Maintaining Professional Connections Through Hard Times

The Best Time to Forge Professional Relationships is All the Time

For far and away too many people, effort is only made at forging professional relationships and building professional networks when they actually need something. LinkedIn, for instance, is littered with accounts of people who only actively engage with their social network when they are actively looking for a job. That… simply put… doesn’t work. 

Building and maintaining a personal brand, creating and adding to a professional circle, developing thought-leading content–these are all things that you have to work at all the time, not just when it’s absolutely necessary. 

There’s Always a Curveball Coming

Maintaining professional connections–through social media or in person–is time consuming and sometimes difficult. So, it makes sense that people only do it when they think things are rough. Like when they think they’re going to need a new job or a helping hand. Truth is, there’s always a curveball coming. 

For instance, just a scant few years ago, tech jobs were some of the most sought-after positions in the world. The tech sector was growing by leaps and bounds and high-paying jobs were available to anybody with the right skill set and a little drive. Now, the downturn in the tech sector is sharp. Layoffs in the tech sector aren’t in the hundreds, or the thousands, they’re in the hundreds of thousands. 

People in the tech sector are struggling and–as we all know–it’s not always what you know, but who you know that can make or break your job search. Keeping your resume sharp and your metaphorical rolodex full is essential to success. 

Right Now is Always the Right Time to Make Professional Contacts

It could be really easy for anyone not in the tech sector to dismiss the woes of the tech sector worker. After all, what does a lobster fisherman–for instance–have to do with a Silicon Valley tech guru? That would be a mistake. 

Everything may look rosy in an industry or a corner of the world, but a lot of what we see–even things coming from the Federal Government–isn’t 100% accurate. For instance, recent revised data indicates that the Fed overestimated the number of jobs gained over 2023 by nearly a million. Because they were off by roughly 25% every month, that means it is that much harder for any job seeker to land a new gig. 

Creating and maintaining a professional profile and field of professional contacts will make you stand out in the job market and give you access to opportunities closed to the majority of the population. And, with job prospects not nearly so rosy as we’ve been told, right now is absolutely the right time to make sure your contacts and content are up to date. Frankly, right now is always the right time.

Don’t Be a “Fairweather Friend” to Your Professional Contacts

We’ve all met individuals that only show up when they want something. People that only take and never give. And, frankly, none of us like those people very much. So, it’s on us not to be those people. If you’re only reaching out when you need something or looking for a leg up, people will notice. That’s a problem. 

Being consistent and sincere in your communications, reaching out to offer guidance, and being the person there to help folks through bad times–that’s a solution. As I always say: give to give, not to get. But, believe me when I say that–if you give to give–people will notice. 

Being the person that is consistent and who extends the helping hand when needed isn’t just good “karma,” it’s good business. 

Nobody has a crystal ball to tell them whether the times that are coming are good or bad. All we have are the tools at our disposal to make sure that whatever comes, good or bad, we still succeed. One of the sharpest tools in that shed is our professional network. It is my personal belief that people who put in the work to be a thought leader in their community, to generate and develop professional contacts, and to proactively grow their skillset are the people that will succeed through any circumstance. That success is what I hope for for each and every one of you. Now… go get it!