Working remotely brings in a set of perks around flexibility and freedom.
It doesn’t matter how amateur or seasoned you are as a remote worker, the lack of working in an office leaves us craving for social interactions with like-minded individuals. There is no better way to do that by putting yourself out there by connecting with individuals virtually or in-person at co-working spaces or cafes.
As a remote worker, proactiveness is what gets you ahead and you need to apply that as you network with professionals with an aim to move forward in your career.
So how do you get started? 5 tips that
Before you begin your outreach make sure you showcase yourself as an established remote worker. Optimize your profile from the headline to recommendations that paints the right picture. Your profile needs to speak of your accomplishments as a remote worker and take full advantage of incorporating media,
While inviting professionals to your network, make sure to send in a personalized invite with a reason to connect with them. Here are some valuable links full of tips and templates:
The Best LinkedIn Invitations: Tips and Sample Templates
7 Best Ways to Customize A “Connection Request”
If you’re struggling with who you should connect with, LinkedIn makes it easier for you. Look for professionals in your “Manage network” tab that might seem interesting and as you view profiles of individuals to connect with on the right corner - you will also find “People also viewed” profiles of professionals similar to the one you are viewing.Once you do connect with your new connections, it’s important to engage with them on their content by liking, sharing, and commenting or simply inviting them for informational interviews so you get to know them better.
If you enjoy working from co-working spaces, make sure to join a space that has its own sense of community. Participate in weekly lunches and events hosted by the community to get to know other members better. If you find it hard to initiate conversations, always warm up to the in-house crew and have them introduce you around. They always are the most friendly and understand the need of building a community. If you have an idea of hosting an event to bring the community together, propose that and meet your new set of friends. If you work at a space that has a flexible desk set up, make sure to introduce yourself to individuals you sit every day, you never know where that new connect leads you, perhaps a new job or a new business partner.
Slack has proved to be one of the best collaborative tools that not only bring remote teams together and network with professionals. There is a slack community for everything and everyone - look for slack communities that are specific to your industry and line of work. While you are looking for like-minded remote workers, you can also look for remoter workers in your location.
There is nothing that you can’t find on Facebook. Basis how you’ve filled your profile, your likes, and dislikes,
Facebook also suggests groups that you can join and meet like-minded people. As you join private community-driven groups, it’s always nice to introduce yourself and engage with community members. Ask questions and answer some if you can help. The lack of personal connects invites for more virtual interactions by engaging with the group. You can eventually always make these connections on LinkedIn.
Remote companies are looking to understand your experience, achievements, culture fit and industry expertise. Its best to prepare your elevator pitch, and how can you tie your quantifiable accomplishments to the company’s goals. To get the answer right, you need to make sure you have researched well.
Meetup.com is a great way to connect with remote workers locally. It’s nice to have a group you can go out with occasionally. Join meetup groups for remote workers, solopreneurs, freelancers among industry-specific groups.
It might seem difficult to network virtually specially if you are an introvert but a good way to start network is reach out to people from your past and gradually move to reaching out to people through other channels
