn.

One example in the HR world is IndySHRM. IndySHRM is the local chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), where you can expand your network. Being a member of this group will help you make connections with other professionals in your industry. When you make a connection on LinkedIn, you may have access to that person’s connections, which in turn can expand your own network.

3. Like, Comment and/or Share someone’s post on LinkedIn.

This shows you are active and makes you in general more visible. When people like your post, you can reach out with a connection request.

If you do these 3 things, you’ll be better prepared for your next job change with a large database of connections that can help make that change easier. If you are looking for a new connection, please reach out to me via LinkedIn. I would love to connect and help you get started on building your professional network!

In addition, if you are looking for career advice or need someone to look over your resume, check out our career coaching services. We would love to help you!